Sevitabbāsevitabbasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 114

Sevitabbāsevitabbasutta

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

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Imassa kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa, vitthārena atthaṁ avibhattassa, evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmī”ti.

Sir, that’s how I understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement.”

“Sādhu sādhu, sāriputta.
Sādhu kho tvaṁ, sāriputta, imassa mayā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa, vitthārena atthaṁ avibhattassa, evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāsi.

“Good, good, Sāriputta! It’s good that you understand the detailed meaning of my brief statement in this way.”

‘Kāyasamācārampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ kāyasamācāran’ti—
iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ mayā.
Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?
Yathārūpaṁ, sāriputta, kāyasamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti evarūpo kāyasamācāro na sevitabbo;
yathārūpañca kho, sāriputta, kāyasamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti—
evarūpo kāyasamācāro sevitabbo.

And the Buddha went on to repeat and endorse Venerable Sāriputta’s explanation in full. Then he went on to explain further:

Kathaṁrūpaṁ, sāriputta, kāyasamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti?
Idha, sāriputta, ekacco pāṇātipātī hoti luddo lohitapāṇi hatappahate niviṭṭho adayāpanno pāṇabhūtesu;
adinnādāyī kho pana hoti, yaṁ taṁ parassa paravittūpakaraṇaṁ gāmagataṁ vā araññagataṁ vā taṁ adinnaṁ theyyasaṅkhātaṁ ādātā hoti;
kāmesumicchācārī kho pana hoti, yā tā māturakkhitā piturakkhitā mātāpiturakkhitā bhāturakkhitā bhaginirakkhitā ñātirakkhitā gottarakkhitā dhammarakkhitā sassāmikā saparidaṇḍā antamaso mālāguḷaparikkhittāpi tathārūpāsu cārittaṁ āpajjitā hoti—
evarūpaṁ, sāriputta, kāyasamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti.

Sāriputta, what kind of bodily conduct does one practise such that unwholesome states increase and wholesome states decline? Here, Sāriputta, some person is one who kills living beings, cruel, bloody-handed, given to striking and killing, established without compassion toward living beings. Further, he is one who takes what is not given: whatever property and belongings of another, whether in a village or in a forest, he takes it not given, reckoned as theft. Further, he is one who misconducts himself in sensual pleasures: whoever those women are — protected by mother, protected by father, protected by mother and father, protected by brother, protected by sister, protected by relatives, protected by clan, protected by dhamma, having a husband, subject to punishment, even one adorned with a garland — he engages in misconduct with such women. Sāriputta, it is such bodily conduct that one practises such that unwholesome states increase and wholesome states decline.

Kathaṁrūpaṁ, sāriputta, kāyasamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti?
Idha, sāriputta, ekacco pāṇātipātaṁ pahāya pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti nihitadaṇḍo nihitasattho, lajjī dayāpanno sabbapāṇabhūtahitānukampī viharati;
adinnādānaṁ pahāya adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, yaṁ taṁ parassa paravittūpakaraṇaṁ gāmagataṁ vā araññagataṁ vā taṁ nādinnaṁ theyyasaṅkhātaṁ ādātā hoti;
kāmesumicchācāraṁ pahāya kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato hoti, yā tā māturakkhitā piturakkhitā mātāpiturakkhitā bhāturakkhitā bhaginirakkhitā ñātirakkhitā gottarakkhitā dhammarakkhitā sassāmikā saparidaṇḍā antamaso mālāguḷaparikkhittāpi tathārūpāsu na cārittaṁ āpajjitā hoti—
evarūpaṁ, sāriputta, kāyasamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti.
‘Kāyasamācārampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ kāyasamācāran’ti—
iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ mayā idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

Sāriputta, for one practicing what kind of bodily conduct do unwholesome states decline and wholesome states increase? Here, Sāriputta, some person, having abandoned killing living beings, abstains from killing living beings; he has laid down the rod, laid down the weapon, is conscientious, full of compassion, and dwells compassionate for the welfare of all living beings. Having abandoned taking what is not given, he abstains from taking what is not given; whatever is another's property and belongings, whether in the village or in the forest, he is not one who takes what is not given reckoned as theft. Having abandoned sexual misconduct, he abstains from sexual misconduct; he is not one who commits sexual intercourse with women protected by mother, protected by father, protected by mother and father, protected by brother, protected by sister, protected by relatives, protected by clan, protected by dhamma, those with a husband, those subject to punishment, even those adorned with flower garlands—Sāriputta, for one practicing such bodily conduct, unwholesome states decline and wholesome states increase. Monks, I say that bodily conduct is of two kinds—to be cultivated and not to be cultivated; and that bodily conduct is mutually exclusive. Thus, whatever was said by me, this was said with reference to that.

Vacīsamācārampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi …pe…
manosamācārampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi …pe…
cittuppādampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi …pe…
saññāpaṭilābhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi …pe…
diṭṭhipaṭilābhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi …pe….

Verbal conduct too, monks, I say is twofold … mental conduct too, monks, I say is twofold … the arising of thought too, monks, I say is twofold … the acquisition of perception too, monks, I say is twofold … the acquisition of view too, monks, I say is twofold …

‘Attabhāvapaṭilābhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ attabhāvapaṭilābhan’ti—
iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ mayā.
Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?
Yathārūpaṁ, sāriputta, attabhāvapaṭilābhaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti evarūpo attabhāvapaṭilābho na sevitabbo;
yathārūpañca kho, sāriputta, attabhāvapaṭilābhaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti—
evarūpo attabhāvapaṭilābho sevitabbo.

“An acquisition of selfhood, monks, I say, is of two kinds: to be cultivated and not to be cultivated; and these are mutually exclusive acquisitions of selfhood.” That is indeed what was said by me. But with reference to what was it said? Sāriputta, when for one cultivating an acquisition of selfhood unwholesome states increase and wholesome states decline, such an acquisition of selfhood should not be cultivated. But when, Sāriputta, for one cultivating an acquisition of selfhood unwholesome states decline and wholesome states increase, such an acquisition of selfhood should be cultivated.

Kathaṁrūpaṁ, sāriputta, attabhāvapaṭilābhaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti?
Sabyābajjhaṁ, sāriputta, attabhāvapaṭilābhaṁ abhinibbattayato apariniṭṭhitabhāvāya akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti;
abyābajjhaṁ, sāriputta, attabhāvapaṭilābhaṁ abhinibbattayato pariniṭṭhitabhāvāya akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti.
‘Attabhāvapaṭilābhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ attabhāvapaṭilābhan’ti—
iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ mayā idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.
Imassa kho, sāriputta, mayā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo.

What kind of personal existence, Sāriputta, when cultivated, causes unwholesome mental states to increase and wholesome mental states to decline? Sāriputta, generating a personal existence with affliction, for the sake of an unfinished state, unwholesome mental states increase and wholesome mental states decline; generating a personal existence without affliction, for the sake of a finished state, unwholesome mental states decline and wholesome mental states increase. Monks, I say that a personal existence is twofold: it should be cultivated and it should not be cultivated; and this is mutually a kind of personal existence—so when that was said by me, it was said on account of this. Sāriputta, the meaning of what I have spoken about in brief should be seen in detail in this way.

Cakkhuviññeyyaṁ rūpampāhaṁ, sāriputta, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
sotaviññeyyaṁ saddampāhaṁ, sāriputta, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi asevitabbampi;
ghānaviññeyyaṁ gandhampāhaṁ, sāriputta, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
jivhāviññeyyaṁ rasampāhaṁ, sāriputta, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
kāyaviññeyyaṁ phoṭṭhabbampāhaṁ, sāriputta, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
manoviññeyyaṁ dhammampāhaṁ, sāriputta, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampī”ti.

“I say that there are two kinds of sight known by the eye: that which you should cultivate, and that which you should not cultivate. I say that there are two kinds of sound known by the ear … two kinds of smell known by the nose … two kinds of taste known by the tongue … two kinds of touch known by the body … two kinds of idea known by the mind: that which you should cultivate, and that which you should not cultivate.”

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