Kathavatthu - Of Unintentional Crime; Insight; the Guards of Purgatory

Points of Controversy
OR
Subjects of Discourse
BEING A TRANSLATION OF THE KATHAVATTHU
FROM THE ABHIDHAMMA-PITAKA
BY
SHWE ZAN AUNG, B.A
AND
MRS. RHYS DAVIDS, M.A

Of Unintentional Crime; Insight; the Guards of Purgatory


BOOK XX

1. Of Unintentional Crime.
Controverted Point.—That the five cardinal crimes, even
when unintentionally committed, involve retribution im-
mediately after death.
From the Commentary. - Inasmuch as the grounds for immediate
retribution after death are very weighty and grave, some—for instance,
the Uttarapathakas—hold that even the unintentional infliction of such
injuries calls for it.
[1] Th.—But you imply that if I accidentally take away
life, I am a murderer, [2] and [similarly as to two of the
other four wicked deeds forbidden by morality] that if I
accidentally take what is not given, I am a thief . . .
if I utter untruths unintentionally, I am a liar. You
deny. Yet you wish to make exceptions [to the relative
innocence of such acts] in just those five serious cases. . . .
[3] Can you-cite me a Sutta judging unintentional
crime like that which says: 'He that intentionally takes
his mother s life incurs immediate retribution'?1 You cannot.
Neither can you maintain your proposition.
[4] U.—But does not the fact remain that the mother's
life is taken ?2 Surely then the unintentional slayer also
incurs immediate retribution. [5-7] Similarly, too, does
1
We cannot trace this passage. So far as his own future is con-
cerned, the individual's mental acts rather than his deeds create it.
Cf. Majjhima-Nik., i. 372 f ; cf. iii. 207. See above, 80, n. 5; cf. 274.
2
This question is answered in the affirmative with reference to
accidental loss of life under medical treatment.—Comy.


one who unintentionally kills father or Arahant, or sheds a
Buddha's blood, incur a like doom.
[8] Th.—[Now as to the fifth of such crimes]: do you
imply that all schismatics incur such a doom ? You deny.
But think again ! You now assent.1 But does a schismatic
who is conscious of right incur it ? You deny. But think
again! You now assent. But was it not said by the
Exalted One: 'There is a kind of schismatic, Upali, ivho
incurs disaster, purgatory, misery for an ceon, who is incur-
able ; there is a kind of schismatic, Upali, who does not incur
such a doom, who is not incurable '?2
Hence it is not right to say that a schismatic who is
conscious of [stating what is] right incurs such a doom.
[9] U.—But was it not said by the Exalted One: ' He
who breaks up the Order is doomed to remain for an ceon in
states of suffering and woe'?
'He who delights in party strife, and adheres not to the
Dhamma, is cut off from Arahantship.3 Having broken up
the Order when it was at peace, he must be cooked for an ceon
in purgatory' ?4
Hence surely a schismatic incurs retribution immediately
after death.

2. Of Insight.
Controverted Point.—That' insight' is not for the average
man.
From the Commentary.—'Insight' (nana) is of two kinds—worldly
and spiritual. The former is intellection concerned with various

1
He denies, because he is judging such an one to be convinced that
his side is in the right; he assents, in the case of one who knows that
right is on the other side.—Comy. Cf . Anguttara-Nik., i. 85 f .
Similarly in the following change of reply.—Comy.
2
Vinaya, ii. 205, v. 202, 203; Vinaya Texts, iii. 268. The latter
mistakes bad doctrine or discipline for good, good doctrine or discipline
for bad, and records his opinion by his acts. His intentions are good.
In the Vmaya passage atthi, 'there is,' is rendered as siya,
'there may be.'
3
Literally, from the yogakkhema , or safety, salvation. Cut off
that is, while this world-cycle lasts.
4
Ibid.


attainments, and in noting the course of karma by way of righteous
acts of giving, etc.; the latter is intuition concerned with the Paths
and their Fruits, Path-intuition being learned by analysis of truth.1
Now some, like the Hetuvadins, failing to distinguish this, accept only
Path-intuition as insight.2 Hence they deny it in the average man.
[1] Th.—But you imply that a worldly man has no
analytic discernment, no analytic understanding, no ability
to investigate or examine, no faculty of research, no ability
to mark well, observe closely, mark repeatedly.3 Is not the
opposite true ?
[2] Again, you admit, do you not ? that there is not one
of the four Rupa-jlianas or of the four Arupajhanas to
which a man of the world may not attain, and that he
is capable of liberality towards the Brethren as to the four
requisites : raiment and so forth. Surely then it is not
right to say a worldly man can have no insight.
[3] H.—If he can have insight, does he by that insight
recognize the truth about Ill , eliminate its cause, realize
its cessation, develop the Path going thereto ? You
admit that he does not. Therefore, etc. . . .

3. Of the Guards of Purgatory.
Controverted Point.—That in the purgatories there are
no guards.
From the Commentary.—Some—for instance, the Andhakas—hold
that there are no such beings, but that the hell-doomed karmas in the
shape of hell-keepers purge the sufferers.
[1] Th.—Do you imply that there are no punishments
inflicted4 in the purgatories ? You maintain the contrary ?
But you cannot maintain both propositions.

1
The instantaneous penetration (ekabhisamaya) of truth by
one who has reached the Path is intuitive, but he is also able to
analyze truth. See Appendix : article 4.
2
On the ambiguity of this term, see also II. 2.
3
Cf. Dhamma-sangani, § 16. All these are synonyms of nana.—
Comy. We have brought out the force of the prefix 'pa' in the
first two (panna, pajanana) .
4
Kamma-karanani . On this term, see JPTS,1884,76, and
references given.


[2] You admit that on earth there are both punishments
and executioners ? Yet you deny that the latter exist
in purgatory. .. .
[3] Moreover, was it not said by the Exalted One :
'Not Vessabhu nor yet the Petas' King,
Soma, Yama, or King Vessarana—
The deeds that -were his own do punish him
Who ending here attains to other worlds'?1
Hence there are guards in purgatory.
[4] Again, was it not said by the Exalted One: ' Him,
bhikkhus, hell's guards torture2 with the fivefold punishment;
they thrust a hot iron stake through one hand, then another
through the other hand, then one through the foot, then another
through the other foot; they thrust a hot iron stake through
the middle of the chest. And he thereupon feels painful,
piercing, intolerable suffering, nor does he die till that evil
deed of his is cancelled
[5] Again, was it not said [further] by the Exalted One :
'Him, bhikkhus. hell's guards make to lie down and flay him
until hatchets . . . they place him head downwards and flay
him with knives . . . they bind him to a chariot and drive
him to and fro over burning, blazing, glowing ground . . .
they lift him up on to a great hill of burning, blazing,
white - hot coals and roll him down the fiery slope . . .
they double him up and cast him into a hot brazen jar,
burning, blazing, glowing, where he boils, coining up like a
bubble of foam, then sinking, going now to this side, now
to that.4 There he suffers fierce and bitter pain, nor does he
die till that evil karma is cancelled. Him, bhikkhus, they
cast into the Great Purgatory. Now this :

1
We cannot trace these verses, hence cannot indicate the context.
2
Our text has kammang karenti ; the Nikaya (PTS edition)
has . . . karonti .
3
Majjhima-Nik., iii. 182 f.; Anguttara-Nik., i. 141. The Br.
translation here and below reads: 'and he dies till that evil deed,' etc.
4
Milinda, ii. 261 (translation); Jataka, iii. 46 (text).


In districts measured out four-square four-doored,
Iron the ramparts hounding it, with iron roofed,
Iron its soil welded by fiery1 heat,
Spreading a hundred leagues it stands for aye'?2
Hence there surely are guards in purgatory.

1
The Br. and the Nikaya have jalita ; the PTS alita maybe
a misprint.
2
Majjhima-Nik., ibid. ; Anguttara-Nik., ibid.