MN 135
Cula-kammavibhanga Sutta
The Shorter Analysis of Action
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Alternate translation:ÑanamoliThanissaro
PTS: M iii 202
Source: Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.
Copyright © 1995 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Access to Insight edition © 1995
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.
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi in
Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. Then Subha the student, Todeyya's son,
went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him.
After an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, he sat to one side. As he
was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One: "Master Gotama, what is the
reason, what is the cause, why baseness & excellence are seen among human
beings, among the human race? For short-lived & long-lived people are to be
seen, sickly & healthy, ugly & beautiful, uninfluential & influential, poor &
rich, low-born & high-born, stupid & discerning people are to be seen. So what
is the reason, what is the cause, why baseness & excellence are seen among human
beings, among the human race?"
"Students, beings are owners of kamma, heir to kamma, born of kamma, related
through kamma, and have kamma as their arbitrator. Kamma is what creates
distinctions among beings in terms of coarseness & refinement."
"I don't understand the detailed meaning of Master Gotama's statement spoken in
brief without explaining the detailed meaning. It would be good if Master Gotama
taught me the Dhamma so that I might understand the detailed meaning of his
brief statement."
"In that case, student, listen & pay close attention. I will speak."
"As you say, Master Gotama," Subha the student responded.
The Blessed One said: "There is the case, student, where a woman or man is a
killer of living beings, brutal, bloody-handed, given to killing & slaying,
showing no mercy to living beings. Through having adopted & carried out such
actions, on the break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in the plane
of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms, hell. If, on the break-up
of the body, after death — instead of reappearing in the plane of deprivation,
the bad destination, the lower realms, hell — he/she comes to the human state,
then he/she is short-lived wherever reborn. This is the way leading to a short
life: to be a killer of living beings, brutal, bloody-handed, given to killing &
slaying, showing no mercy to living beings.
"But then there is the case where a woman or man, having abandoned the killing
of living beings, abstains from killing living beings, and dwells with the rod
laid down, the knife laid down, scrupulous, merciful, & sympathetic for the
welfare of all living beings. Through having adopted & carried out such actions,
on the break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in a good
destination, in the heavenly world. If, on the break-up of the body, after death
— instead of reappearing in a good destination, in the heavenly world — he/she
comes to the human state, then he/she is long-lived wherever reborn. This is the
way leading to a long life: to have abandoned the killing of living beings, to
abstain from killing living beings, to dwell with one's rod laid down, one's
knife laid down, scrupulous, merciful, & sympathetic for the welfare of all
living beings.
"There is the case where a woman or man is one who harms beings with his/her
fists, with clods, with sticks, or with knives. Through having adopted & carried
out such actions, on the break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in
the plane of deprivation... If instead he/she comes to the human state, then
he/she is sickly wherever reborn. This is the way leading to sickliness: to be
one who harms beings with one's fists, with clods, with sticks, or with knives.
"But then there is the case where a woman or man is not one who harms beings
with his/her fists, with clods, with sticks, or with knives. Through having
adopted & carried out such actions, on the break-up of the body, after death,
he/she reappears in a good destination... If instead he/she comes to the human
state, then he/she is healthy wherever reborn. This is the way leading to
health: not to be one who harms beings with one's fists, with clods, with
sticks, or with knives.
"There is the case, where a woman or man is ill-tempered & easily upset; even
when lightly criticized, he/she grows offended, provoked, malicious, &
resentful; shows annoyance, aversion, & bitterness. Through having adopted &
carried out such actions, on the break-up of the body, after death, he/she
reappears in the plane of deprivation... If instead he/she comes to the human
state, then he/she is ugly wherever reborn. This is the way leading to ugliness:
to be ill-tempered & easily upset; even when lightly criticized, to grow
offended, provoked, malicious, & resentful; to show annoyance, aversion, &
bitterness.
"But then there is the case where a woman or man is not ill-tempered or easily
upset; even when heavily criticized, he/she doesn't grow offended, provoked,
malicious, or resentful; doesn't show annoyance, aversion, or bitterness.
Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the break-up of the body,
after death, he/she reappears in a good destination... If instead he/she comes
to the human state, then he/she is beautiful wherever reborn. This is the way
leading to beauty: not to be ill-tempered or easily upset; even when heavily
criticized, not to be offended, provoked, malicious, or resentful; nor to show
annoyance, aversion, & bitterness.
"There is the case where a woman or man is envious. He/she envies, begrudges, &
broods about others' gains, honor, respect, reverence, salutations, &
veneration. Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the break-up
of the body, after death, he/she reappears in the plane of deprivation... If
instead he/she comes to the human state, then he/she gains no prominence
wherever reborn. This is the way leading to no prominence: to be envious, to
envy, begrudge, & brood about others' gains, honor, respect, reverence,
salutations, & veneration.
"But then there is the case where a woman or man is not envious. He/she does not
envy, begrudge, or brood about others' gains, honor, respect, reverence,
salutations, or veneration. Through having adopted & carried out such actions,
on the break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in a good
destination... If instead he/she comes to the human state, he/she is prominent
wherever reborn. This is the way leading to prominence: not to be envious; not
to envy, begrudge, or brood about others' gains, honor, respect, reverence,
salutations, or veneration.
"There is the case where a woman or man is not a giver of food, drink, cloth,
sandals, garlands, scents, ointments, beds, dwellings, or lighting to priests or
contemplatives. Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the
break-up of the body, after death he/she reappears in the plane of
deprivation... If instead he/she comes to the human state, he/she is poor
wherever reborn. This is the way leading to poverty: not to be a giver of food,
drink, cloth, sandals, garlands, scents, ointments, beds, dwellings, or lighting
to priests or contemplatives.
"But then there is the case where a woman or man is a giver of food, drink,
cloth, sandals, scents, ointments, beds, dwellings, & lighting to priests &
contemplatives. Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the
break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in a good destination... If
instead he/she comes to the human state, then he/she is wealthy wherever reborn.
This is the way leading to great wealth: to be a giver of food, drink, cloth,
sandals, garlands, scents, ointments, beds, dwellings, & lighting to priests &
contemplatives.
"There is the case where a woman or man is obstinate & arrogant. He/she does not
pay homage to those who deserve homage, rise up for those for whom one should
rise up, give a seat to those to whom one should give a seat, make way for those
for whom one should make way, worship those who should be worshipped, respect
those who should be respected, revere those who should be revered, or honor
those who should be honored. Through having adopted & carried out such actions,
on the break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in the plane of
deprivation... If instead he/she comes to the human state, then he/she is
low-born wherever reborn. This is the way leading to a low birth: to be
obstinate & arrogant, not to pay homage to those who deserve homage, nor rise up
for... nor give a seat to... nor make way for... nor worship... nor respect...
nor revere... nor honor those who should be honored.
"But then there is the case where a woman or man is not obstinate or arrogant;
he/she pays homage to those who deserve homage, rises up... gives a seat...
makes way... worships... respects... reveres... honors those who should be
honored. Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the break-up of
the body, after death, he/she reappears in a good destination... If instead
he/she comes to the human state, then he/she is highborn wherever reborn. This
is the way leading to a high birth: not to obstinate or arrogant; to pay homage
to those who deserve homage, to rise up... give a seat... make way... worship...
respect... revere... honor those who should be honored.
"There is the case where a woman or man when visiting a priest or contemplative,
does not ask: 'What is skillful, venerable sir? What is unskillful? What is
blameworthy? What is blameless? What should be cultivated? What should not be
cultivated? What, having been done by me, will be for my long-term harm &
suffering? Or what, having been done by me, will be for my long-term welfare &
happiness?' Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the break-up
of the body, after death, he/she reappears in the plane of deprivation... If
instead he/she comes to the human state, then he/she will be stupid wherever
reborn. This is the way leading to stupidity: when visiting a priest or
contemplative, not to ask: 'What is skillful?... Or what, having been done by
me, will be for my long-term welfare & happiness?'
"But then there is the case where a woman or man when visiting a priest or
contemplative, asks: 'What is skillful, venerable sir? What is unskillful? What
is blameworthy? What is blameless? What should be cultivated? What should not be
cultivated? What, having been done by me, will be for my long-term harm &
suffering? Or what, having been done by me, will be for my long-term welfare &
happiness?' Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the break-up
of the body, after death, he/she reappears in a good destination... If instead
he/she comes to the human state, then he/she is discerning wherever reborn. This
is the way leading to discernment: when visiting a priest or contemplative, to
ask: 'What is skillful?... Or what, having been done by me, will be for my
long-term welfare & happiness?'
"So, student, the way leading to short life makes people short-lived, the way
leading to long life makes people long-lived; the way leading to sickliness
makes people sickly, the way leading to health makes people healthy; the way
leading to ugliness makes people ugly, the way leading to beauty makes people
beautiful; the way leading to lack of influence makes people uninfluential, the
way leading to influence makes people influential; the way leading to poverty
makes people poor, the way leading to wealth makes people wealthy; the way
leading to low birth makes people low-born, the way leading to high birth makes
people highborn; the way leading to stupidity makes people stupid, the way
leading to discernment makes people discerning.
Beings are owners of kamma, heir to kamma, born of kamma, related through kamma,
and have kamma as their arbitrator. Kamma is what creates distinctions among
beings in terms of coarseness & refinement....
When this was said, Subha the student, Todeyya's son, said to the Blessed One:
"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. I go to Master Gotama for refuge, to the Dhamma, and to the
Community of monks. May Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone
to him for refuge, from this day forward, for life."
0 comments:
Post a Comment