Sevitabbāsevitabbasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 114

Sevitabbāsevitabbasutta

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

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Idha, bhante, ekacco anabhijjhālu hoti, anabhijjhāsahagatena cetasā viharati;
abyāpādavā hoti, abyāpādasahagatena cetasā viharati;
avihesavā hoti, avihesāsahagatena cetasā viharati—
evarūpaṁ, bhante, cittuppādaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti.
‘Cittuppādampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ cittuppādan’ti—
iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

It’s when someone is content, and lives with their heart full of contentment. They have good will, and live with their heart full of good will. They’re kind, and live with their heart full of kindness. That arising of thought causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow. ‘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, and this is why he said it.

‘Saññāpaṭilābhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ saññāpaṭilābhan’ti—
iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā.
Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?
Yathārūpaṁ, bhante, saññāpaṭilābhaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti evarūpo saññāpaṭilābho na sevitabbo;
yathārūpañca kho, bhante, saññāpaṭilābhaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti evarūpo saññāpaṭilābho sevitabbo.
Kathaṁrūpaṁ, bhante, saññāpaṭilābhaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti?
Idha, bhante, ekacco abhijjhālu hoti, abhijjhāsahagatāya saññāya viharati;
byāpādavā hoti, byāpādasahagatāya saññāya viharati;
vihesavā hoti, vihesāsahagatāya saññāya viharati—
evarūpaṁ, bhante, saññāpaṭilābhaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti.
Kathaṁrūpaṁ, bhante, saññāpaṭilābhaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti?

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

Idha, bhante, ekacco anabhijjhālu hoti, anabhijjhāsahagatāya saññāya viharati;
abyāpādavā hoti, abyāpādasahagatāya saññāya viharati;
avihesavā hoti, avihesāsahagatāya saññāya viharati—
evarūpaṁ, bhante, saññāpaṭilābhaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti.
‘Saññāpaṭilābhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ saññāpaṭilābhan’ti—
iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

It’s when someone is content, and lives with their perception full of contentment. They have good will, and live with their perception full of good will. They’re kind, and live with their perception full of kindness. That acquisition of perception causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow. ‘I say that there are two acquisitions of perception: that which you should cultivate, and that which you should not cultivate. And each of these is an acquisition of perception.’ That’s what the Buddha said, and this is why he said it.

‘Diṭṭhipaṭilābhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ diṭṭhipaṭilābhan’ti—
iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā.
Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?
Yathārūpaṁ, bhante, diṭṭhipaṭilābhaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti evarūpo diṭṭhipaṭilābho na sevitabbo;
yathārūpañca kho, bhante, diṭṭhipaṭilābhaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti—evarūpo diṭṭhipaṭilābho sevitabbo.
Kathaṁrūpaṁ, bhante, diṭṭhipaṭilābhaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti?
Idha, bhante, ekacco evaṁdiṭṭhiko hoti:
‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ, natthi hutaṁ, natthi sukatadukkaṭānaṁ kammānaṁ phalaṁ vipāko, natthi ayaṁ loko, natthi paro loko, natthi mātā, natthi pitā, natthi sattā opapātikā, natthi loke samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammaggatā sammāpaṭipannā ye imañca lokaṁ parañca lokaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedentī’ti—

‘I say that there are two acquisitions of views: that which you should cultivate, and that which you should not cultivate. And each of these is an acquisition of views.’ That’s what the Buddha said, but why did he say it? You should not cultivate the acquisition of views which causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline. And you should cultivate the acquisition of views which causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow. And what acquisition of views causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline? It’s when someone 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.’

evarūpaṁ, bhante, diṭṭhipaṭilābhaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti.
Kathaṁrūpaṁ, bhante, diṭṭhipaṭilābhaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti?
Idha, bhante, ekacco evaṁdiṭṭhiko hoti:
‘atthi dinnaṁ, atthi yiṭṭhaṁ, atthi hutaṁ, atthi sukatadukkaṭānaṁ kammānaṁ phalaṁ vipāko, atthi ayaṁ loko, atthi paro loko, atthi mātā, atthi pitā, atthi sattā opapātikā, atthi loke samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammaggatā sammāpaṭipannā ye imañca lokaṁ parañca lokaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedentī’ti—
evarūpaṁ, bhante, diṭṭhipaṭilābhaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti.
‘Diṭṭhipaṭilābhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ diṭṭhipaṭilābhan’ti—
iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

That acquisition of views causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline. And what acquisition of views causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow? It’s when someone has such a view: ‘There 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.’ That acquisition of views causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow. ‘I say that there are two acquisitions of views: that which you should cultivate, and that which you should not cultivate. And each of these is an acquisition of views.’ That’s what the Buddha said, and this is why he said it.

‘I say that there are two kinds of incarnation: that which you should cultivate, and that which you should not cultivate. And these are equally incarnation.’ That’s what the Buddha said, but why did he say it? You should not cultivate the kind of incarnation that causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline. You should cultivate the kind of incarnation that causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow. And what kind of incarnation causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline? For one who generates a hurtful incarnation not for the sake of the state of perfection, unskillful qualities grow while skillful qualities decline. And what kind of incarnation causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow? For one who generates a pleasing incarnation for the sake of the state of perfection, unskillful qualities decline while skillful qualities grow. ‘I say that there are two kinds of incarnation: that which you should cultivate, and that which you should not cultivate. And these are equally incarnation.’ That’s what the Buddha said, and this is why he said it.

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