{"collection":"Samyutta Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_sn42.8/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_sn42.8","id":"suttacentral_sn42.8","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/sn42.8/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Samyutta Nikaya"],"text":"At one time the Buddha was staying near N\u0101\u1e37and\u0101 in P\u0101v\u0101rika\u2019s Mango Grove. Then Asibandhaka\u2019s son the chief, who was a disciple of the Jains, went up to the Buddha, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him, \u201cChief, how does the Jain ascetic of the \u00d1\u0101tika clan teach his disciples?\u201d \u201cSir, this is how the Jain \u00d1\u0101tika teaches his disciples: \u2018Everyone who kills a living creature, steals, commits sexual misconduct, or lies goes to a place of loss, to hell. You\u2019re led on by what you frequently live by.\u2019 This is how the Jain \u00d1\u0101tika teaches his disciples.\u201d \u201c\u2018You\u2019re led on by what you usually live by\u2019: if this were true, then, according to what the Jain \u00d1\u0101tika says, no one would go to a place of loss, to hell. What do you think, chief? Take a person who kills living creatures. If we compare periods of time during the day and night, which is more frequent: the occasions when they\u2019re killing or when they\u2019re not killing?\u201d \u201cThe occasions when they\u2019re killing are less frequent, while the occasions when they\u2019re not killing are more frequent.\u201d \u201c\u2018You\u2019re led on by what you usually live by\u2019: if this were true, then, according to what the Jain ascetic of the \u00d1\u0101tika clan says, no one would go to a place of loss, to hell. What do you think, chief? Take a person who steals \u2026 Take a person who commits sexual misconduct \u2026 Take a person who lies. If we compare periods of time during the day and night, which is more frequent: the occasions when they\u2019re lying or when they\u2019re not lying?\u201d \u201cThe occasions when they\u2019re lying are less frequent, while the occasions when they\u2019re not lying are more frequent.\u201d \u201c\u2018You\u2019re led on by what you usually live by\u2019: if this were true, then, according to what the Jain \u00d1\u0101tika says, no one would go to a place of loss, to hell. Take some teacher who has this doctrine and view: \u2018Everyone who kills a living creature, steals, commits sexual misconduct, or lies goes to a place of loss, to hell.\u2019 And there\u2019s a disciple who is devoted to that teacher. They think: \u2018My teacher has this doctrine and view: \u201cEveryone who kills a living creature, steals, commits sexual misconduct, or lies goes to a place of loss, to hell.\u201d But I\u2019ve killed living creatures \u2026 stolen \u2026 committed sexual misconduct \u2026 or lied.\u2019 They get the view: \u2018I too am going to a place of loss, to hell.\u2019 Unless they give up that speech and that thought, and let go of that view, they will be placed in hell as if delivered there. But consider when a Realized One arises in the world, 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. In many ways he criticizes and denounces killing living creatures, saying: \u2018Stop killing living creatures!\u2019 He criticizes and denounces stealing \u2026 sexual misconduct \u2026 lying, saying: \u2018Stop lying!\u2019 And there\u2019s a disciple who is devoted to that teacher. Then they reflect: \u2018In many ways the Buddha criticizes and denounces killing living creatures, saying: \u201cStop killing living creatures!\u201d But I have killed living creatures to a certain extent. That\u2019s not right, it\u2019s not good, and I feel remorseful because of it. But I can\u2019t undo what I have done.\u2019 Reflecting like this, they give up killing living creatures, and in future they don\u2019t kill living creatures. That\u2019s how to give up this bad deed and get past it. \u2018In many ways the Buddha criticizes and denounces stealing \u2026\u2019 \u2018In many ways the Buddha criticizes and denounces sexual misconduct \u2026\u2019 \u2018In many ways the Buddha criticizes and denounces lying, saying: \u201cStop lying!\u201d But I have lied to a certain extent. That\u2019s not right, it\u2019s not good, and I feel remorseful because of it. But I can\u2019t undo what I have done.\u2019 Reflecting like this, they give up lying, and in future they refrain from lying. That\u2019s how to give up this bad deed and get past it. They give up killing living creatures. They give up stealing. They give up sexual misconduct. They give up lying. They give up backbiting. They give up harsh speech. They give up talking nonsense. They give up covetousness. They give up ill will and malevolence. They give up wrong view and have right view. 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. Suppose there was a powerful horn blower. They\u2019d easily make themselves heard in the four quarters. In the same way, when the heart\u2019s release by love has been developed and cultivated like this, any limited deeds they\u2019ve done don\u2019t remain or persist there. 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 They meditate spreading a heart full of rejoicing \u2026 They meditate spreading a heart full of 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. Suppose there was a powerful horn blower. They\u2019d easily make themselves heard in the four quarters. In the same way, when the heart\u2019s release by equanimity has been developed and cultivated like this, any limited deeds they\u2019ve done don\u2019t remain or persist there.\u201d When he said this, Asibandhaka\u2019s son 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","title":"A Horn Blower","tradition":"Samyutta Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1018}