Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
A mendicant can avoid intercourse entirely and still be yoked by sex in seven possible ways, each one enjoyed and found rewarding even without physical union, and the Buddha declares he did not announce his own awakening until every one of the seven had been given up in him, without exception.
A direct question, a direct claim
Jānussoṇi does not ease into his question: he asks outright whether the Buddha claims to be chaste, and the Buddha answers just as directly — intact, impeccable, spotless, unmarred, full and pure — before Jānussoṇi presses further, asking what would actually count as a break in that claim.
Seven yokes, each one short of intercourse itself
The Buddha's answer moves through seven items in ascending subtlety: consenting to be anointed, massaged, bathed, or rubbed by a woman; giggling, playing, and having fun with women; gazing into a woman's eyes; listening through a wall to women laughing, chatting, singing, or crying; recalling past times spent laughing and having fun with women; and watching a householder or their child enjoying the five kinds of sensual stimulation. Each is described identically — enjoyed, liked, found rewarding — and each counts as a break, taint, stain, or mar in chastity, yoking one to sex without any actual sexual contact taking place.
The seventh and subtlest yoke: aspiring to a god's pleasures
The seventh yoke is the most surprising: not seeing a householder enjoy sensual pleasure, but living the chaste life while wishing to be reborn among the gods through one's own precepts or austerities. Even this forward-looking wish for future pleasure, entirely absent any present sensual contact, still counts as being yoked by sex, since it is enjoyed and found rewarding in exactly the same way as the other six.
Only when every yoke was given up
The discourse closes with the Buddha's own account of his path to awakening: as long as he saw even one of these seven sexual yokes still present in himself, he did not announce his supreme awakening; only once every one of the seven had been given up, without exception, did he make that announcement, followed immediately by the knowledge that his freedom was unshakable and this was his last rebirth.
Key terms
The text
Jānussoṇi's question, and the Buddha's claim to intact chastity
§1Then the brahmin Jānussoṇi went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha, “Does Mister Gotama claim to be chaste?” “Brahmin, if anyone should be rightly said to live the chaste life intact, impeccable, spotless, and unmarred, full and pure, it’s me.” “But what, Mister Gotama, is a break, taint, stain, or mar in chastity?”
The first yoke: consenting to be touched
§2“Firstly, an ascetic or brahmin who claims to be perfectly chaste does not mutually engage in sex with a lady. However, they consent to being anointed, massaged, bathed, and rubbed by a lady. They enjoy it and like it and find it rewarding. This is a break, taint, stain, or mar in chastity. This is called one who lives the chaste life impurely, yoked by the yoke of sex. They’re not freed from rebirth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re not freed from suffering, I say.
The second: giggling and playing with women
§3Furthermore, an ascetic or brahmin who claims to be perfectly chaste does not mutually engage in sex with a lady. Nor do they consent to massage and bathing. However, they giggle and play and have fun with ladies. …
The third and fourth: gazing into eyes, listening through a wall
§4they gaze into a lady’s eyes. … they listen through a wall or rampart to the sound of ladies laughing or chatting or singing or crying. …
The fifth and sixth: recalling past pleasure, watching another's enjoyment
§5they recall when they used to laugh, chat, and have fun with ladies … they see a householder or their child amusing themselves, supplied and provided with the five kinds of sensual stimulation. …
The seventh, subtlest yoke: chastity aimed at a god's pleasures
§6They don’t see a householder or their child amusing themselves, supplied and provided with the five kinds of sensual stimulation. However, they live the chaste life wishing to be reborn in one of the orders of gods. They think: ‘By this precept or observance or fervent austerity or spiritual practice, may I become one of the gods!’ They enjoy it and like it and find it rewarding. This is a break, taint, stain, or mar in chastity. This is called one who lives the chaste life impurely, yoked by the yoke of sex. They’re not free from rebirth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re not free from suffering, I say.
Only once every yoke was given up
§7As long as I saw that these seven sexual yokes—or even one of them—had not been given up in me, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and Divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans. But when I saw that these seven sexual yokes—every one of them—had been given up in me, I announced my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and Divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans. Knowledge and vision arose in me: ‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.’”
Jānussoṇi's response
§8When he said this, the brahmin Jānussoṇi said to the Buddha, “Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! …
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