{"collection":"Anguttara Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_an10.176/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_an10.176","id":"suttacentral_an10.176","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/an10.176/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Anguttara Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near P\u0101v\u0101 in Cunda the smith\u2019s mango grove. Then Cunda the smith went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him, \u201cCunda, whose purity do you believe in?\u201d \u201cSir, I believe in the purity advocated by the western brahmins garlanded with aquatic flowers who carry pitchers, serve the sacred flame, and immerse themselves in water.\u201d \u201cBut Cunda, what kind of purity do these western brahmins advocate?\u201d \u201cThe western brahmins encourage their disciple like this: \u2018Please, my man, rising early you should stroke the earth from your bed. If you don\u2019t stroke the earth, stroke fresh cow dung. If you don\u2019t stroke fresh cow dung, stroke green grass. If you don\u2019t stroke green grass, serve the sacred flame. If you don\u2019t serve the sacred flame, revere the sun with cupped palms. If you don\u2019t revere the sun with cupped palms, immerse yourself in water three times, including at dusk.\u2019 The western brahmins advocate this kind of purity.\u201d \u201cThe purity advocated by the western brahmins is quite different from that in the training of the Noble One.\u201d \u201cBut what, sir, is purity in the training of the Noble One? Sir, please teach me this.\u201d \u201cWell then, brahmin, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.\u201d \u201cYes, sir,\u201d Cunda replied. The Buddha said this: \u201cCunda, impurity is threefold by way of body, fourfold by way of speech, and threefold by way of mind. And how is impurity threefold by way of body? It\u2019s when someone kills living creatures. They\u2019re violent, bloody-handed, a hardened killer, merciless to all living beings. They steal. With the intention to commit theft, they take the wealth or belongings of others from village or wilderness. They commit sexual misconduct. They have relations with women who have their mother, father, both mother and father, brother, sister, relatives, or clan as guardian. They have relations with a woman who is protected on principle, or who has a husband, or whose violation is punishable by law, or even one who has been garlanded as a token of betrothal. This is the threefold impurity by way of body. And how is impurity fourfold by way of speech? It\u2019s when someone lies. They\u2019re summoned to a council, an assembly, a family meeting, a guild, or to the royal court, and asked to bear witness: \u2018Please, my friend, say what you know.\u2019 Not knowing, they say \u2018I know.\u2019 Knowing, they say \u2018I don\u2019t know.\u2019 Not seeing, they say \u2018I see.\u2019 And seeing, they say \u2018I don\u2019t see.\u2019 So they deliberately lie for the sake of themselves or another, or for some trivial worldly reason. They backbite. They repeat in one place what they heard in another so as to divide people against each other. And so they divide those who are harmonious, supporting division, delighting in division, loving division, speaking words that promote division. They speak harshly. They use the kinds of words that are cruel, nasty, hurtful, offensive, bordering on anger, not leading to immersion. They talk nonsense. Their speech is untimely, and is neither factual nor beneficial. It has nothing to do with the teaching or the training. Their words have no value, and are untimely, unreasonable, rambling, and pointless. This is the fourfold impurity by way of speech. And how is impurity threefold by way of mind? It\u2019s when someone is covetous. They covet the wealth and belongings of others: \u2018Oh, if only their belongings were mine!\u2019 They have ill will and malicious intentions: \u2018May these sentient beings be killed, slaughtered, slain, destroyed, or annihilated!\u2019 They have wrong view. Their perspective is distorted: \u2018There\u2019s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. There\u2019s no fruit or result of good and bad deeds. There\u2019s no afterlife. There\u2019s no such thing as mother and father, or beings that are reborn spontaneously. And there\u2019s no ascetic or brahmin who is rightly comported and rightly practiced, and who describes the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.\u2019 This is the threefold impurity by way of mind. These are the ten ways of doing unskillful deeds. When you have these ten ways of doing unskillful deeds, then if you rise early, whether or not you stroke the earth from your bed, you\u2019re still impure. Whether or not you stroke fresh cow dung, you\u2019re still impure. Whether or not you stroke green grass, you\u2019re still impure. Whether or not you serve the sacred flame, you\u2019re still impure. Whether or not you revere the sun with cupped palms, you\u2019re still impure. Whether or not you immerse yourself in water three times, you\u2019re still impure. Why is that? These ten ways of doing unskillful deeds are impure and make things impure. It\u2019s because of those who do these ten kinds of unskillful deeds that hell, the animal realm, the ghost realm, or any other bad places are found. Cunda, purity is threefold by way of body, fourfold by way of speech, and threefold by way of mind. And how is purity threefold by way of body? It\u2019s when someone gives up killing living creatures, renouncing the rod and the sword. They\u2019re scrupulous and kind, living full of sympathy for all living beings. They give up stealing. They don\u2019t, with the intention to commit theft, take the wealth or belongings of others from village or wilderness. They give up sexual misconduct. They don\u2019t have relations with women who have their mother, father, both mother and father, brother, sister, relatives, or clan as guardian. They don\u2019t have relations with a woman who is protected on principle, or who has a husband, or whose violation is punishable by law, or even one who has been garlanded as a token of betrothal. This is the threefold purity by way of body. And how is purity fourfold by way of speech? It\u2019s when someone gives up lying. They\u2019re summoned to a council, an assembly, a family meeting, a guild, or to the royal court, and asked to bear witness: \u2018Please, my friend, say what you know.\u2019 Not knowing, they say \u2018I don\u2019t know.\u2019 Knowing, they say \u2018I know.\u2019 Not seeing, they say \u2018I don\u2019t see.\u2019 And seeing, they say \u2018I see.\u2019 So they don\u2019t deliberately lie for the sake of themselves or another, or for some trivial worldly reason. They give up backbiting. They don\u2019t repeat in one place what they heard in another so as to divide people against each other. Instead, they reconcile those who are divided and support those who are united, delighting in harmony, loving harmony, speaking words that promote harmony. They give up harsh speech. They speak in a way that\u2019s mellow, pleasing to the ear, endearing, going to the heart, polite, and likable and agreeable to the people. They give up talking nonsense. Their words are timely, true, and meaningful, in line with the teaching and training. They say things at the right time which are valuable, reasonable, succinct, and beneficial. This is the fourfold purity by way of speech. And how is purity threefold by way of mind? It\u2019s when someone is content. They don\u2019t covet the wealth and belongings of others: \u2018Oh, if only their belongings were mine!\u2019 They have a kind heart and loving intentions: \u2018May these sentient beings live free of enmity and ill will, untroubled and happy!\u2019 They have right view, an undistorted perspective: \u2018There is meaning in giving, sacrifice, and offerings. There are fruits and results of good and bad deeds. There is an afterlife. There are such things as mother and father, and beings that are reborn spontaneously. And there are ascetics and brahmins who are rightly comported and rightly practiced, and who describe the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.\u2019 This is the threefold purity by way of mind. These are the ten ways of doing skillful deeds. When you have these ten ways of doing skillful deeds, then if you rise early, whether or not you stroke the earth from your bed, you\u2019re still pure. Whether or not you stroke fresh cow dung, you\u2019re still pure. Whether or not you stroke green grass, you\u2019re still pure. Whether or not you serve the sacred flame, you\u2019re still pure. Whether or not you revere the sun with cupped palms, you\u2019re still pure. Whether or not you immerse yourself in water three times, you\u2019re still pure. Why is that? These ten ways of doing skillful deeds are pure and make things pure. It\u2019s because of those who do these ten kinds of skillful deeds that gods, humans, or any other good places are found.\u201d When he said this, Cunda the smith said to the Buddha, \u201cExcellent, sir! Excellent! \u2026 From this day forth, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.\u201d","title":"With Cunda","tradition":"Anguttara Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1467}