51(8)Union
"Bhikkhus,I will teach you a Dhamma exposition on union and disengagement.
Saryogavisamyogam dhammapariyayam.The title might also have been rendered"connection and discornection."Listen....
"And what is that Dhamma exposition on union and disengagement?
"A woman,bhikkhus,attends internally to her feminine fac-ulty,her feminine comportment,her feminine appearance,herfeminine aspect,her feminine desire,her feminine voice,herfeminine ornamentation.
In Pali:itthikuttan,itthakappam,itthividham,itthicchandam, itthissaram,itthalarkāram.Apparently it is these seven terms,and their masculine counterparts(with purisa in place of itthi),that explain the inclusion of this sutta in the Sevens.I translate on the basis of the glosses offered by Mp.She becomes excited by these and takes delight in them.
Excited by them,taking delight in them,she attends externally to [a man's]masculine faculty,his mas-culine comportment,his masculine appearance,his masculineaspect,his masculine desire,his masculine voice,his masculine ornamentation.
She becomes excited by these and takes delight in them.
Excited by them,taking delight in them,she desires union externally,
and she also desires the pleasure and joy that arise on account of such union.
Beings who are delighted with their femininity enter upon union with men.
It is in this way that a woman does not transcend her femininity.
"A man,bhikkhus,attends internally to his masculine faculty,his masculine comportment,his masculine appearance,his masculine aspect,his masculine desire,his masculine voice,his masculine ornamentation.
He becomes excited by these and takes delight in them.
Excited by them,taking delight in them,he attends externally to[a woman's]feminine faculty,her feminine comportment,her feminine appearance,her feminine aspect,her feminine desire,her feminine voice,her feminine ornamentation.
He becomes excited by these and takes delightin them.
Excited by them,taking delight in them,he desires union externally,
and he also desires the pleasure and joy that arise on account of such union.
Beings who are delighted with their masculinity enter upon union with women.
[58]It is in this way that a man does not transcend his masculinity.
"This is how union comes about.
And how does disengagement come about?
"A woman,bhikkhus,does not attend internally to her feminine faculty...to her feminine ornamentation.
She does not become excited by these or take delight in them.
Not excited bythem,not taking delight in them,she does not attend externally to [a man's]masculine faculty...his masculine ornamentation.
She does not become excited by these or take delight in them.
Not excited by them,not taking delight in them,she does not desire union externally,
nor does she desire the pleasure and joy that arise on account of such union.
Beings who are not delighted with their femininity become disengaged from men.
It is in this way that a woman transcends her femininity.
"A man,bhikkhus,does not attend internally to his masculine faculty...his masculine ornamentation.
He does not become excited by these or take delight in them.
Not excited by them,not taking delight in them,he does not attend externally to [a woman's]feminine faculty...her feminine ornamentation.
He does not become excited by these or take delight in them.
Not excited by them,not taking delight in them,he does not desire union externally,
nor does he desire the pleasure and joy that arise on account of such union.
Beings who are not delighted with their masculinity become disengaged from women.
It is inthis way [59]that a man transcends his masculinity.
"This is how disengagement comes about.
"This,bhikkhus,is the Dhamma exposition on union and disengagement."