{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn136/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn136","id":"suttacentral_mn136","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn136/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Majjhima Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near R\u0101jagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels\u2019 feeding ground. Now at that time Venerable Samiddhi was staying in a wilderness hut. Then as the wanderer Potaliputta was going for a walk he came up to Venerable Samiddhi and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to him: \u201cReverend Samiddhi, I have heard and learned this in the presence of the ascetic Gotama: \u2018Deeds by way of body and speech are done in vain. Only mental deeds are real.\u2019 And: \u2018There is such an attainment where the one who enters it does not feel anything at all.\u2019\u201d \u201cDon\u2019t say that, Reverend Potaliputta, don\u2019t say that! Don\u2019t misrepresent the Buddha, for misrepresentation of the Buddha is not good. And the Buddha would not say this: \u2018Deeds by way of body and speech are done in vain. Only mental deeds are real.\u2019 But, reverend, there is such an attainment where the one who enters it does not feel anything at all.\u201d \u201cReverend Samiddhi, how long has it been since you went forth?\u201d \u201cNot long, reverend: three years.\u201d \u201cWell now, what are we to say to the senior mendicants, when even such a junior mendicant imagines their Teacher needs defending? After doing an intentional deed by way of body, speech, or mind, reverend, what does one feel?\u201d \u201cAfter doing an intentional deed by way of body, speech, or mind, reverend, one feels suffering.\u201d Then, neither approving nor rejecting Samiddhi\u2019s statement, Potaliputta rose from his seat and left. Soon after he had left, Venerable Samiddhi went to Venerable \u0100nanda, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and informed \u0100nanda of all they had discussed. When he had spoken, \u0100nanda said to him, \u201cReverend Samiddhi, we should see the Buddha about this matter. Come, let\u2019s go to the Buddha and inform him about this. As he answers, so we\u2019ll remember it.\u201d \u201cYes, reverend,\u201d Samiddhi replied. Then \u0100nanda and Samiddhi went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. When they had spoken, the Buddha said to \u0100nanda, \u201cI don\u2019t recall even seeing the wanderer Potaliputta, \u0100nanda, so how could we have had such a discussion? The wanderer Potaliputta\u2019s question should have been answered after analyzing it, but this futile man answered categorically.\u201d When he said this, Venerable Ud\u0101y\u012b said to him, \u201cBut perhaps, sir, Venerable Samiddhi spoke in reference to the statement: \u2018Suffering includes whatever is felt.\u2019\u201d But the Buddha said to Venerable \u0100nanda, \u201cSee what this futile man Ud\u0101y\u012b comes up with? I knew that he was coming up with something irrational. Right from the start Potaliputta asked about the three feelings. Suppose the futile man Samiddhi had answered the wanderer Potaliputta\u2019s question like this: \u2018After doing an intentional deed to be experienced as pleasant by way of body, speech, or mind, one feels pleasure. After doing an intentional deed to be experienced as painful by way of body, speech, or mind, one feels pain. After doing an intentional deed to be experienced as neutral by way of body, speech, or mind, one feels neutral.\u2019 Answering in this way, Samiddhi would have rightly answered Potaliputta. Still, who are those foolish and incompetent wanderers of other religions to understand the Realized One\u2019s great analysis of deeds? If you would all listen, \u0100nanda, I will explain the Realized One\u2019s great analysis of deeds.\u201d \u201cNow is the time, Blessed One! Now is the time, Holy One! Let the Buddha explain the great analysis of deeds. The mendicants will listen and remember it.\u201d \u201cWell then, \u0100nanda, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.\u201d \u201cYes, sir,\u201d \u0100nanda replied. The Buddha said this: \u201c\u0100nanda, these four individuals are found in the world. What four? It\u2019s when an individual here kills living creatures, steals, and commits sexual misconduct. They use speech that\u2019s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. And they\u2019re covetous, malicious, and have wrong view. When their body breaks up, after death, they\u2019re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. But some other individual here kills living creatures, steals, and commits sexual misconduct. They use speech that\u2019s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. And they\u2019re covetous, malicious, and have wrong view. When their body breaks up, after death, they\u2019re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. But some other individual here refrains from killing living creatures, stealing, sexual misconduct, or using speech that\u2019s false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical. And they\u2019re contented, kind-hearted, with right view. When their body breaks up, after death, they\u2019re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. But some other individual here refrains from killing living creatures, stealing, sexual misconduct, or using speech that\u2019s false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical. And they\u2019re contented, kind-hearted, with right view. When their body breaks up, after death, they\u2019re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. Now, some ascetic or brahmin\u2014by dint of keen, resolute, committed, and diligent effort, and right application of mind\u2014experiences an immersion of the heart of such a kind that it gives rise to clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman. With that clairvoyance they see that individual here who killed living creatures, stole, and committed sexual misconduct; who used speech that\u2019s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical; and who was covetous, malicious, and had wrong view. And they see that, when their body breaks up, after death, they are reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. They say: \u2018It seems, worthy sir, that there is such a thing as bad deeds, and the result of bad conduct. For I have seen a individual here who killed living creatures \u2026 and had wrong view. And when their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.\u2019 They say: \u2018It seems that everyone who kills living creatures \u2026 and has wrong view is reborn in hell. Those whose notion is this have the right notion. Those whose notion is otherwise have a wrong notion.\u2019 And so they obstinately stick to what they have known, seen, and understood for themselves, insisting that: \u2018This is the only truth, anything else is futile.\u2019 But some other ascetic or brahmin\u2014by dint of keen, resolute, committed, and diligent effort, and right application of mind\u2014experiences an immersion of the heart of such a kind that it gives rise to clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman. With that clairvoyance they see that individual here who killed living creatures \u2026 and had wrong view. And they see that they are reborn in a heavenly realm. They say: \u2018It seems that there is no such thing as bad deeds, and the result of bad conduct. For I have seen an individual here who killed living creatures \u2026 and had wrong view. And I saw that they were reborn in a heavenly realm.\u2019 They say: \u2018It seems that everyone who kills living creatures \u2026 and has wrong view is reborn in a heavenly realm. Those whose notion is this have the right notion. Those whose notion is otherwise have a wrong notion.\u2019 And so they obstinately stick to what they have known, seen, and understood for themselves, insisting that: \u2018This is the only truth, anything else is futile.\u2019 Take some ascetic or brahmin who with clairvoyance sees an individual here who refrained from killing living creatures \u2026 and had right view. And they see that they are reborn in a heavenly realm. They say: \u2018It seems that there is such a thing as good deeds, and the result of good conduct. For I have seen an individual here who refrained from killing living creatures \u2026 and had right view. And I saw that they were reborn in a heavenly realm.\u2019 They say: \u2018It seems that everyone who refrains from killing living creatures \u2026 and has right view is reborn in a heavenly realm. Those whose notion is this have the right notion. Those whose notion is otherwise have a wrong notion.\u2019 And so they obstinately stick to what they have known, seen, and understood for themselves, insisting that: \u2018This is the only truth, anything else is futile.\u2019 Take some ascetic or brahmin who with clairvoyance sees an individual here who refrained from killing living creatures \u2026 and had right view. And they see that they are reborn in hell. They say: \u2018It seems that there is no such thing as good deeds, and the result of good conduct. For I have seen an individual here who refrained from killing living creatures \u2026 and had right view. And I saw that they were reborn in hell.\u2019 They say: \u2018It seems that everyone who refrains from killing living creatures \u2026 and has right view is reborn in hell. Those whose notion is this have the right notion. Those whose notion is otherwise have a wrong notion.\u2019 And so they obstinately stick to what they have known, seen, and understood for themselves, insisting that: \u2018This is the only truth, anything else is futile.\u2019 In this case, when an ascetic or brahmin says this: \u2018It seems that there is such a thing as bad deeds, and the result of bad conduct,\u2019 I grant them that. And when they say: \u2018I have seen an individual here who killed living creatures \u2026 and had wrong view. And after death, they were reborn in hell,\u2019 I also grant them that. But when they say: \u2018It seems that everyone who kills living creatures \u2026 and has wrong view is reborn in hell,\u2019 I don\u2019t grant them that. And when they say: \u2018Those whose notion is this have the right notion. Those whose notion is otherwise have a wrong notion.\u2019 I also don\u2019t grant them that. And when they obstinately stick to what they have known, seen, and understood for themselves, insisting that: \u2018This is the only truth, anything else is futile,\u2019 I also don\u2019t grant them that. Why is that? Because the Realized One\u2019s knowledge of the great analysis of deeds is otherwise. In this case, when an ascetic or brahmin says this: \u2018It seems that there is no such thing as bad deeds, and the result of bad conduct,\u2019 I don\u2019t grant them that. But when they say: \u2018I have seen an individual here who killed living creatures \u2026 and had wrong view. And I saw that they were reborn in a heavenly realm,\u2019 I grant them that. But when they say: \u2018It seems that everyone who kills living creatures \u2026 and has wrong view is reborn in a heavenly realm,\u2019 I don\u2019t grant them that. \u2026 Because the Realized One\u2019s knowledge of the great analysis of deeds is otherwise. In this case, when an ascetic or brahmin says this: \u2018It seems that there is such a thing as good deeds, and the result of good conduct,\u2019 I grant them that. And when they say: \u2018I have seen an individual here who refrained from killing living creatures \u2026 and had right view. And I saw that they were reborn in a heavenly realm,\u2019 I also grant them that. But when they say: \u2018It seems that everyone who refrains from killing living creatures \u2026 and has right view is reborn in a heavenly realm,\u2019 I don\u2019t grant them that. \u2026 Because the Realized One\u2019s knowledge of the great analysis of deeds is otherwise. In this case, when an ascetic or brahmin says this: \u2018It seems that there is no such thing as good deeds, and the result of good conduct,\u2019 I don\u2019t grant them that. But when they say: \u2018I have seen an individual here who refrained from killing living creatures \u2026 and had right view. And after death, they were reborn in hell,\u2019 I grant them that. But when they say: \u2018It seems that everyone who refrains from killing living creatures \u2026 and has right view is reborn in hell,\u2019 I don\u2019t grant them that. But when they say: \u2018Those whose notion is this have the right notion. Those whose notion is otherwise have a wrong notion,\u2019 I also don\u2019t grant them that. And when they obstinately stick to what they have known, seen, and understood for themselves, insisting that: \u2018This is the only truth, anything else is futile,\u2019 I also don\u2019t grant them that. Why is that? Because the Realized One\u2019s knowledge of the great analysis of deeds is otherwise. Now, \u0100nanda, take the case of the individual here who killed living creatures \u2026 and had wrong view, and who, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. That bad deed of theirs that is to be experienced as painful was either done previously, or later, or else at the time of death they undertook wrong view. And that\u2019s why, when their body breaks up, after death, they\u2019re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. But anyone here who kills living creatures \u2026 and has wrong view experiences the result of that in this very life, or in the next life, or in some subsequent period. Now, \u0100nanda, take the case of the individual here who killed living creatures \u2026 and had wrong view, and who is reborn in a heavenly realm. That good deed of theirs that is to be experienced as pleasurable was either done previously, or later, or else at the time of death they undertook right view. And that\u2019s why, when their body breaks up, after death, they\u2019re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. But anyone here who kills living creatures \u2026 and has wrong view experiences the result of that in this very life, or in the next life, or in some subsequent period. Now, \u0100nanda, take the case of the individual here who refrained from killing living creatures \u2026 and had right view, and who is reborn in a heavenly realm. That good deed of theirs that is to be experienced as pleasurable was either done previously, or later, or else at the time of death they undertook right view. And that\u2019s why, when their body breaks up, after death, they\u2019re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. But anyone here who refrains from killing living creatures \u2026 and has right view experiences the result of that in this very life, or in the next life, or in some subsequent period. Now, \u0100nanda, take the case of the individual here who refrained from killing living creatures \u2026 and had right view, and who is reborn in hell. That bad deed of theirs that is to be experienced as painful was either done previously, or later, or else at the time of death they undertook wrong view. And that\u2019s why, when their body breaks up, after death, they\u2019re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. But anyone here who refrains from killing living creatures \u2026 and has right view experiences the result of that in this very life, or in the next life, or in some subsequent period. So, \u0100nanda, there are deeds that are ineffective and appear ineffective. There are deeds that are ineffective but appear effective. There are deeds that are effective and appear effective. And there are deeds that are effective but appear ineffective.\u201d That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Venerable \u0100nanda approved what the Buddha said.","title":"The Longer Analysis of Deeds","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":2585}