But they have no interest in deviant sexual activity and so develop a purity and produce light. When their life ends, they draw near the sun and moon and are among those born in the Heaven of the Four Kings.
Commentary:
But they have no interest in deviant sexual activity. Having sexual activity with someone other than one.s spouse is called .deviant. That which occurs within the marriage is not considered to be lust and is not deviant. However, it is better to be sparing about such activity, even in marriage. It should not be excessive. When you cultivate the Way, no matter how much merit and virtue you may have, you must not engage in deviant lustful activity. If you cultivate, but cannot cut off such activity, then you won't be successful no matter how hard you work at cultivation. These people being discussed in the text here are not interested in deviant lust, and so develop a purity and produce light. If one does not pursue lustful activity, one will be pure, and out of that purity will come light . the natural light of virtue. So it is said:
Of all the myriad evils,
lust is the foremost.
Don't go down that road to death!
If one does not engage in deviant lust, then one.s essence, breath, and spirit will be full and complete. From that fullness comes the virtuous light. During one.s life one will glow and radiate with light. When their life ends, they draw near the sun and moon and are among those born in the Heaven of the Four Kings. This kind of rebirth includes a lot of people. One knows not how many people fit this category.
The Heaven of the Four Kings is located halfway up Mount Sumeru. It is the heaven closest to our human realm. The gods in this heaven have a lifespan of five hundred years. One day and night in that heaven is equivalent to fifty years in the human realm. So their lifespan is nine million years if calculated according to our time.
Free English Dharma Books from Buddhist Text Translation Society
