Cūḷapuṇṇamasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 110

Cūḷapuṇṇamasutta

The Shorter Discourse on the Full-Moon Night · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heard—sutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā at Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ was stayingviharati in the Eastern Monasterypubbārāme in the stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother.migāramātupāsāde.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in the stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother in the Eastern Monastery.

by thatTena indeedkho nowpana at the timesamayena the Blessed Onebhagavā on that day, the sabbathtadahuposathe on the fifteenthpannarase on the fullpuṇṇāya on the full-moonpuṇṇamāya nightrattiyā surrounded by the Saṅgha of monksbhikkhusaṅghaparivuto in the openabbhokāse sittingnisinno washoti.
thenAtha indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā so very silenttuṇhībhūtaṁ so very silenttuṇhībhūtaṁ the Saṅgha of monksbhikkhusaṅghaṁ having looked aroundanuviloketvā the monksbhikkhū addressedāmantesi:

Now, at that time it was the sabbath—the full moon on the fifteenth day—and the Buddha was sitting in the open surrounded by the Saṅgha of monks. Then the Buddha looked around the Saṅgha of monks, who were so very silent. He addressed them,

could know“jāneyya indeednu indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, untrue personasappuriso untrue personasappurisaṁ:
untrue person‘asappuriso this oneayaṁ worthy onebhavan’”ti?
no“No surely nothetaṁ, sirbhante”.
good“Sādhu, monksbhikkhave;
it is impossibleaṭṭhānametaṁ, monksbhikkhave, impossibleanavakāso thatyaṁ untrue personasappuriso untrue personasappurisaṁ could knowjāneyya:
untrue person‘asappuriso this oneayaṁ worthy onebhavan’ti.
could knowJāneyya butpana, monksbhikkhave, untrue personasappuriso true personsappurisaṁ:
true person‘sappuriso this oneayaṁ worthy onebhavan’”ti?
no“No surely nothetaṁ, sirbhante”.
good“Sādhu, monksbhikkhave;
this tooetampi indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, impossibleaṭṭhānaṁ impossibleanavakāso thatyaṁ untrue personasappuriso true personsappurisaṁ could knowjāneyya:
true person‘sappuriso this oneayaṁ worthy onebhavan’ti.

“Monks, could an untrue person know of an untrue person: ‘This worthy one is an untrue person’?” “No, sir.” “Good, monks! It’s impossible, it can’t happen, that an untrue person could know of an untrue person: ‘This worthy one is an untrue person.’ But could an untrue person know of a true person: ‘This worthy one is a true person’?” “No, sir.” “Good, monks! That too is impossible.

an untrue personAsappuriso, monksbhikkhave, possessed of bad qualitiesassaddhammasamannāgato ishoti, devoted to untrue personsasappurisabhatti ishoti, having the intentions of an untrue personasappurisacintī ishoti, having the counsel of an untrue personasappurisamantī ishoti, having the speech of an untrue personasappurisavāco ishoti, having the actions of an untrue personasappurisakammanto ishoti, having the views of an untrue personasappurisadiṭṭhi ishoti; the giving of an untrue personasappurisadānaṁ givesdeti.

An untrue person has bad qualities, is devoted to untrue persons, and has the intentions, counsel, speech, actions, views, and giving of an untrue person.

and howKathañca, monksbhikkhave, an untrue personasappuriso endowed with bad qualitiesassaddhammasamannāgato ishoti?
hereIdha, monksbhikkhave, an untrue personasappuriso faithlessassaddho ishoti, shamelessahiriko ishoti, imprudentanottappī ishoti, unlearnedappassuto ishoti, lazykusīto ishoti, unmindfulmuṭṭhassati ishoti, witlessduppañño ishoti.
thusEvaṁ indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, an untrue personasappuriso endowed with bad qualitiesassaddhammasamannāgato ishoti.

And how does an untrue person have bad qualities? It’s when an untrue person is faithless, shameless, imprudent, unlearned, lazy, unmindful, and witless. That’s how an untrue person has bad qualities.

and howKathañca, monksbhikkhave, an untrue personasappuriso devoted to untrue personsasappurisabhatti ishoti?
hereIdha, monksbhikkhave, of an untrue personasappurisassa whoye thosete ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā faithlessassaddhā shamelessahirikā imprudentanottappino unlearnedappassutā lazykusītā unmindfulmuṭṭhassatino witlessduppaññā of histyāssa friendsmittā arehonti thosete companionssahāyā.
thusEvaṁ indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, an untrue personasappuriso devoted to untrue personsasappurisabhatti ishoti.

And how is an untrue person devoted to untrue persons? It’s when an untrue person is a friend and companion of ascetics and brahmins who are faithless, shameless, imprudent, unlearned, lazy, unmindful, and witless. That’s how an untrue person is devoted to untrue persons.

and howKathañca, monksbhikkhave, an untrue personasappuriso having the intentions of an untrue personasappurisacintī does he havehoti?
hereIdha, monksbhikkhave, an untrue personasappuriso to hurt themselvesattabyābādhāyapi intendsceteti, to hurt othersparabyābādhāyapi intendsceteti, to hurt bothubhayabyābādhāyapi intendsceteti.
thusEvaṁ indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, an untrue personasappuriso having the intentions of an untrue personasappurisacintī does he havehoti.

And how does an untrue person have the intentions of an untrue person? It’s when an untrue person intends to hurt themselves, hurt others, and hurt both. That’s how an untrue person has the intentions of an untrue person.

and howKathañca, monksbhikkhave, an untrue personasappuriso the counsel of an untrue personasappurisamantī ishoti?
hereIdha, monksbhikkhave, an untrue personasappuriso that hurts themselvesattabyābādhāyapi offers counselmanteti, that hurts othersparabyābādhāyapi offers counselmanteti, that hurts bothubhayabyābādhāyapi offers counselmanteti.
thusEvaṁ indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, an untrue personasappuriso the counsel of an untrue personasappurisamantī ishoti.

And how does an untrue person offer the counsel of an untrue person? It’s when an untrue person offers counsel that hurts themselves, hurts others, and hurts both. That’s how an untrue person offers the counsel of an untrue person.

and howKathañca, monksbhikkhave, an untrue personasappuriso speech of an untrue personasappurisavāco hashoti?
hereIdha, monksbhikkhave, an untrue personasappuriso false-speakermusāvādī hashoti, backbiting-speakerpisuṇavāco hashoti, harsh-speakerpharusavāco hashoti, nonsensical-speakersamphappalāpī hashoti.
thusEvaṁ indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, an untrue personasappuriso speech of an untrue personasappurisavāco hashoti.

And how does an untrue person have the speech of an untrue person? It’s when an untrue person uses speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, and nonsensical. That’s how an untrue person has the speech of an untrue person.

and howKathañca, monksbhikkhave, an untrue personasappuriso having the action of an untrue personasappurisakammanto ishoti?
hereIdha, monksbhikkhave, an untrue personasappuriso one who kills living creaturespāṇātipātī ishoti, one who stealsadinnādāyī ishoti, one who commits sexual misconductkāmesumicchācārī ishoti.
thusEvaṁ indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, an untrue personasappuriso having the action of an untrue personasappurisakammanto ishoti.

And how does an untrue person have the action of an untrue person? It’s when an untrue person kills living creatures, steals, and commits sexual misconduct. That’s how an untrue person has the actions of an untrue person.

And how does an untrue person have the view of an untrue person? It’s when an untrue person has such a view: ‘There’s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. There’s no fruit or result of good and bad deeds. There’s no afterlife. There’s no such thing as mother and father, or beings that are reborn spontaneously. And there’s no ascetic or brahmin who is rightly comported and rightly practiced, and who describes the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.’ That’s how an untrue person has the view of an untrue person.

howKathañca, monksbhikkhave, untrue personasappuriso gifts of an untrue personasappurisadānaṁ givesdeti?
hereIdha, monksbhikkhave, untrue personasappuriso carelesslyasakkaccaṁ giftdānaṁ givesdeti, not with their own handasahatthā giftdānaṁ givesdeti, thoughtlesslyacittīkatvā giftdānaṁ givesdeti, the dregsapaviṭṭhaṁ giftdānaṁ givesdeti without consideration for consequencesanāgamanadiṭṭhiko giftdānaṁ givesdeti.
thusEvaṁ indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, untrue personasappuriso gifts of an untrue personasappurisadānaṁ givesdeti.

And how does an untrue person give the gifts of an untrue person? It’s when an untrue person gives a gift carelessly, not with their own hand, and thoughtlessly. They give the dregs, and they give without consideration for consequences. That’s how an untrue person gives the gifts of an untrue person.

thatSo, monksbhikkhave, an untrue personasappuriso thusevaṁ possessed of bad qualitiesassaddhammasamannāgato, thusevaṁ devoted to untrue personsasappurisabhatti, thusevaṁ with untrue person's intentionsasappurisacintī, thusevaṁ with untrue person's counselasappurisamantī, thusevaṁ with untrue person's speechasappurisavāco, thusevaṁ with untrue person's actionsasappurisakammanto, thusevaṁ with untrue person's viewsasappurisadiṭṭhi;
thusevaṁ an untrue person's givingasappurisadānaṁ having givendatvā of the bodykāyassa from breaking upbhedā afterparaṁ from deathmaraṇā whichyā of untrue personsasappurisānaṁ rebirth placegati theretattha is rebornupapajjati.
whatKā andca, monksbhikkhave, of untrue personsasappurisānaṁ rebirth placegati?
hellNirayo orvā animal realmtiracchānayoni orvā.

That untrue person—who has such bad qualities, is devoted to untrue persons, and has the intentions, counsel, speech, actions, views, and giving of an untrue person— when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the place where untrue persons are reborn. And what is the place where untrue persons are reborn? Hell or the animal realm.

could knowJāneyya indeednu indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, a true personsappuriso a true personsappurisaṁ:
a true person‘sappuriso this oneayaṁ isbhavan’”ti?
yes“Evaṁ, sirbhante”.
good“Sādhu, monksbhikkhave;
it is possibleṭhānametaṁ, monksbhikkhave, there isvijjati thatyaṁ a true personsappuriso a true personsappurisaṁ could knowjāneyya:
a true person‘sappuriso this oneayaṁ isbhavan’ti.
but could knowJāneyya butpana, monksbhikkhave, a true personsappuriso an untrue personasappurisaṁ:
an untrue person‘asappuriso this oneayaṁ isbhavan’”ti?
yes“Evaṁ, sirbhante”.

Monks, could a true person know of a true person: ‘This worthy one is a true person’?” “Yes, sir.” “Good, monks! It is possible that a true person could know of a true person: ‘This worthy one is a true person.’ But could a true person know of an untrue person: ‘This worthy one is an untrue person’?” “Yes, sir.”

good“Sādhu, monksbhikkhave;
this tooetampi indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, possibilityṭhānaṁ is possiblevijjati thatyaṁ true personsappuriso false personasappurisaṁ might knowjāneyya:
false person‘asappuriso thisayaṁ isbhavan’ti.
true personSappuriso, monksbhikkhave, possessed of good qualitiessaddhammasamannāgato ishoti, devoted to true personssappurisabhatti ishoti, having true person's intentionssappurisacintī ishoti, having true person's counselsappurisamantī ishoti, having true person's speechsappurisavāco ishoti, having true person's actionssappurisakammanto ishoti, having true person's viewssappurisadiṭṭhi ishoti;
true person's givingsappurisadānaṁ givesdeti.

“Good, monks! That too is possible. A true person has good qualities, is devoted to true persons, and has the intentions, counsel, speech, actions, views, and giving of a true person.

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