AN 4.50 - Upakkilesa Sutta: Obscurations
Translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Source: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.050.than.html
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Copyright: ©2006 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
License notice: The text of this page ("Upakkilesa Sutta: Obscurations", by Thanissaro Bhikkhu) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of the license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. Documents linked from this page may be subject to other restrictions.
Attribution: ©2006 Thanissaro Bhikkhu. The text of this page ("Upakkilesa Sutta: Obscurations", by Thanissaro Bhikkhu) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of the license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. Documents linked from this page may be subject to other restrictions. Transcribed from a file provided by the translator. Last revised for Access to Insight on 30 November 2013. How to cite this document (a suggested style): "Upakkilesa Sutta: Obscurations" (AN 4.50), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30 November 2013, https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.050.than.html .
Changes: Presentation only: original HTML markup reflowed into plain text; wording, numbering and source repetitions retained. No repetitions expanded.
Completeness: ABBREVIATED. Every source-unit character is preserved, including introductions, notes and verse structure. Thanissaro's collection-level note explicitly states that repetitions were cut: https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/about.html. This is evidence about the translation method, not an assertion that every individual unit contains an omission; no repetitions reconstructed.

"Monks, there are these four obscurations of the sun and moon, obscured by which the sun and moon don't glow, don't shine, don't dazzle. Which four?

"Clouds are an obscuration of the sun and moon, obscured by which the sun and moon don't glow, don't shine, don't dazzle.

"Fog is an obscuration...

"Smoke and dust is an obscuration...

"Rahu, the king of the asuras,[1] is an obscuration of the sun and moon, obscured by which the sun and moon don't glow, don't shine, don't dazzle.

"These are the four obscurations of the sun and moon, obscured by which the sun and moon don't glow, don't shine, don't dazzle.

"In the same way, there are four obscurations of contemplatives and brahmans, obscured by which some contemplatives and brahmans don't glow, don't shine, don't dazzle. Which four?

"There are some contemplatives and brahmans who drink alcohol and fermented liquor, who don't refrain from drinking alcohol and fermented liquor. This is the first obscuration of contemplatives and brahmans, obscured by which some contemplatives and brahmans don't glow, don't shine, don't dazzle.

"There are some contemplatives and brahmans who engage in sexual intercourse, who don't refrain from sexual intercourse. This is the second obscuration of contemplatives and brahmans, obscured by which some contemplatives and brahmans don't glow, don't shine, don't dazzle.

"There are some contemplatives and brahmans who consent to gold & silver, who don't refrain from accepting gold & silver. This is the third obscuration of contemplatives and brahmans, obscured by which some contemplatives and brahmans don't glow, don't shine, don't dazzle.

"There are some contemplatives and brahmans who maintain life through wrong livelihood, who don't refrain from wrong livelihood. This is the fourth obscuration of contemplatives and brahmans, obscured by which some contemplatives and brahmans don't glow, don't shine, don't dazzle.

"These are the four obscurations, obscured by which some contemplatives and brahmans don't glow, don't shine, don't dazzle."

 Obscured by passion & aversion — some brahmans & contemplatives — people entrenched in ignorance, delighting in endearing forms, drink alcohol & fermented liquor, engage in sexual intercourse, unwise, consent to gold & silver, live by means of wrong livelihood — some brahmans & contemplatives. These are said to be obscurations by the Awakened One, kinsman of the Sun. Because of these obscurations some brahmans & contemplatives don't glow, don't shine, are impure, dusty, dead.[2] Covered with darkness, slaves to craving, led on, they swell the terrible charnel ground, they grab at further becoming. 

Notes

1.

Believed to be the cause of an eclipse.

2.

Reading mataa with the Thai edition. The Burmese edition has magaa, "stupid."