Sevitabbāsevitabbasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 114

Sevitabbāsevitabbasutta

What Should and Should Not Be Cultivated · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

samphappalāpī kho pana hoti akālavādī abhūtavādī anatthavādī adhammavādī avinayavādī, anidhānavatiṁ vācaṁ bhāsitā hoti akālena anapadesaṁ apariyantavatiṁ anatthasaṁhitaṁ—
evarūpaṁ, bhante, vacīsamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti.
Kathaṁrūpaṁ, bhante, vacīsamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti?
Idha, bhante, ekacco musāvādaṁ pahāya musāvādā paṭivirato hoti sabhāgato vā parisāgato vā ñātimajjhagato vā pūgamajjhagato vā rājakulamajjhagato vā abhinīto sakkhipuṭṭho: ‘ehambho purisa, yaṁ jānāsi taṁ vadehī’ti so ajānaṁ vā āha: ‘na jānāmī’ti, jānaṁ vā āha: ‘jānāmī’ti, apassaṁ vā āha: ‘na passāmī’ti, passaṁ vā āha: ‘passāmī’ti—iti attahetu vā parahetu vā āmisakiñcikkhahetu vā na sampajānamusā bhāsitā hoti;

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. That kind of verbal behavior causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline. And what kind of verbal behavior causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow? It’s when someone gives up lying. They’re summoned to a council, an assembly, a family meeting, a guild, or to the royal court, and asked to bear witness: ‘Please, my friend, say what you know.’ Not knowing, they say ‘I don’t know.’ Knowing, they say ‘I know.’ Not seeing, they say ‘I don’t see.’ And seeing, they say ‘I see.’ So they don’t deliberately lie for the sake of themselves or another, or for some trivial worldly reason.

pisuṇaṁ vācaṁ pahāya pisuṇāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, ito sutvā na amutra akkhātā imesaṁ bhedāya, amutra vā sutvā na imesaṁ akkhātā amūsaṁ bhedāya—iti bhinnānaṁ vā sandhātā sahitānaṁ vā anuppadātā samaggārāmo samaggarato samagganandī samaggakaraṇiṁ vācaṁ bhāsitā hoti;
pharusaṁ vācaṁ pahāya pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, yā sā vācā nelā kaṇṇasukhā pemanīyā hadayaṅgamā porī bahujanakantā bahujanamanāpā tathārūpiṁ vācaṁ bhāsitā hoti;
samphappalāpaṁ pahāya samphappalāpā paṭivirato hoti kālavādī bhūtavādī atthavādī dhammavādī vinayavādī, nidhānavatiṁ vācaṁ bhāsitā hoti kālena sāpadesaṁ pariyantavatiṁ atthasaṁhitaṁ—
evarūpaṁ, bhante, vacīsamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti.
‘Vacīsamācārampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ vacīsamācāran’ti—

They give up backbiting. They don’t 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’s mellow, pleasing to the ear, endearing, going to the heart, polite, and 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. That kind of verbal behavior causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow. ‘I say that there are two kinds of verbal behavior: that which you should cultivate, and that which you should not cultivate. And each of these is a kind of verbal behavior.’

iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

That’s what the Buddha said, and this is why he said it.

‘Manosamācārampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ manosamācāran’ti—
iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā.
Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?
Yathārūpaṁ, bhante, manosamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti evarūpo manosamācāro na sevitabbo;
yathārūpañca kho, bhante, manosamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti evarūpo manosamācāro sevitabbo.
Kathaṁrūpaṁ, bhante, manosamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti?
Idha, bhante, ekacco abhijjhālu hoti, yaṁ taṁ parassa paravittūpakaraṇaṁ taṁ abhijjhātā hoti: ‘aho vata yaṁ parassa taṁ mamassā’ti;
byāpannacitto kho pana hoti paduṭṭhamanasaṅkappo: ‘ime sattā haññantu vā vajjhantu vā ucchijjantu vā vinassantu vā mā vā ahesun’ti—

‘I say that there are two kinds of mental behavior: that which you should cultivate, and that which you should not cultivate. And each of these is a kind of mental behavior.’ That’s what the Buddha said, but why did he say it? You should not cultivate the kind of mental behavior which causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline. And you should cultivate the kind of mental behavior which causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow. And what kind of mental behavior causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline? It’s when someone is covetous. They covet the wealth and belongings of others: ‘Oh, if only their belongings were mine!’ They have ill will and malicious intentions: ‘May these sentient beings be killed, slaughtered, slain, destroyed, or annihilated!’

evarūpaṁ, bhante, manosamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti.
Kathaṁrūpaṁ, bhante, manosamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti?
Idha, bhante, ekacco anabhijjhālu hoti, yaṁ taṁ parassa paravittūpakaraṇaṁ taṁ nābhijjhātā hoti: ‘aho vata yaṁ parassa taṁ mamassā’ti;
abyāpannacitto kho pana hoti appaduṭṭhamanasaṅkappo: ‘ime sattā averā abyābajjhā anīghā sukhī attānaṁ pariharantū’ti—
evarūpaṁ, bhante, manosamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti.
‘Manosamācārampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ manosamācāran’ti—
iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

That kind of mental behavior causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline. And what kind of mental behavior causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow? It’s when someone is content. They don’t covet the wealth and belongings of others: ‘Oh, if only their belongings were mine!’ They have a kind heart and loving intentions: ‘May these sentient beings live free of enmity and ill will, untroubled and happy!’ That kind of mental behavior causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow. ‘I say that there are two kinds of mental behavior: that which you should cultivate, and that which you should not cultivate. And each of these is a kind of mental behavior.’ That’s what the Buddha said, and this is why he said it.

‘Cittuppādampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ cittuppādan’ti—
iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā.
Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?
Yathārūpaṁ, bhante, cittuppādaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti evarūpo cittuppādo na sevitabbo;
yathārūpañca kho, bhante, cittuppādaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti evarūpo cittuppādo sevitabbo.
Kathaṁrūpaṁ, bhante, cittuppādaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti?
Idha, bhante, ekacco abhijjhālu hoti, abhijjhāsahagatena cetasā viharati;
byāpādavā hoti, byāpādasahagatena cetasā viharati;
vihesavā hoti, vihesāsahagatena cetasā viharati—
evarūpaṁ, bhante, cittuppādaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti.
Kathaṁrūpaṁ, bhante, cittuppādaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti?

‘I say that there are two arisings of thought: that which you should cultivate, and that which you should not cultivate. And each of these is an arising of thought.’ That’s what the Buddha said, but why did he say it? You should not cultivate the arising of thought which causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline. And you should cultivate the arising of thought which causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow. And what arising of thought causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline? It’s when someone is covetous, and lives with their heart full of covetousness. They are malicious, and live with their heart full of ill will. They’re hurtful, and live with their heart intent on harm. That arising of thought causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline. And what arising of thought causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow?

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version