{"collection":"Samyutta Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_sn42.13/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_sn42.13","id":"suttacentral_sn42.13","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/sn42.13/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Samyutta Nikaya"],"text":"At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Koliyans, where they have a town named Uttarak\u0101. Then P\u0101\u1e6daliya the chief went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: \u201cSir, I have heard this: \u2018The ascetic Gotama knows deceit.\u2019 I trust those who say this repeat what the Buddha has said, and do not misrepresent him with an untruth? Is their explanation in line with the teaching? Are there any legitimate grounds for rebuttal and criticism? For we don\u2019t want to misrepresent the Blessed One.\u201d \u201cChief, those who say this repeat what I have said, and don\u2019t misrepresent me with an untruth. Their explanation is in line with the teaching, and there are no legitimate grounds for rebuttal and criticism.\u201d \u201cSir, we didn\u2019t believe that what those ascetics and brahmins said was really true. But it seems the ascetic Gotama is deceitful!\u201d \u201cChief, does someone who says \u2018I know deceit\u2019 also say \u2018I am deceitful\u2019?\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s right, Blessed One! That\u2019s right, Holy One!\u201d \u201cWell then, chief, I\u2019ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think, chief? Do you know the Koliyan officers with drooping headdresses?\u201d \u201cI know them, sir.\u201d \u201cAnd what\u2019s their job?\u201d \u201cTo put a stop to bandits and to deliver messages for the Koliyans.\u201d \u201cWhat do you think, chief? Are the Koliyan officers with drooping headdresses moral or immoral?\u201d \u201cI know that they\u2019re immoral, of bad character, sir. They are among those in the world who are immoral and of bad character.\u201d \u201cWould it be right to say that P\u0101\u1e6daliya knows the Kolyian officers with drooping headdresses who are immoral, of bad character, so he too must be immoral and of bad character?\u201d \u201cNo, sir. I\u2019m quite different from the Koliyan officers with drooping headdresses; we have quite different characters.\u201d \u201cSo if you can know those officers of bad character while you are not of bad character, why can\u2019t the Realized One know deceit, without being deceitful? I understand deceit and its result. And I understand how the deceitful practice so that when their body breaks up, after death, they\u2019re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. I understand killing living creatures and its result. And I understand how those who kill living creatures practice so that when their body breaks up, after death, they\u2019re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. I understand stealing \u2026 sexual misconduct \u2026 lying \u2026 backbiting \u2026 harsh speech \u2026 talking nonsense \u2026 covetousness \u2026 ill will \u2026 wrong view and its result. And I understand how those who have wrong view practice so that when their body breaks up, after death, they\u2019re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view: \u2018Everyone who kills living creatures experiences pain and sadness in this very life. Everyone who steals \u2026 commits sexual misconduct \u2026 lies experiences pain and sadness in this very life.\u2019 But you can see someone, garlanded and adorned, nicely bathed and anointed, hair and beard dressed, taking his pleasure with women as if he were a king. You might ask someone: \u2018My man, what did that man do?\u2019 And they\u2019d reply: \u2018My man, that man attacked the king\u2019s enemy and killed them. The king was delighted and gave him this reward. That\u2019s why he\u2019s garlanded and adorned, nicely bathed and anointed, hair and beard dressed, taking his pleasure with women as if he were a king.\u2019 And you can see someone else, his arms tied tightly behind his back with a strong rope. His head is shaven and he\u2019s marched from street to street and from square to square to the beating of a harsh drum. Then he\u2019s taken out the south gate and there, to the south of the city, they chop off his head. You might ask someone: \u2018My man, what did that man do?\u2019 And they\u2019d reply: \u2018My man, that man is an enemy of the king, and he has murdered a man or a woman. That\u2019s why the rulers arrested him and inflicted such punishment.\u2019 What do you think, chief? Have you seen or heard of such a thing?\u201d \u201cSir, we have seen it and heard of it, and we will hear of it again.\u201d \u201cSince this is so, the ascetics and brahmins whose view is that everyone who kills living creatures experiences pain and sadness in this very life: are they right or wrong?\u201d \u201cThey\u2019re wrong, sir.\u201d \u201cBut those who speak hollow, false nonsense: are they moral or immoral?\u201d \u201cImmoral, sir.\u201d \u201cAnd are those who are immoral, of bad character practicing wrongly or rightly?\u201d \u201cThey\u2019re practicing wrongly, sir.\u201d \u201cAnd do those who are practicing wrongly have wrong view or right view?\u201d \u201cThey have wrong view, sir.\u201d \u201cBut is it appropriate to have confidence in those of wrong view?\u201d \u201cNo, sir.\u201d \u201cYou can see someone, garlanded and adorned \u2026 \u2018My man, that man attacked the king\u2019s enemy and took their valuables. The king was delighted and gave him this reward. \u2026\u2019 \u2026 And you can see someone else, his arms tied tightly behind his back \u2026 \u2018My man, that man took something from a village or wilderness, with the intention to commit theft. That\u2019s why the rulers arrested him and inflicted such punishment.\u2019 What do you think, chief? Have you seen or heard of such a thing?\u201d \u201cSir, we have seen it and heard of it, and we will hear of it again.\u201d \u201cSince this is so, the ascetics and brahmins whose view is that everyone who steals experiences pain and sadness in this very life: are they right or wrong? \u2026 Is it appropriate to have confidence in them?\u201d \u201cNo, sir.\u201d \u201cYou can see someone, garlanded and adorned \u2026 \u2018My friend, that man had relations with the wives of an enemy king. The king was delighted and gave him this reward. \u2026\u2019 \u2026 And you can see someone else, his arms tied tightly behind his back \u2026 \u2018My friend, that man had relations with women and maidens of good families. That\u2019s why the rulers arrested him and inflicted such punishment.\u2019 What do you think, chief? Have you seen or heard of such a thing?\u201d \u201cSir, we have seen it and heard of it, and we will hear of it again.\u201d \u201cSince this is so, the ascetics and brahmins whose view is that everyone who commits sexual misconduct experiences pain and sadness in this very life: are they right or wrong? \u2026 Is it appropriate to have confidence in them?\u201d \u201cNo, sir.\u201d \u201cAnd you can see someone, garlanded and adorned \u2026 \u2018My man, that man amused the king with lies. The king was delighted and gave him this reward. \u2026\u2019 \u2026 And you can see someone else, his arms tied tightly behind his back \u2026 \u2018My man, that man has ruined a householder or householder\u2019s child by lying. That\u2019s why the rulers arrested him and inflicted such punishment.\u2019 What do you think, chief? Have you seen or heard of such a thing?\u201d \u201cSir, we have seen it and heard of it, and we will hear of it again.\u201d \u201cSince this is so, the ascetics and brahmins whose view is that everyone who lies experiences pain and sadness in this very life: are they right or wrong?\u201d \u201cThey\u2019re wrong, sir.\u201d \u201cBut those who speak hollow, false nonsense: are they moral or immoral?\u201d \u201cImmoral, sir.\u201d \u201cAnd are those who are immoral, of bad character practicing wrongly or rightly?\u201d \u201cThey\u2019re practicing wrongly, sir.\u201d \u201cAnd do those who are practicing wrongly have wrong view or right view?\u201d \u201cThey have wrong view, sir.\u201d \u201cBut is it appropriate to have confidence in those of wrong view?\u201d \u201cNo, sir. It\u2019s incredible, sir, it\u2019s amazing! I have a guest house, where there are cots, seats, water jars, and oil lamps. Whenever an ascetic or brahmin comes to stay, I share what I have as best I can. Once it so happened, sir, that four teachers of different views, beliefs, and opinions came to stay at my guest house. One teacher had this doctrine and view: \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 One teacher had this doctrine and view: \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 One teacher had this doctrine and view: \u2018The one who acts does nothing wrong when they punish, mutilate, torture, aggrieve, oppress, intimidate, or when they encourage others to do the same. Nothing bad is done when they kill, steal, break into houses, plunder wealth, steal from isolated buildings, commit highway robbery, commit adultery, and lie. If you were to reduce all the living creatures of this earth to one heap and mass of flesh with a razor-edged chakram, no evil comes of that, and no outcome of evil. If you were to go along the south bank of the Ganges killing, mutilating, and torturing, and encouraging others to do the same, no evil comes of that, and no outcome of evil. If you were to go along the north bank of the Ganges giving and sacrificing and encouraging others to do the same, no merit comes of that, and no outcome of merit. In giving, self-control, restraint, and truthfulness there is no merit or outcome of merit.\u2019 One teacher had this doctrine and view: \u2018The one who acts does a bad deed when they punish, mutilate, torture, aggrieve, oppress, intimidate, or when they encourage others to do the same. A bad deed is done when they kill, steal, break into houses, plunder wealth, steal from isolated buildings, commit highway robbery, commit adultery, and lie. If you were to reduce all the living creatures of this earth to one heap and mass of flesh with a razor-edged chakram, evil comes of that, and an outcome of evil. If you were to go along the south bank of the Ganges killing, mutilating, and torturing, and encouraging others to do the same, evil comes of that, and an outcome of evil. If you were to go along the north bank of the Ganges giving and sacrificing and encouraging others to do the same, merit comes of that, and an outcome of merit. In giving, self-control, restraint, and truthfulness there is merit and outcome of merit.\u2019 I had doubt and uncertainty about that: \u2018I wonder who of these respected ascetics and brahmins speaks the truth, and who speaks falsehood?\u2019\u201d \u201cChief, no wonder you\u2019re doubting and uncertain. Doubt has come up in you about an uncertain matter.\u201d \u201cI am quite confident that the Buddha is capable of teaching me so that I can give up this state of uncertainty.\u201d \u201cChief, there is immersion based on understanding of principle. If you gain such mental immersion, you can give up that state of uncertainty. And what is immersion based on understanding of principle? It\u2019s when a noble disciple has given up killing living creatures, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, backbiting, harsh speech, talking nonsense, covetousness, ill will, and wrong view. Then that noble disciple is rid of desire, rid of ill will, unconfused, aware, and mindful. They meditate spreading a heart full of love to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of love to the whole world\u2014abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. They reflect thus: \u2018That teacher who had this doctrine and view: \u201cThere\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.\u201d If what this good teacher says is true, it\u2019s a sure bet for me to not hurt any creature firm or frail. I hold a winning hand on both counts, since I\u2019m restrained in body, speech, and mind, and when my body breaks up, after death, I\u2019ll be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.\u2019 Joy springs up in them. Being joyful, rapture springs up. When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, they feel bliss. And when blissful, the mind becomes immersed in sam\u0101dhi. This is that immersion based on understanding of principle. If you gain such mental immersion, you can give up that state of uncertainty. Then that noble disciple is rid of desire, rid of ill will, unconfused, aware, and mindful. They meditate spreading a heart full of love to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of love to the whole world\u2014abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. They reflect thus: \u2018That teacher who had this doctrine and view: \u201cThere 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.\u201d If what this good teacher says is true, it\u2019s a sure bet for me to not hurt any creature firm or frail. I hold a winning hand on both counts, since I\u2019m restrained in body, speech, and mind, and when my body breaks up, after death, I\u2019ll be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.\u2019 Joy springs up in them. Being joyful, rapture springs up. When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, they feel bliss. And when blissful, the mind becomes immersed in sam\u0101dhi. This is that immersion based on understanding of principle. If you gain such mental immersion, you can give up that state of uncertainty. Then that noble disciple is rid of desire, rid of ill will, unconfused, aware, and mindful. They meditate spreading a heart full of love to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of love to the whole world\u2014abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. They reflect thus: \u2018That teacher who had this doctrine and view: \u201cThe one who acts does nothing wrong when they punish, mutilate, torture, aggrieve, oppress, intimidate, or when they encourage others to do the same. Nothing bad is done when they kill, steal, break into houses, plunder wealth, steal from isolated buildings, commit highway robbery, commit adultery, and lie. If you were to reduce all the living creatures of this earth to one heap and mass of flesh with a razor-edged chakram, no evil comes of that, and no outcome of evil. If you were to go along the south bank of the Ganges killing, mutilating, and torturing, and encouraging others to do the same, no evil comes of that, and no outcome of evil. If you were to go along the north bank of the Ganges giving and sacrificing and encouraging others to do the same, no merit comes of that, and no outcome of merit. In giving, self-control, restraint, and truthfulness there is no merit or outcome of merit.\u201d If what this good teacher says is true, it\u2019s a sure bet for me to not hurt any creature firm or frail. I hold a winning hand on both counts, since I\u2019m restrained in body, speech, and mind, and when my body breaks up, after death, I\u2019ll be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.\u2019 Joy springs up in them. Being joyful, rapture springs up. When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, they feel bliss. And when blissful, the mind becomes immersed in sam\u0101dhi. This is that immersion based on understanding of principle. If you gain such mental immersion, you can give up that state of uncertainty. Then that noble disciple is rid of desire, rid of ill will, unconfused, aware, and mindful. They meditate spreading a heart full of love to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of love to the whole world\u2014abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. They reflect thus: \u2018That teacher who had this doctrine and view: \u201cThe one who acts does a bad deed when they punish, mutilate, torture, aggrieve, oppress, intimidate, or when they encourage others to do the same. A bad deed is done when they kill, steal, break into houses, plunder wealth, steal from isolated buildings, commit highway robbery, commit adultery, and lie. If you were to reduce all the living creatures of this earth to one heap and mass of flesh with a razor-edged chakram, evil comes of that, and an outcome of evil. If you were to go along the south bank of the Ganges killing, mutilating, and torturing, and encouraging others to do the same, evil comes of that, and an outcome of evil. If you were to go along the north bank of the Ganges giving and sacrificing and encouraging others to do the same, merit comes of that, and an outcome of merit. In giving, self-control, restraint, and truthfulness there is merit and outcome of merit.\u201d If what this good teacher says is true, it\u2019s a sure bet for me to not hurt any creature firm or frail. I hold a winning hand on both counts, since I\u2019m restrained in body, speech, and mind, and when my body breaks up, after death, I\u2019ll be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.\u2019 Joy springs up in them. Being joyful, rapture springs up. When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, they feel bliss. And when blissful, the mind becomes immersed in sam\u0101dhi. This is that immersion based on understanding of principle. If you gain such mental immersion, you can give up that state of uncertainty. Then that noble disciple is rid of desire, rid of ill will, unconfused, aware, and mindful. They meditate spreading a heart full of compassion \u2026 rejoicing \u2026 equanimity to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of equanimity to the whole world\u2014abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. They reflect thus: \u2018If what this good teacher says is true, it\u2019s a sure bet for me to not hurt any creature firm or frail. I hold a winning hand on both counts, since I\u2019m restrained in body, speech, and mind, and when my body breaks up, after death, I\u2019ll be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.\u2019 Joy springs up in them. Being joyful, rapture springs up. When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, they feel bliss. And when blissful, the mind becomes immersed in sam\u0101dhi. This is that immersion based on understanding of principle. If you gain such mental immersion, you can give up that state of uncertainty.\u201d When he said this, P\u0101\u1e6daliya the chief 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 The Linked Discourses on chiefs are complete.","title":"With P\u0101\u1e6daliya","tradition":"Samyutta Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":3402}