Icchā sutta: Desire

“Mendicants, these eight individuals are found in the world. What eight?

First, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But material things don’t come to them. And so they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion because they don’t get those material things. This is called a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But when they do not acquire material things, they sorrow and lament. They’ve fallen from the true teaching.

Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And material things do come to them. And so they become indulgent and fall into negligence regarding those material things. This is called a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And when they acquire material things, they become intoxicated and negligent. They’ve fallen from the true teaching.

Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And material things don’t come to them. And so they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion because they don’t get those material things. This is called a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And when they do not acquire material things, they sorrow and lament. They’ve fallen from the true teaching.

Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But material things do come to them. And so they become indulgent and fall into negligence regarding those material things. This is called a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But when they acquire material things, they become intoxicated and negligent. They’ve fallen from the true teaching.

Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But material things don’t come to them. But they don’t sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion because they don’t get those material things. This is called a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But when they do not acquire material things, they don’t sorrow and lament. They haven’t fallen from the true teaching.

Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And material things do come to them. But they don’t become indulgent and fall into negligence regarding those material things. This is called a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But when they acquire material things, they don’t become intoxicated and negligent. They haven’t fallen from the true teaching.

Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And material things don’t come to them. But they don’t sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion because they don’t get those material things. This is called a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And when they do not acquire material things, they don’t sorrow and lament. They haven’t fallen from the true teaching.

Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But material things do come to them. But they don’t become indulgent and fall into negligence regarding those material things. This is called a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And when they acquire material things, they don’t become intoxicated and negligent. They haven’t fallen from the true teaching.

These are the eight individuals found in the world.”