The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha

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The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha Page 42

by Bhikkhu Nanamoli


  9. “And how, householders, are there four kinds of verbal conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct? Here someone speaks falsehood; when summoned to a court, or to a meeting, or to his relatives’ presence, or to his guild, or to the royal family’s presence, and questioned as a witness thus: ‘So, good man, tell what you know,’ not knowing, he says, ‘I know,’ or knowing, he says, ‘I do not know’; not seeing, he says, ‘I see,’ or seeing, he says, ‘I do not see’; in full awareness he speaks falsehood for his own ends, or for another’s ends, or for some trifling worldly end. He speaks maliciously; he repeats elsewhere what he has heard here in order to divide [those people] from these, or he repeats to these people what he has heard elsewhere in order to divide [these people] from those; thus he is one who divides those who are united, a creator of divisions, who enjoys discord, rejoices in discord, delights in discord, a speaker of words that create discord. He speaks harshly; he utters such words as are rough, hard, hurtful to others, offensive to others, bordering on anger, unconducive to concentration. [287] He is a gossip; he speaks at the wrong time, speaks what is not fact, speaks what is useless, speaks contrary to the Dhamma and the Discipline; at the wrong time he speaks such words as are worthless, unreasonable, immoderate, and unbeneficial. That is how there are four kinds of verbal conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct.

  10. “And how, householders, are there three kinds of mental conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct? Here someone is covetous; he covets the wealth and property of others thus: ‘Oh, may what belongs to another be mine!’ Or he has a mind of ill will and intentions of hate thus: ‘May these beings be slain and slaughtered, may they be cut off, perish, or be annihilated!’ Or he has wrong view, distorted vision, thus: ‘There is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed; no fruit or result of good and bad actions; no this world, no other world; no mother, no father; no beings who are reborn spontaneously; no good and virtuous recluses and brahmins in the world who have themselves realised by direct knowledge and declare this world and the other world.’425 That is how there are three kinds of mental conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct. So, householders, it is by reason of such conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma, by reason of such unrighteous conduct that some beings here on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in states of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, even in hell.

  11. “Householders, there are three kinds of bodily conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct. There are four kinds of verbal conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct. There are three kinds of mental conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct.

  12. “And how, householders, are there three kinds of bodily conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct? Here someone, abandoning the killing of living beings, abstains from killing living beings; with rod and weapon laid aside, gentle and kindly, he abides compassionate to all living beings. Abandoning the taking of what is not given, he abstains from taking what is not given; he does not take by way of theft the wealth and property of others in the village or in the forest. Abandoning misconduct in sensual pleasures, he abstains from misconduct in sensual pleasures; he does not have intercourse with women who are protected by their mother, father, mother and father, brother, sister, or relatives, who have a husband, who are protected by law, or with those who are garlanded in token of betrothal. That is how there are three kinds of bodily conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct. [288]

  13. “And how, householders, are there four kinds of verbal conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct? Here someone, abandoning false speech, abstains from false speech; when summoned to a court, or to a meeting, or to his relatives’ presence, or to his guild, or to the royal family’s presence, and questioned as a witness thus: ‘So, good man, tell what you know,’ not knowing, he says, ‘I do not know,’ or knowing, he says, ‘I know’; not seeing, he says, ‘I do not see,’ or seeing, he says, ‘I see’; he does not in full awareness speak falsehood for his own ends, or for another’s ends, or for some trifling worldly end. Abandoning malicious speech, he abstains from malicious speech; he does not repeat elsewhere what he has heard here in order to divide [those people] from these, nor does he repeat to these people what he has heard elsewhere in order to divide [these people] from those; thus he is one who reunites those who are divided, a promoter of friendships, who enjoys concord, rejoices in concord, delights in concord, a speaker of words that promote concord. Abandoning harsh speech, he abstains from harsh speech; he speaks such words as are gentle, pleasing to the ear, and loveable, as go to the heart, are courteous, desired by many, and agreeable to many. Abandoning gossip, he abstains from gossip; he speaks at the right time, speaks what is fact, speaks on what is good, speaks on the Dhamma and the Discipline; at the right time he speaks such words as are worth recording, reasonable, moderate, and beneficial. That is how there are four kinds of verbal conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct.

  14. “And how, householders, are there three kinds of mental conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct? Here someone is not covetous; he does not covet the wealth and property of others thus: ‘Oh, may what belongs to another be mine!’ His mind is without ill will and he has intentions free from hate thus: ‘May these beings be free from enmity, affliction and anxiety! May they live happily!’ He has right view, undistorted vision, thus: ‘There is what is given and what is offered and what is sacrificed; there is fruit and result of good and bad actions; there is this world and the other world; there is mother and father; there are beings who are reborn spontaneously; there are good and virtuous recluses and brahmins in the world who have themselves realised by direct knowledge and declare this world and the other world.’ That is how there are three kinds of mental conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct. So, householders, it is by reason of such conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, by reason of such righteous conduct that some beings here, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in a happy destination, even in the heavenly world. [289]

  15. “If, householders, one who observes conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct, should wish: ‘Oh, that on the dissolution of the body, after death, I might reappear in the company of well-to-do nobles!’ it is possible that, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he will reappear in the company of well-to-do nobles. Why is that? Because he observes conduct that is in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct.

  16-17. “If, householders, one who observes conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct, should wish: ‘Oh, that on the dissolution of the body, after death, I might reappear in the company of well-to-do brahmins!…in the company of well-to-do householders!’ it is possible that, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he will reappear in the company of well-to-do householders. Why is that? Because he observes conduct that is in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct.

  18-42. “If, householders, one who observes conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct, should wish: ‘Oh, that on the dissolution of the body, after death, I might reappear in the company of the gods of the heaven of the Four Great Kings!…in the company of the gods of the heaven of the Thirty-three…the Yāma gods…the gods of the Tusita heaven…the gods who delight in creating…the gods who wield power over others′ creations…the gods of Brahmā′ s retinue…the gods of Radiance 426 …the gods of Limited Radiance…the gods of Immeasurable Radiance...the gods of Streaming Radiance...the gods of Glory…the gods of Limited Glory…the gods of Immeasurable Glory...the gods of Refulgent Glory...the gods of Great Fruit…the Aviha gods…the Atappa gods…the Sudassa gods…the Sudassī gods…the Akaniṭṭha gods…the gods of the base of infinite space…the gods of the base of infinite consciousness…the gods of the base of nothingness…the gods of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception
!’ it is possible that on the dissolution of the body, after death, he will reappear in the company of the gods of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. Why is that? Because he observes conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct.

  43. “If, householders, one who observes conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct, should wish: ‘Oh, that by realising for myself with direct knowledge I might here and now enter upon and abide in the deliverance of mind and deliverance by wisdom that are taintless with the destruction of the taints!’ it is possible that, by realising for himself with direct knowledge, he will here and now enter upon and abide in the deliverance of mind and deliverance by wisdom that are taintless with the destruction of the taints. Why is that? Because he observes conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct.”427 [290]

  44. When this was said, the brahmin householders of Sālā said to the Blessed One: “Magnificent, Master Gotama! Magnificent, Master Gotama! Master Gotama has made the Dhamma clear in many ways, as though he were turning upright what had been overthrown, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding up a lamp in the darkness for those with eyesight to see forms. We go to Master Gotama for refuge and to the Dhamma and to the Sangha of bhikkhus. From today let Master Gotama accept us as lay followers who have gone to him for refuge for life.”

  Verañjaka Sutta

  The Brahmins of Verañja

  1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.

  2 . Now on that occasion some brahmin householders of Verañja were on a visit to Sāvatthī for some business or other. [291]

  3-44. [The text of this sutta is the same as that of Sutta 41, except that where the preceding sutta is phrased in terms of “conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct” (§§7-10) and “conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct” (§§11-14), this sutta is phrased in terms of “one who does not observe conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, one of unrighteous conduct” and “one who observes conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, one of righteous conduct”; substitute “Verañja” for “Sālā” throughout.]

  Mahāvedalla Sutta

  The Greater Series of

  Questions and Answers

  [292] 1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.

  Then, when it was evening, the venerable Mahā Koṭṭhita rose from meditation, went to the venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him.428 When this courteous and amiable talk was finished, he sat down at one side and said to the venerable Sāriputta:

  (WISDOM)

  2. “‘One who is unwise, one who is unwise’ is said, friend. With reference to what is this said, ‘one who is unwise’?”

  “ ‘One does not wisely understand, one does not wisely understand,’ friend; that is why it is said, ‘one who is unwise.’ And what doesn’t one wisely understand? One does not wisely understand: ‘This is suffering’; one does not wisely understand: ‘This is the origin of suffering’; one does not wisely understand: ‘This is the cessation of suffering’; one does not wisely understand: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.’ ‘One does not wisely understand, one does not wisely understand,’ friend; that is why it is said, ‘one who is unwise.’ ”

  Saying, “Good, friend,” the venerable Mahā Koṭṭhita delighted and rejoiced in the venerable Sāriputta′s words. Then he asked him a further question:

  3. “‘One who is wise, one who is wise,’ is said, friend. With reference to what is this said, ‘one who is wise’?”

  “‘One wisely understands, one wisely understands,’ friend; that is why it is said, ‘one who is wise.’ What does one wisely understand? One wisely understands: ‘This is suffering’; one wisely understands: ‘This is the origin of suffering’; one wisely understands: ‘This is the cessation of suffering’; one wisely understands: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering. ’ ‘One wisely understands, one wisely understands,’ friend; that is why it is said, ‘one who is wise.′”429

  (CONSCIOUSNESS)

  4. “ ‘Consciousness, consciousness’ is said, friend. With reference to what is ‘consciousness’ said?”

  “ ‘It cognizes, it cognizes,’ friend; that is why ‘consciousness’ is said.430 What does it cognize? It cognizes: ‘[This is] pleasant’; it cognizes: ‘[This is] painful’; it cognizes: ‘[This is] neither-painful-nor-pleasant.’ ‘It cognizes, it cognizes,’ friend; that is why ‘consciousness’ is said.”431

  5. “Wisdom and consciousness, friend—are these states conjoined or disjoined? And is it possible to separate each of these states from the other in order to describe the difference between them?”

  “Wisdom and consciousness, friend—these states are conjoined, not disjoined, and it is impossible to separate each of these states from the other in order to describe the difference between them. For what one wisely understands, that one cognizes, and what one cognizes, that one wisely understands. [293] That is why these states are conjoined, not disjoined, and it is impossible to separate each of these states from the other in order to describe the difference between them.”432

  6. “What is the difference, friend, between wisdom and consciousness, these states that are conjoined, not disjoined?”

  “The difference, friend, between wisdom and consciousness, these states that are conjoined, not disjoined, is this: wisdom is to be developed, consciousness is to be fully understood.”433

  (FEELING)

  7. “‘Feeling, feeling’ is said, friend. With reference to what is ‘feeling’ said?”

  “‘It feels, it feels,’ friend; that is why ‘feeling’ is said. What does it feel? It feels pleasure, it feels pain, it feels neither-pain-nor-pleasure. ‘It feels, it feels,’ friend, that is why ‘feeling’ is said.”434

  (PERCEPTION)

  8. “‘Perception, perception,’ is said, friend. With reference to what is ‘perception’ said?”

  “‘It perceives, it perceives,’ friend; that is why ‘perception’ is said. What does it perceive? It perceives blue, it perceives yellow, it perceives red, and it perceives white. ‘It perceives, it perceives, ’ friend; that is why ‘perception’ is said.”435

  9. “Feeling, perception, and consciousness, friend—are these states conjoined or disjoined? And is it possible to separate each of these states from the others in order to describe the difference between them?”

  “Feeling, perception, and consciousness, friend—these states are conjoined, not disjoined, and it is impossible to separate each of these states from the others in order to describe the difference between them. For what one feels, that one perceives; and what one perceives, that one cognizes. That is why these states are conjoined, not disjoined, and it is impossible to separate each of these states from the others in order to describe the difference between them.”436

  (KNOWABLE BY MIND ALONE)

  10. “Friend, what can be known by purified mind-consciousness released from the five faculties?”

  “Friend, by purified mind-consciousness released from the five faculties the base of infinite space can be known thus: ‘Space is infinite’; the base of infinite consciousness can be known thus: ‘Consciousness is infinite’; and the base of nothingness can be known thus: ‘There is nothing.′”437

  11. “Friend, with what does one understand a state that can be known?”

  “Friend, one understands a state that can be known with the eye of wisdom.”438

  12. “Friend, what is the purpose of wisdom?”

  “The purpose of wisdom, friend, is direct knowledge, its purpose is full understanding, its purpose is abandoning.”439

  (RIGHT VIEW)

  [294] 13. “Friend, how many conditions are there for the arising of right view?”

  “Friend, there are two conditions for the arising of right vi
ew: the voice of another and wise attention. These are the two conditions for the arising of right view.”440

  14. “Friend, by how many factors is right view assisted when it has deliverance of mind for its fruit, deliverance of mind for its fruit and benefit, when it has deliverance by wisdom for its fruit, deliverance by wisdom for its fruit and benefit?”

  “Friend, right view is assisted by five factors when it has deliverance of mind for its fruit, deliverance of mind for its fruit and benefit, when it has deliverance by wisdom for its fruit, deliverance by wisdom for its fruit and benefit. Here, friend, right view is assisted by virtue, learning, discussion, serenity, and insight. Right view assisted by these five factors has deliverance of mind for its fruit, deliverance of mind for its fruit and benefit; it has deliverance by wisdom for its fruit, deliverance by wisdom for its fruit and benefit.”441

 

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