{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn41/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn41","id":"suttacentral_mn41","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn41/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Majjhima Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was wandering in the land of the Kosalans together with a large Sa\u1e45gha of mendicants when he arrived at a village of the Kosalan brahmins named S\u0101l\u0101. The brahmins and householders of S\u0101l\u0101 heard, \u201cIt seems the ascetic Gotama\u2014a Sakyan, gone forth from a Sakyan family\u2014while wandering in the land of the Kosalans has arrived at S\u0101l\u0101, together with a large Sa\u1e45gha of mendicants. He has this good reputation: \u2018That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.\u2019 He has realized with his own insight this world\u2014with its gods, M\u0101ras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans\u2014and he makes it known to others. He teaches Dhamma that\u2019s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. He reveals an entirely full and pure spiritual life. It\u2019s good to see such perfected ones.\u201d Then the brahmins and householders of S\u0101l\u0101 went up to the Buddha. Before sitting down to one side, some bowed, some exchanged greetings and polite conversation, some held up their cupped palms toward the Buddha, some announced their name and clan, while some kept silent. Seated to one side they said to the Buddha: \u201cWhat is the cause, worthy Gotama, what is the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell? And what is the cause, worthy Gotama, what is the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm?\u201d \u201cUnprincipled and immoral conduct is the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. Principled and moral conduct is the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.\u201d \u201cWe don\u2019t understand the detailed meaning of the worthy Gotama\u2019s brief statement. Worthy Gotama, please teach us this matter in detail so we can understand the meaning.\u201d \u201cWell then, householders, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.\u201d \u201cYes, worthy sir,\u201d they replied. The Buddha said this: \u201cHouseholders, unprincipled and immoral conduct is threefold by way of body, fourfold by way of speech, and threefold by way of mind. And how is unprincipled and immoral conduct threefold by way of body? It\u2019s when someone kills living creatures. They\u2019re violent, bloody-handed, a hardened killer, merciless to 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 how unprincipled and immoral conduct is threefold by way of body. And how is unprincipled and immoral conduct 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 how unprincipled and immoral conduct is fourfold by way of speech. And how is unprincipled and immoral conduct 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 how unprincipled and immoral conduct is threefold by way of mind. That\u2019s how unprincipled and immoral conduct is the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. Householders, principled and moral conduct is threefold by way of body, fourfold by way of speech, and threefold by way of mind. And how is principled and moral conduct 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 how principled and moral conduct is threefold by way of body. And how is principled and moral conduct 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, 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 how principled and moral conduct is fourfold by way of speech. And how is principled and moral conduct threefold by way of mind? It\u2019s when someone is not covetous. 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 how principled and moral conduct is threefold by way of mind. This is how principled and moral conduct is the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. Someone of principled and moral conduct might wish: \u2018If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of well-to-do aristocrats!\u2019 It\u2019s possible that this might happen. Why is that? Because they have principled and moral conduct. Someone of principled and moral conduct might wish: \u2018If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of well-to-do brahmins \u2026 well-to-do householders \u2026 the gods of the four great kings \u2026 the gods of the thirty-three \u2026 the gods of Yama \u2026 the joyful gods \u2026 the gods who love to create \u2026 the gods who control what is created by others \u2026 the gods of the Divinity\u2019s host \u2026 the luminous gods \u2026 the gods of limited luminosity \u2026 the gods of limitless luminosity \u2026 the gods of sublime luminosity \u2026 the gods of limited beauty \u2026 the gods of limitless beauty \u2026 the gods of universal beauty \u2026 the gods of abundant fruit \u2026 the gods of Aviha \u2026 the gods of Atappa \u2026 the gods fair to see \u2026 the fair seeing gods \u2026 the gods of Akani\u1e6d\u1e6dha \u2026 the gods of the dimension of infinite space \u2026 the gods of the dimension of infinite consciousness \u2026 the gods of the dimension of nothingness \u2026 the gods of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.\u2019 It\u2019s possible that this might happen. Why is that? Because they have principled and moral conduct. Someone of principled and moral conduct might wish: \u2018If only I might realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom, and live having realized it with my own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements.\u2019 It\u2019s possible that this might happen. Why is that? Because they have principled and moral conduct.\u201d When he had spoken, the brahmins and householders of S\u0101l\u0101 said to the Buddha, \u201cExcellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what\u2019s there, worthy Gotama has made the teaching clear in many ways. We go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Sa\u1e45gha. From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember us as lay followers who have gone for refuge for life.\u201d","title":"The People of S\u0101l\u0101","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1844}