1At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, the young deva Kamada said to the Blessed One:

"Hard to do, Blessed One! Very hard to do, Blessed One!" [n.149] Spk: This young deva, it is said, had been a meditator in a previous life, but he had thick defilements and thus could suppress them only with much effort. Though he did the work of an ascetic, because his supporting conditions were weak he passed away and took rebirth in the deva world without having reached the plane of the noble ones. He came to the Blessed One's presence to proclaim the difficulty of the ascetic life.

2v.265 "They do even what is hard to do,
O Kamada," said the Blessed One,
"The trainees endowed with virtue, steadfast.
For one who has entered the homeless life
Contentment brings along happiness."

3"That is hard to gain, Blessed One, namely, contentment."

4v.266 "They gain even what is hard to gain,
O Kamada," said the Blessed One,
"Who delight in calming the mind,
Whose minds, day and night,
Take delight in development."

5"That is hard to concentrate, Blessed One, namely, the mind."

6v.267 "They concentrate even what is hard to concentrate,
O Kamada," said the Blessed One,
"Who delight in calming the faculties.
Having cut through the net of Death,
The noble ones, O Kamada, go their way."

7"The path is impassable and uneven, Blessed One." [n.150] Spk: Although the noble path is neither impassable nor uneven (duggamo visamo), this is said because there are many impediments in the preliminary portion of the path.

8v.268 "Though the path is impassable and uneven,
The noble ones walk it, Kamada.
The ignoble ones fall down head first,
Right there on the uneven path,
But the path of the noble ones is even,
For the noble are even amidst the uneven."

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho kāmado devaputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"dukkaraṁ, bhagavā, sudukkaraṁ, bhagavā"ti.

2"Dukkaraṁ vāpi karonti, (kāmadāti bhagavā)
Sekhā sīlasamāhitā;
Ṭhitattā anagāriyupetassa,
Tuṭṭhi hoti sukhāvahā"ti.

3"Dullabhā, bhagavā, yadidaṁ tuṭṭhī"ti.

4"Dullabhaṁ vāpi labhanti, (kāmadāti bhagavā)
Cittavūpasame ratā;
Yesaṁ divā ca ratto ca,
Bhāvanāya rato mano"ti.

5"Dussamādahaṁ, bhagavā, yadidaṁ cittan"ti.

6"Dussamādahaṁ vāpi samādahanti, (kāmadāti bhagavā)
Indriyūpasame ratā;
Te chetvā maccuno jālaṁ,
Ariyā gacchanti kāmadā"ti.

7"Duggamo, bhagavā, visamo maggo"ti.

8"Duggame visame vāpi,
Ariyā gacchanti kāmada;
Anariyā visame magge,
Papatanti avaṁsirā;
Ariyānaṁ samo maggo,
Ariyā hi visame samā"ti.