MN 60
Apannaka Sutta
A Safe Bet
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro BhikkhuPTS: M i 400
Source: Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.
Copyright © 2008 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Access to Insight edition © 2008
For free distribution. This work may be republished, reformatted,
reprinted, and redistributed in any medium. It is the author's wish,
however, that any such republication and redistribution be made available
to the public on a free and unrestricted basis and that translations and
other derivative works be clearly marked as such.
Translator's Introduction
The Buddha often likened himself to a doctor, offering a treatment for the
sufferings of the heart. Unlike ordinary doctors, however, he could not show
newcomers the state of health — nibbana — that his teaching was supposed to
produce. If they followed his teaching, they would see it for themselves. But
until they followed his teaching, he could offer them no empirical that nibbana
was a genuine possibility. As he stated in MN 27, the proof that he was awakened
— and that awakening was a good thing — came with one's first taste of the
Deathless, at the first level of awakening, called stream-entry. However,
stream-entry could be attained only through a serious commitment to the
practice. Thus he had to provide other, non-empirical, means of persuasion to
induce his listeners to give his teachings a serious try.
One of these means was the pragmatic argument, which differs from an empirical
argument as follows. An empirical argument presents facts that logically imply
that A must be true or false. A pragmatic argument focuses not on the facts
related to A, but on the behavior that can be expected from a person who
believes or rejects A. The Buddha's main pragmatic argument is that if one
accepted his teachings, one would be likely to pay careful attention to one's
actions, so as to do no harm. This in and of itself is a worthy activity
regardless of whether the rest of the path was true. When applying this argument
to the issue of rebirth and karmic results, the Buddha sometimes coupled it with
a second pragmatic argument that resembles Pascal's wager: If one practices the
Dhamma, one leads a blameless life in the here-and-now. Even if the afterlife
and karmic results do not exist, one has not lost the wager, for the
blamelessness of one's life is a reward in and of itself. If there is an
afterlife with karmic results, then one has won a double reward: the
blamelessness of one's life here and now, and the good rewards of one's actions
in the afterlife. These two pragmatic arguments form the central message of this
sutta.
The Pali title of this sutta is an adjective that has no exact equivalent in
English. It is used in two different contexts. In the context of gambling, it
describes a die that has not been loaded to favor one side or the other. In the
context of an argument, it describes a position that is true regardless of which
side of the argument is right. In other words, if there is an argument as to
whether A or not-A is true, if C is true regardless of whether A is true or not,
C is an apannaka position.
Although this sutta is primarily concerned with the second context, the Buddha
implicitly makes the connection between this context and the first in stating
that a person who rightly grasps the apannaka position has made a lucky throw,
whereas a person who has wrongly grasped it has made an unlucky throw. Thus, to
preserve this double context, I have translated apannaka as "safe-bet."
"Cover-your-bets" might have been a more accurate translation, but it would have
been unwieldy.
The sutta falls into two parts, the first part covering his "safe-bet"
arguments, and the second part extolling the person who practices the Dhamma for
tormenting neither himself nor others. The two parts are connected in that they
both present pragmatic arguments for accepting the Buddha's teaching.
The safe-bet arguments in the first part of the sutta follow two patterns. The
first pattern covers controversies over whether there is a life after death,
whether actions bear results, and whether there is a causal connection between
one's actions and one's experience of pleasure and pain. The pattern here is as
follows:
A: a statement of the anti-Dhamma position;
B: a rejection of the anti-Dhamma position;
A1: a pragmatic argument against holding to A — a person who does so is likely
to act, speak, and think in unskillful ways;
A2: further unfortunate consequences that follow from holding to A, given that
A is wrong;
A3: further unfortunate consequences that come from holding to A whether or
not it is right;
B1: a pragmatic argument for holding to B — a person who does so is likely to
act, speak, and think in skillful ways;
B2: further fortunate consequences that follow from holding to B, given that B
is right;
B3: further fortunate consequences that come from holding to B whether or not
it is right.
It is noteworthy that the arguments in A2 and B2 are not safe-bet arguments, for
they assume that A is wrong and B is right. Whether these arguments date from
the Buddha or were added at a later date, no one knows.
The second pattern in the first part covers two controversies: whether or not a
person can attain a total state of formlessness, and whether or not a person can
attain total cessation of becoming. In the context of the first controversy, the
safe-bet position is that even if there is no total attainment of formlessness,
that still opens the possibility that one could become a deva on the level of
form. In the context of the second, the safe-bet position is that even if there
is no total cessation of becoming, that still leaves open the possibility that
one could become a deva on the formless level. One further reflects that total
formlessness would open the way to greater peace than the level of form; and
that the cessation of becoming would open the way to greater freedom than
formlessness. These last observations in no way prove that there is total
formlessness or total cessation of becoming, but they do incline the mind to
view those possibilities favorably.
The second part of the sutta divides people into four sorts: (1) those who
torment themselves, (2) those who torment others, (3) those who torment
themselves and others, and (4) those who torment neither themselves nor others.
The first and third alternatives describe styles of religious practice that were
common in the Buddha's time: practices of self-torture and self-affliction, and
the offering of sacrifices. The second alternative covers any and all bloody
occupations. In opposition to these alternatives, the Buddha presents the fourth
alternative as ideal: the practice of his teachings all the way to full
liberation.
For other pragmatic arguments for accepting and practicing the Dhamma, see AN
3.61, AN 3.65, and SN 42.8. AN 3.65 also contains a variant on the wager
argument given in this sutta.
I have heard that on one occasion, when the Blessed One was on a wandering tour
among the Kosalans with a large community of monks, he arrived at the brahman
village called Sala. The brahman householders heard, "Master Gotama the
contemplative — the son of the Sakyans, having gone forth from the Sakyan clan —
on a wandering tour among the Kosalans with a large community of monks — has
arrived at Sala. And of that master Gotama this fine reputation has spread: 'He
is indeed a Blessed One, an arahant, rightly self-awakened: consummate in
knowledge & conduct, well-gone, a knower of the cosmos, an unexcelled trainer of
those persons ready to be tamed, teacher of human & divine beings, awakened,
blessed. He has made known — having realized it through direct knowledge — this
world with its devas, maras, & brahmas, its generations with their
contemplatives & priests, their rulers & common people. He has explained the
Dhamma admirable in the beginning, admirable in the middle, admirable in the
end; has expounded the holy life both in its particulars & in its essence,
entirely perfect, surpassingly pure. It is good to see such a worthy one.'"
So the brahman householders of Sala went to the Blessed One. On arrival, some of
them bowed down to the Blessed One and sat to one side. Some of them exchanged
courteous greetings with him and, after an exchange of friendly greetings &
courtesies, sat to one side. Some of them sat to one side having saluted him
with their hands palm-to-palm over their hearts. Some of them sat to one side
having announced their name & clan. Some of them sat to one side in silence.
As they were sitting there, the Blessed One asked them, "Householders, is there
any teacher agreeable to you, in whom you have found grounded conviction?"
"No, lord, there is no teacher agreeable to us, in whom we have found grounded
conviction."
"As you have not found an agreeable teacher, you should adopt and practice this
safe-bet teaching, for this safe-bet teaching — when accepted and adopted — will
be to your long-term welfare & happiness.
"And what is the safe-bet teaching?
Existence & non-existence
A. "There are some brahmans & contemplatives who hold this doctrine, hold this
view: 'There is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed. There is no
fruit or result of good or bad actions. There is no this world, no next world,
no mother, no father, no spontaneously reborn beings; no priests or
contemplatives who, faring rightly and practicing rightly, proclaim this world
and the next after having directly known and realized it for themselves.'1
B. "Some brahmans & contemplatives, speaking in direct opposition to those
brahmans & contemplatives, say this: 'There is what is given, what is offered,
what is sacrificed. There are fruits & results of good & bad actions. There is
this world & the next world. There is mother & father. There are spontaneously
reborn beings; there are priests & contemplatives who, faring rightly &
practicing rightly, proclaim this world & the next after having directly known &
realized it for themselves.'
"What do you think, householders? Don't these brahmans & contemplatives speak in
direct opposition to each other?"
"Yes, lord."
A1. "Now, householders, of those brahmans & contemplatives who hold this
doctrine, hold this view — 'There is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing
sacrificed. There is no fruit or result of good or bad actions. There is no this
world, no next world, no mother, no father, no spontaneously reborn beings; no
priests or contemplatives who, faring rightly and practicing rightly, proclaim
this world and the next after having directly known and realized it for
themselves' — it can be expected that, shunning these three skillful activities
— good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, good mental conduct — they will
adopt & practice these three unskillful activities: bad bodily conduct, bad
verbal conduct, bad mental conduct. Why is that? Because those venerable
brahmans & contemplatives do not see, in unskillful activities, the drawbacks,
the degradation, and the defilement; nor in skillful activities the rewards of
renunciation, resembling cleansing.
A2. "Because there actually is the next world, the view of one who thinks,
'There is no next world' is his wrong view. Because there actually is the next
world, when he is resolved that 'There is no next world,' that is his wrong
resolve. Because there actually is the next world, when he speaks the statement,
'There is no next world,' that is his wrong speech. Because there actually is
the next world, when he is says that 'There is no next world,' he makes himself
an opponent to those arahants who know the next world. Because there actually is
the next world, when he persuades another that 'There is no next world,' that is
persuasion in what is not true Dhamma. And in that persuasion in what is not
true Dhamma, he exalts himself and disparages others. Whatever good habituation
he previously had is abandoned, while bad habituation is manifested. And this
wrong view, wrong resolve, wrong speech, opposition to the arahants, persuasion
in what is not true Dhamma, exaltation of self, & disparagement of others: These
many evil, unskillful activities come into play, in dependence on wrong view.
A3. "With regard to this, a wise person considers thus: 'If there is no next
world, then — at the break-up of the body, after death — this venerable person
has made himself safe. But if there is the next world, then his venerable person
— on the break-up of the body, after death — will reappear in the plane of
deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms, in hell. Even if we didn't
speak of the next world, and there weren't the true statement of those venerable
brahmans & contemplatives, this venerable person is still criticized in the
here-&-now by the wise as a person of bad habits & wrong view: 2 one who holds
to a doctrine of non-existence. If there really is a next world, then this
venerable person has made a bad throw twice: in that he is criticized by the
wise here-&-now, and in that — with the break-up of the body, after death — he
will reappear in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower
realms, in hell. Thus this safe-bet teaching, when poorly grasped & poorly
adopted by him, covers (only) one side, and leaves behind the possibility of the
skillful.
B1. "Now, householders, of those brahmans & contemplatives who hold this
doctrine, hold this view — 'There is what is given, what is offered, what is
sacrificed. There are fruits & results of good & bad actions. There is this
world & the next world. There is mother & father. There are spontaneously reborn
beings; there are priests & contemplatives who, faring rightly & practicing
rightly, proclaim this world & the next after having directly known & realized
it for themselves' — it can be expected that, shunning these three unskillful
activities — bad bodily conduct, bad verbal conduct, bad mental conduct — they
will adopt & practice these three skillful activities: good bodily conduct, good
verbal conduct, good mental conduct. Why is that? Because those venerable
brahmans & contemplatives see in unskillful activities the drawbacks, the
degradation, and the defilement; and in skillful activities the rewards of
renunciation, resembling cleansing.
B2. "Because there actually is the next world, the view of one who thinks,
'There is a next world' is his right view. Because there actually is the next
world, when he is resolved that 'There is a next world,' that is his right
resolve. Because there actually is the next world, when he speaks the statement,
'There is a next world,' that is his right speech. Because there actually is the
next world, when he is says that 'There is a next world,' he doesn't make
himself an opponent to those arahants who know the next world. Because there
actually is the next world, when he persuades another that 'There is a next
world,' that is persuasion in what is true Dhamma. And in that persuasion in
what is true Dhamma, he doesn't exalt himself or disparage others. Whatever bad
habituation he previously had is abandoned, while good habituation is
manifested. And this right view, right resolve, right speech, non-opposition to
the arahants, persuasion in what is true Dhamma, non-exaltation of self, &
non-disparagement of others: These many skillful activities come into play, in
dependence on right view.
B3. "With regard to this, a wise person considers thus: 'If there is the next
world, then his venerable person — on the break-up of the body, after death —
will reappear in the good destination, the heavenly world. Even if we didn't
speak of the next world, and there weren't the true statement of those venerable
brahmans & contemplatives, this venerable person is still praised in the
here-&-now by the wise as a person of good habits & right view: one who holds to
a doctrine of existence. If there really is a next world, then this venerable
person has made a good throw twice, in that he is praised by the wise
here-&-now; and in that — with the break-up of the body, after death — he will
reappear in the good destination, the heavenly world. Thus this safe-bet
teaching, when well grasped & adopted by him, covers both sides, and leaves
behind the possibility of the unskillful.
Action & non-action
A. "There are some brahmans & contemplatives who hold this doctrine, hold this
view: 'In acting or getting others to act, in mutilating or getting others to
mutilate, in torturing or getting others to torture, in inflicting sorrow or in
getting others to inflict sorrow, in tormenting or getting others to torment, in
intimidating or getting others to intimidate, in taking life, taking what is not
given, breaking into houses, plundering wealth, committing burglary, ambushing
highways, committing adultery, speaking falsehood — one does no evil. If with a
razor-edged disk one were to turn all the living beings on this earth to a
single heap of flesh, a single pile of flesh, there would be no evil from that
cause, no coming of evil. Even if one were to go along the right bank of the
Ganges, killing and getting others to kill, mutilating and getting others to
mutilate, torturing and getting others to torture, there would be no evil from
that cause, no coming of evil. Even if one were to go along the left bank of the
Ganges, giving and getting others to give, making sacrifices and getting others
to make sacrifices, there would be no merit from that cause, no coming of merit.
Through generosity, self-control, restraint, and truthful speech there is no
merit from that cause, no coming of merit.'3
B. "Some brahmans & contemplatives, speaking in direct opposition to those
brahmans & contemplatives, say this: 'In acting or getting others to act, in
mutilating or getting others to mutilate, in torturing or getting others to
torture, in inflicting sorrow or in getting others to inflict sorrow, in
tormenting or getting others to torment, in intimidating or getting others to
intimidate, in taking life, taking what is not given, breaking into houses,
plundering wealth, committing burglary, ambushing highways, committing adultery,
speaking falsehood — one does evil. If with a razor-edged disk one were to turn
all the living beings on this earth to a single heap of flesh, a single pile of
flesh, there would be evil from that cause, there would be a coming of evil. If
one were to go along the right bank of the Ganges, killing and getting others to
kill, mutilating and getting others to mutilate, torturing and getting others to
torture, there would be evil from that cause, there would be a coming of evil.
If one were to go along the left bank of the Ganges, giving and getting others
to give, making sacrifices and getting others to make sacrifices, there would be
merit from that cause, there would be a coming of merit. Through generosity,
self-control, restraint, and truthful speech there is merit from that cause,
there is a coming of merit.'
"What do you think, householders? Don't these brahmans & contemplatives speak in
direct opposition to each other?"
"Yes, lord."
A1. "Now, householders, of those brahmans & contemplatives who hold this
doctrine, hold this view — 'In acting or getting others to act, in mutilating or
getting others to mutilate, in torturing or getting others to torture... one
does no evil... Through generosity, self-control, restraint, and truthful speech
there is no merit from that cause, no coming of merit' — it can be expected
that, shunning these three skillful activities — good bodily conduct, good
verbal conduct, good mental conduct — they will adopt & practice these three
unskillful activities: bad bodily conduct, bad verbal conduct, bad mental
conduct. Why is that? Because those venerable brahmans & contemplatives do not
see, in unskillful activities, the drawbacks, the degradation, and the
defilement; nor in skillful activities the rewards of renunciation, resembling
cleansing.
A2. "Because there actually is action, the view of one who thinks, 'There is no
next action' is his wrong view. Because there actually is action, when he is
resolved that 'There is no action,' that is his wrong resolve. Because there
actually is action, when he speaks the statement, 'There is no action,' that is
his wrong speech. Because there actually is action, when he is says that 'There
is no action,' he makes himself an opponent to those arahants who teach action.
Because there actually is action, when he persuades another that 'There is no
action,' that is persuasion in what is not true Dhamma. And in that persuasion
in what is not true Dhamma, he exalts himself and disparages others. Whatever
good habituation he previously had is abandoned, while bad habituation is
manifested. And this wrong view, wrong resolve, wrong speech, opposition to the
arahants, persuasion in what is not true Dhamma, exaltation of self, &
disparagement of others: These many evil, unskillful activities come into play,
in dependence on wrong view.
A3. "With regard to this, a wise person considers thus: 'If there is no action,
then — at the break-up of the body, after death — this venerable person has made
himself safe. But if there is action, then his venerable person — on the
break-up of the body, after death — will reappear in the plane of deprivation,
the bad destination, the lower realms, in hell. Even if we didn't speak of
action, and there weren't the true statement of those venerable brahmans &
contemplatives, this venerable person is still criticized in the here-&-now by
the wise as a person of bad habits & wrong view: one who holds to a doctrine of
non- action. If there really is action, then this venerable person has made a
bad throw twice: in that he is criticized by the wise here-&-now; and in that —
with the break-up of the body, after death — he will reappear in the plane of
deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms, in hell. Thus this safe-bet
teaching, when poorly grasped & poorly adopted by him, covers (only) one side,
and leaves behind the possibility of the skillful.
B1. "Now, householders, of those brahmans & contemplatives who hold this
doctrine, hold this view — 'In acting or getting others to act, in mutilating or
getting others to mutilate, in torturing or getting others to torture... one
does evil... Through generosity, self-control, restraint, and truthful speech
there is merit from that cause, there is a coming of merit' — it can be expected
that, shunning these three unskillful activities — bad bodily conduct, bad
verbal conduct, bad mental conduct — they will adopt & practice these three
skillful activities: good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, good mental
conduct. Why is that? Because those venerable brahmans & contemplatives see in
unskillful activities the drawbacks, the degradation, and the defilement; and in
skillful activities the rewards of renunciation, resembling cleansing.
B2. "Because there actually is action, the view of one who thinks, 'There is
action' is his right view. Because there actually is action, when he is resolved
that 'There is action,' that is his right resolve. Because there actually is
action, when he speaks the statement, 'There is action,' that is his right
speech. Because there actually is action, when he is says that 'There is
action,' he doesn't make himself an opponent to those arahants who teach action.
Because there actually is action, when he persuades another that 'There is
action,' that is persuasion in what is true Dhamma. And in that persuasion in
what is true Dhamma, he doesn't exalt himself or disparage others. Whatever bad
habituation he previously had is abandoned, while good habituation is
manifested. And this right view, right resolve, right speech, non-opposition to
the arahants, persuasion in what is true Dhamma, non-exaltation of self, &
non-disparagement of others: These many skillful activities come into play, in
dependence on right view.
B3. "With regard to this, a wise person considers thus: 'If there action, then
his venerable person — on the break-up of the body, after death — will reappear
in the good destination, the heavenly world. Even if we didn't speak of action,
and there weren't the true statement of those venerable brahmans &
contemplatives, this venerable person is still praised in the here-&-now by the
wise as a person of good habits & right view: one who holds to a doctrine of
action. If there really is a next world, then this venerable person has made a
good throw twice, in that he is praised by the wise here-&-now; and in that —
with the break-up of the body, after death — he will reappear in the good
destination, the heavenly world. Thus this safe-bet teaching, when well grasped
& adopted by him, covers both sides, and leaves behind the possibility of the
unskillful.
Causality & non-causality
A. "There are some brahmans & contemplatives who hold this doctrine, hold this
view: 'There is no causality, no requisite condition, for the defilement of
beings. Beings are defiled without causality, without requisite condition. There
is no causality, no requisite condition, for the purification of beings. Beings
are purified without causality, without requisite condition. There is no
strength, no effort, no human energy, no human endeavor. All living beings, all
life, all beings, all souls are powerless, devoid of strength, devoid of effort.
Subject to the changes of fate, serendipity, and nature, they experience
pleasure and pain in the six great classes of birth.'4
B. "Some brahmans & contemplatives, speaking in direct opposition to those
brahmans & contemplatives, say this: 'There is causality, there is requisite
condition, for the defilement of beings. Beings are defiled with causality, with
requisite condition. There is causality, there is requisite condition, for the
purification of beings. Beings are purified with causality, with requisite
condition. There is strength, there is effort, there is human energy, there is
human endeavor. It's not the case that all living beings, all life, all beings,
all souls are powerless, devoid of strength, devoid of effort; or that subject
to the changes of fate, serendipity, and nature, they experience pleasure and
pain in the six great classes of birth.'
"What do you think, householders? Don't these brahmans & contemplatives speak in
direct opposition to each other?"
"Yes, lord."
A1. "Now, householders, of those brahmans & contemplatives who hold this
doctrine, hold this view — 'There is no cause, no requisite condition, for the
defilement of beings... Subject to the changes of fate, serendipity, and nature,
they experience pleasure and pain in the six great classes of birth' — it can be
expected that, shunning these three skillful activities — good bodily conduct,
good verbal conduct, good mental conduct — they will adopt & practice these
three unskillful activities: bad bodily conduct, bad verbal conduct, bad mental
conduct. Why is that? Because those venerable brahmans & contemplatives do not
see, in unskillful activities, the drawbacks, the degradation, and the
defilement; nor in skillful activities the rewards of renunciation, resembling
cleansing.
A2. "Because there actually is causality, the view of one who thinks, 'There is
no causality' is his wrong view. Because there actually is causality, when he is
resolved that 'There is no causality,' that is his wrong resolve. Because there
actually is causality, when he speaks the statement, 'There is no causality,'
that is his wrong speech. Because there actually is causality, when he is says
that 'There is no causality,' he makes himself an opponent to those arahants who
teach causality. Because there actually is causality, when he persuades another
that 'There is no causality,' that is persuasion in what is not true Dhamma. And
in that persuasion in what is not true Dhamma, he exalts himself and disparages
others. Whatever good habituation he previously had is abandoned, while bad
habituation is manifested. And this wrong view, wrong resolve, wrong speech,
opposition to the arahants, persuasion in what is not true Dhamma, exaltation of
self, & disparagement of others: These many evil, unskillful activities come
into play, in dependence on wrong view.
A3. "With regard to this, a wise person considers thus: 'If there is no
causality, then — at the break-up of the body, after death — this venerable
person has made himself safe. But if there is causality, then his venerable
person — on the break-up of the body, after death — will reappear in the plane
of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms, in hell. Even if we
didn't speak of causality, and there weren't the true statement of those
venerable brahmans & contemplatives, this venerable person is still criticized
in the here-&-now by the wise as a person of bad habits & wrong view: one who
holds to a doctrine of non-causality. If there really is a next world, then this
venerable person has made a bad throw twice: in that he is criticized by the
wise here-&-now, and in that — with the break-up of the body, after death — he
will reappear in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower
realms, in hell. Thus this safe-bet teaching, when poorly grasped & poorly
adopted by him, covers (only) one side, and leaves behind the possibility of the
skillful.
B1. "Now, householders, of those brahmans & contemplatives who hold this
doctrine, hold this view — 'There is causality, there is requisite condition,
for the defilement of beings... It's not the case that all living beings, all
life, all beings, all souls are powerless, devoid of strength, devoid of effort;
or that subject to the changes of fate, serendipity, and nature, they experience
pleasure and pain in the six great classes of birth' — it can be expected that,
shunning these three unskillful activities — bad bodily conduct, bad verbal
conduct, bad mental conduct — they will adopt & practice these three skillful
activities: good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, good mental conduct. Why
is that? Because those venerable brahmans & contemplatives see in unskillful
activities the drawbacks, the degradation, and the defilement; and in skillful
activities the rewards of renunciation, resembling cleansing.
B2. "Because there actually is causality, the view of one who thinks, 'There is
causality' is his right view. Because there actually is causality, when he is
resolved that 'There is causality,' that is his right resolve. Because there
actually causality, when he speaks the statement, 'There is causality,' that is
his right speech. Because there actually is causality, when he is says that
'There is causality,' he doesn't make himself an opponent to those arahants who
teach causality. Because there actually is causality, when he persuades another
that 'There is causality,' that is persuasion in what is true Dhamma. And in
that persuasion in what is true Dhamma, he doesn't exalt himself or disparage
others. Whatever bad habituation he previously had is abandoned, while good
habituation is manifested. And this right view, right resolve, right speech,
non-opposition to the arahants, persuasion in what is true Dhamma,
non-exaltation of self, & non-disparagement of others: These many skillful
activities come into play, in dependence on right view.
B3. "With regard to this, a wise person considers thus: 'If there is causality,
then his venerable person — on the break-up of the body, after death — will
reappear in the good destination, the heavenly world. Even if we didn't speak of
causality, and there weren't the true statement of those venerable brahmans &
contemplatives, this venerable person is still praised in the here-&-now by the
wise as a person of good habits & right view: one who holds to a doctrine of
causality. If there really is causality, then this venerable person has made a
good throw twice, in that he is praised by the wise here-&-now; and in that —
with the break-up of the body, after death — he will reappear in the good
destination, the heavenly world. Thus this safe-bet teaching, when well grasped
& adopted by him, covers both sides, and leaves behind the possibility of the
unskillful.
Formlessness
"There are some brahmans & contemplatives who hold this doctrine, hold this
view: 'There is no total formlessness.' Some brahmans & contemplatives, speaking
in direct opposition to those brahmans & contemplatives, say this: 'There is
total formlessness.' What do you think, householders? Don't these brahmans &
contemplatives speak in direct opposition to each other?"
"Yes, lord."
"With regard to this, a wise person considers thus: 'As for those venerable
brahmans & contemplatives who hold this doctrine, hold this view — "There is no
total formlessness" — I haven't seen that. As for those venerable brahmans &
contemplatives who hold this doctrine, hold this view — "There is total
formlessness" — I haven't known that. If I, not knowing, not seeing, were to
take one side and declare, "Only this is true, anything otherwise is worthless,"
that would not be fitting for me. As for those venerable brahmans &
contemplatives who hold this doctrine, hold this view — "There is no total
formlessness": If their statement is true, there's the safe-bet possibility that
I might reappear among the mind-made devas of form. As for those venerable
brahmans & contemplatives who hold this doctrine, hold this view — "There is
total formlessness": If their statement is true, there's the safe-bet
possibility that I might reappear among the perception-made devas of no form.
The taking up of rods & weapons, quarrels, contention, disputes, recrimination,
divisiveness, & false speech are seen to arise from form, but not from total
formlessness.' Reflecting thus, he practices for disenchantment toward forms,
for dispassion toward forms, and for the cessation of forms.
Cessation of becoming
"There are some brahmans & contemplatives who hold this doctrine, hold this
view: 'There is no total cessation of becoming.' Some brahmans & contemplatives,
speaking in direct opposition to those brahmans & contemplatives, say this:
'There is total cessation of becoming.' What do you think, householders? Don't
these brahmans & contemplatives speak in direct opposition to each other?"
"Yes, lord."
"With regard to this, a wise person considers thus: 'As for those venerable
brahmans & contemplatives who hold this doctrine, hold this view — "There is no
total cessation of becoming" — I haven't seen that. As for those venerable
brahmans & contemplatives who hold this doctrine, hold this view — "There is
total cessation of becoming" — I haven't known that. If I, not knowing, not
seeing, were to take one side and declare, "Only this is true, anything
otherwise is worthless," that would not be fitting for me. As for those
venerable brahmans & contemplatives who hold this doctrine, hold this view —
"There is no total cessation of becoming": If their statement is true, there's
the safe-bet possibility that I might reappear among the perception-made devas
of no form. As for those venerable brahmans & contemplatives who hold this
doctrine, hold this view — "There is total cessation of becoming": If their
statement is true, it is possible that I will be totally unbound in the
here-&-now. As for those venerable brahmans & contemplatives who hold this
doctrine, hold this view — "There is no total cessation of becoming": This view
of theirs borders on passion, borders on fettering, borders on relishing,
borders on grasping, borders on clinging. As for those venerable brahmans &
contemplatives who hold this doctrine, hold this view — "There is total
cessation of becoming": This view of theirs borders on non-passion, borders on
non-fettering, borders on non-relishing, borders on non-grasping, borders on
non-clinging.' Reflecting thus, he practices for disenchantment toward
becomings, for dispassion toward becomings, and for the cessation of becomings.
Four individuals
"Householders, there are these four types of individuals to be found existing in
the world. Which four? There is the case where a certain individual torments
himself and is devoted to the practice of torturing himself. There is the case
where a certain individual torments others and is devoted to the practice of
torturing others. There is the case where a certain individual torments himself
and is devoted to the practice of torturing himself, and also torments others
and is devoted to the practice of torturing others. There is the case where a
certain individual neither torments himself nor is he devoted to the practice of
torturing himself, neither torments others nor is he devoted to the practice of
torturing others. Neither tormenting himself nor tormenting others, he dwells in
the here-&-now free of hunger, unbound, cooled, sensitive to happiness, with a
Brahma-like mind.
"And which is the individual who torments himself and is devoted to the practice
of torturing himself? There is the case where a certain individual is a
cloth-less ascetic, rejecting conventions, licking his hands, not coming when
called, not staying when asked. He does not accept food brought or specially
made. He does not consent to an invitation (to a meal). He doesn't receive
anything from the mouth of a pot, from the mouth of a container, across a
threshold, across a stick, across a pestle, from two eating together, from a
pregnant woman, from a woman nursing a child, from a woman living with a man,
from where it is announced that food is to be distributed, from where a dog is
waiting, from where flies are buzzing. He accepts no meat, no distilled liquor,
no wine, no fermented liquor. He limits himself to one house for one morsel, to
two houses for two morsels... to seven houses for seven morsels. He lives on one
saucerful a day, two saucerfuls a day... seven saucerfuls a day. He takes food
once a day, once every two days... once every seven days, and so on up to once
every half-month. He remains devoted to the practice of taking food at stated
intervals. He eats a diet of green vegetables or millet or wild rice or
hide-parings or moss or rice bran or rice-water or sesame flour or grass or cow
dung. He lives off forest roots & fruits. He eats fallen fruits. He clothes
himself in hemp, in canvas, in shrouds, in thrown-away rags, in tree bark, in
antelope hide, in wood-shavings fabric, in head-hair wool, in wild-animal wool,
in owls' wings. He is a hair-&-beard puller, one devoted to the practice of
pulling out his hair & beard. He is a stander, one who rejects seats. He is a
hands-around-the-knees sitter, one devoted to the exertion of sitting with his
hands around his knees. He is a spike-mattresser, one who makes his bed on a bed
of spikes. He is a third-time-in-the-evening bather, one who stays devoted to
the practice of bathing in water. Thus, in these many ways, he is devoted to the
practice of tormenting & persecuting the body. This is called an individual who
torments himself and is devoted to the practice of torturing himself.
"And which is the individual who torments others and is devoted to the practice
of torturing others? There is the case where a certain individual is a butcher
of sheep, a butcher of pigs, a butcher of fowl, a trapper, a hunter, a
fisherman, a thief, an executioner,5 a prison warden, or anyone who follows any
other bloody occupation. This is called an individual who torments others and is
devoted to the practice of torturing others.
"And which is the individual who torments himself and is devoted to the practice
of torturing himself, and also torments others and is devoted to the practice of
torturing others? There is the case where an individual is a head-anointed noble
warrior king, or a brahman of great wealth. Having had a new temple built to the
east of the city, having shaved off his hair & beard, having dressed himself in
a rough hide, having smeared his body with ghee & oil, and scratching his back
with a deer horn, he enters the new temple along with his chief queen & brahman
high priest. There he makes his bed on the bare ground strewn with grass. The
king lives off the milk from the first teat of a cow with an identical calf; the
queen lives off the milk from the second teat; the brahman high priest, off the
milk from the third teat. The milk from the fourth teat they pour6 into the
fire. The calf lives on what is left.
"He says, 'Let so many bulls be slaughtered for the sacrifice. Let so many
bullocks... so many heifer... so many goats... so many sheep... Let so many
horses be slaughtered for the sacrifice.7 Let so many trees be cut down for the
sacrificial posts; let so many plants grass be mowed down for the sacrificial
grass.' And his slaves, servants, & workers make preparations, weeping with
tearful faces, spurred on by punishment, spurred on by fear. This is called an
individual who torments himself and is devoted to the practice of torturing
himself, and also torments others and is devoted to the practice of torturing
others.
"And which is the individual who neither torments himself nor is devoted to the
practice of torturing himself, neither torments others nor is devoted to the
practice of torturing others; who — neither tormenting himself nor tormenting
others — dwells in the here-&-now free of hunger, unbound, cooled, sensitive to
happiness with a Brahma-like mind?
"There is the case where a Tathagata appears in the world, worthy and rightly
self-awakened. He teaches the Dhamma admirable in its beginning, admirable in
its middle, admirable in its end. He proclaims the holy life both in its
particulars and in its essence, entirely perfect, surpassingly pure.
"A householder or householder's son, hearing the Dhamma, gains conviction in the
Tathagata and reflects: 'Household life is confining, a dusty path. Life gone
forth is the open air. It isn't easy, living at home, to practice the holy life
totally perfect, totally pure, a polished shell. What if I, having shaved off my
hair & beard and putting on the ochre robe, were to go forth from the household
life into homelessness?'
"So after some time he abandons his mass of wealth, large or small; leaves his
circle of relatives, large or small; shaves off his hair and beard, puts on the
ochre robes, and goes forth from the household life into homelessness.
Virtue
"When he has thus gone forth, endowed with the monks' training & livelihood,
then — abandoning the taking of life — he abstains from the taking of life. He
dwells with his rod laid down, his knife laid down, scrupulous, merciful,
compassionate for the welfare of all living beings.
"Abandoning the taking of what is not given, he abstains from taking what is not
given. He takes only what is given, accepts only what is given, lives not by
stealth but by means of a self that has become pure. This, too, is part of his
virtue.
"Abandoning uncelibacy, he lives a celibate life, aloof, refraining from the
sexual act that is the villager's way.
"Abandoning false speech, he abstains from false speech. He speaks the truth,
holds to the truth, is firm, reliable, no deceiver of the world.
"Abandoning divisive speech he abstains from divisive speech. What he has heard
here he does not tell there to break those people apart from these people here.
What he has heard there he does not tell here to break these people apart from
those people there. Thus reconciling those who have broken apart or cementing
those who are united, he loves concord, delights in concord, enjoys concord,
speaks things that create concord.
"Abandoning abusive speech, he abstains from abusive speech. He speaks words
that are soothing to the ear, that are affectionate, that go to the heart, that
are polite, appealing and pleasing to people at large.
"Abandoning idle chatter, he abstains from idle chatter. He speaks in season,
speaks what is factual, what is in accordance with the goal, the Dhamma, and the
Vinaya. He speaks words worth treasuring, seasonable, reasonable, circumscribed,
connected with the goal.
"He abstains from damaging seed and plant life.
"He eats only once a day, refraining from the evening meal and from food at the
wrong time of day.
"He abstains from dancing, singing, instrumental music, and from watching shows.
"He abstains from wearing garlands and from beautifying himself with scents and
cosmetics.
"He abstains from high and luxurious beds and seats.
"He abstains from accepting gold and money.
"He abstains from accepting uncooked grain... raw meat... women and girls...
male and female slaves... goats and sheep... fowl and pigs... elephants, cattle,
steeds, and mares... fields and property.
"He abstains from running messages... from buying and selling... from dealing
with false scales, false metals, and false measures... from bribery, deception,
and fraud.
"He abstains from mutilating, executing, imprisoning, highway robbery, plunder,
and violence.
"He is content with a set of robes to provide for his body and alms food to
provide for his hunger. Just as a bird, wherever it goes, flies with its wings
as its only burden; so too is he content with a set of robes to provide for his
body and alms food to provide for his hunger. Wherever he goes, he takes only
his barest necessities along.
"Endowed with this noble aggregate of virtue, he is inwardly sensitive to the
pleasure of being blameless.
Sense restraint
"On seeing a form with the eye, he does not grasp at any theme or details by
which — if he were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the eye —
evil, unskillful qualities such as greed or distress might assail him. On
hearing a sound with the ear... On smelling an odor with the nose... On tasting
a flavor with the tongue... On touching a tactile sensation with the body... On
cognizing an idea with the intellect, he does not grasp at any theme or details
by which — if he were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the
intellect — evil, unskillful qualities such as greed or distress might assail
him. Endowed with this noble restraint over the sense faculties, he is inwardly
sensitive to the pleasure of being blameless.
Mindfulness & alertness
"When going forward and returning, he acts with alertness. When looking toward
and looking away... when bending and extending his limbs... when carrying his
outer cloak, his upper robe, and his bowl... when eating, drinking, chewing, and
tasting... when urinating and defecating... when walking, standing, sitting,
falling asleep, waking up, talking, and remaining silent, he acts with
alertness.
Abandoning the hindrances
"Endowed with this noble aggregate of virtue, this noble restraint over the
sense faculties, this noble mindfulness & alertness, he seeks out a secluded
dwelling: a wilderness, the shade of a tree, a mountain, a glen, a hillside
cave, a charnel ground, a forest grove, the open air, a heap of straw. After his
meal, returning from his alms round, he sits down, crosses his legs, holds his
body erect, and brings mindfulness to the fore.
"Abandoning covetousness with regard to the world, he dwells with an awareness
devoid of covetousness. He cleanses his mind of covetousness. Abandoning ill
will and anger, he dwells with an awareness devoid of ill will, sympathetic with
the welfare of all living beings. He cleanses his mind of ill will and anger.
Abandoning sloth and drowsiness, he dwells with an awareness devoid of sloth and
drowsiness, mindful, alert, percipient of light. He cleanses his mind of sloth
and drowsiness. Abandoning restlessness and anxiety, he dwells undisturbed, his
mind inwardly stilled. He cleanses his mind of restlessness and anxiety.
Abandoning uncertainty, he dwells having crossed over uncertainty, with no
perplexity with regard to skillful mental qualities. He cleanses his mind of
uncertainty.
The four jhanas
"Having abandoned these five hindrances — imperfections of awareness that weaken
discernment — then, quite secluded from sensuality, secluded from unskillful
mental qualities, he enters and remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure
born from seclusion, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation.
"Then, with the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, he enters and
remains in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born of concentration,
unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation — internal
assurance.
"Then, with the fading of rapture, he remains in equanimity, mindful & alert,
and senses pleasure with the body. He enters and remains in the third jhana, of
which the noble ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.'
"Then, with the abandoning of pleasure & pain — as with the earlier
disappearance of elation & distress — he enters and remains in the fourth jhana:
purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither-pleasure-nor-pain.
The three knowledges
"With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from
defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs
and inclines it to knowledge of the recollection of past lives (lit: previous
homes). He recollects his manifold past lives, i.e., one birth, two births,
three births, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, one hundred, one
thousand, one hundred thousand, many aeons of cosmic contraction, many aeons of
cosmic expansion, many aeons of cosmic contraction and expansion,
[recollecting], 'There I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an
appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such the
end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose there. There too I had
such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food,
such my experience of pleasure and pain, such the end of my life. Passing away
from that state, I re-arose here.' Thus he recollects his manifold past lives in
their modes and details. This, too, is how striving is fruitful, how exertion is
fruitful.
"With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from
defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs
and inclines it to knowledge of the passing away and re-appearance of beings. He
sees — by means of the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human — beings
passing away and re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior and
superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate in accordance with their
kamma: 'These beings — who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech, and
mind, who reviled the noble ones, held wrong views and undertook actions under
the influence of wrong views — with the break-up of the body, after death, have
re-appeared in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms,
in hell. But these beings — who were endowed with good conduct of body, speech,
and mind, who did not revile the noble ones, who held right views and undertook
actions under the influence of right views — with the break-up of the body,
after death, have re-appeared in the good destinations, in the heavenly world.'
Thus — by means of the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human — he sees
beings passing away and re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior and
superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate in accordance with their
kamma.
"With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from
defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, the monk
directs and inclines it to the knowledge of the ending of the mental
fermentations. He discerns, as it is actually present, that 'This is stress...
This is the origination of stress... This is the cessation of stress... This is
the way leading to the cessation of stress... These are mental fermentations...
This is the origination of fermentations... This is the cessation of
fermentations... This is the way leading to the cessation of fermentations.' His
heart, thus knowing, thus seeing, is released from the fermentation of
sensuality, the fermentation of becoming, the fermentation of ignorance. With
release, there is the knowledge, 'Released.' He discerns that 'Birth is ended,
the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this
world.'
"This is called an individual who neither torments himself nor is devoted to the
practice of torturing himself, who neither torments others nor is devoted to the
practice of torturing others. Neither tormenting himself nor tormenting others,
he dwells in the here-&-now free of hunger, unbound, cooled, sensitive to
happiness, with a Brahma-like mind."
When this was said, the brahman householders of Sala said, "Magnificent, master
Gotama! Magnificent! Just as if he were to place upright what was overturned, to
reveal what was hidden, to show the way to one who was lost, or to carry a lamp
into the dark so that those with eyes could see forms, in the same way has
master Gotama — through many lines of reasoning — made the Dhamma clear. We go
to master Gotama for refuge, to the Dhamma, and to the Community of monks. May
master Gotama remember us as lay followers who have gone to him for refuge, from
this day forward, for life."
Notes
1. This was the view of Ajita Kesakambalin. See DN 2.
2. In this context — where that actual truth or falseness of the doctrine is not
being addressed — "wrong view" would have to mean a view that leads a person to
engage in bad conduct in body, speech, or mind.
3. This was the view of Purana Kassapa. See DN 2.
4. This was the view of Makkhali Gosala. See DN 2.
5. The Burmese edition of the Canon here adds, "a slaughterer of cows."
6. This follows the Sinhalese, Burmese, and PTS editions of the Canon. The Thai
edition reads, "he pours."
7. The PTS and Sinhalese editions omit the sentence, "Let so many horses be
slaughtered for the sacrifice."
See also: MN 45; MN 95
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