Sevitabbāsevitabbasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 114

Sevitabbāsevitabbasutta

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

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
Bhagavā etadavoca:

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“sevitabbāsevitabbaṁ vo, bhikkhave, dhammapariyāyaṁ desessāmi.
Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Mendicants, I will teach you an exposition of the teaching on what should and should not be cultivated. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Kāyasamācārampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ kāyasamācāraṁ.
Vacīsamācārampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ vacīsamācāraṁ.
Manosamācārampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ manosamācāraṁ.
Cittuppādampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ cittuppādaṁ.
Saññāpaṭilābhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ saññāpaṭilābhaṁ.
Diṭṭhipaṭilābhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ diṭṭhipaṭilābhaṁ.
Attabhāvapaṭilābhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ attabhāvapaṭilābhan”ti.

“I say that there are two kinds of bodily behavior: that which you should cultivate, and that which you should not cultivate. And each of these is a kind of bodily behavior. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.”

Evaṁ vutte āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“imassa kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa, vitthārena atthaṁ avibhattassa, evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmi.

When he said this, Venerable Sāriputta said to the Buddha, “Sir, this is how I understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement.

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

‘I say that there are two kinds of bodily behavior: that which you should cultivate, and that which you should not cultivate. And each of these is a kind of bodily behavior.’ That’s what the Buddha said, but why did he say it? You should not cultivate the kind of bodily behavior which causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline. And you should cultivate the kind of bodily behavior which causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow. And what kind of bodily behavior causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline? It’s when someone kills living creatures. They’re violent, bloody-handed, a hardened killer, merciless to living beings. They steal. With the intention to commit theft, they take the wealth or belongings of others from village or wilderness.

kāmesumicchācārī kho pana hoti, yā tā māturakkhitā piturakkhitā mātāpiturakkhitā bhāturakkhitā bhaginirakkhitā ñātirakkhitā gottarakkhitā dhammarakkhitā sassāmikā saparidaṇḍā antamaso mālāguḷaparikkhittāpi tathārūpāsu cārittaṁ āpajjitā hoti—
evarūpaṁ, bhante, kāyasamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti.
Kathaṁrūpaṁ, bhante, kāyasamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti?
Idha, bhante, 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—

They commit sexual misconduct. They have relations with women who have their mother, father, both mother and father, brother, sister, relatives, or clan as guardian. They have relations with a woman who is protected on principle, or who has a husband, or whose violation is punishable by law, or even one who has been garlanded as a token of betrothal. That kind of bodily behavior causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline. And what kind of bodily behavior causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow? It’s when someone gives up killing living creatures, renouncing the rod and the sword. They’re scrupulous and kind, living full of sympathy for all living beings. They give up stealing. They don’t, with the intention to commit theft, take the wealth or belongings of others from village or wilderness. They give up sexual misconduct. They don’t have relations with women who have their mother, father, both mother and father, brother, sister, relatives, or clan as guardian. They don’t have relations with a woman who is protected on principle, or who has a husband, or whose violation is punishable by law, or even one who has been garlanded as a token of betrothal.

evarūpaṁ, bhante, kāyasamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti.
‘Kāyasamācārampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ kāyasamācāran’ti—
iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

That kind of bodily behavior causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow. ‘I say that there are two kinds of bodily behavior: that which you should cultivate, and that which you should not cultivate. And each of these is a kind of bodily behavior.’ That’s what the Buddha said, and this is why he said it.

‘Vacīsamācārampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi—
sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi;
tañca aññamaññaṁ vacīsamācāran’ti—
iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā.
Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?
Yathārūpaṁ, bhante, vacīsamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti, evarūpo vacīsamācāro na sevitabbo;
yathārūpañca kho, bhante, vacīsamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti evarūpo vacīsamācāro sevitabbo.
Kathaṁrūpaṁ, bhante, vacīsamācāraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti?

‘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.’ That’s what the Buddha said, but why did he say it? You should not cultivate the kind of verbal behavior which causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline. And you should cultivate the kind of verbal behavior which causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow. And what kind of verbal behavior causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline?

Idha, bhante, ekacco musāvādī hoti. Sabhāgato vā parisāgato vā ñātimajjhagato vā pūgamajjhagato vā rājakulamajjhagato vā abhinīto sakkhipuṭṭho: ‘ehambho purisa, yaṁ jānāsi taṁ vadehī’ti so ajānaṁ vā āha: ‘jānāmī’ti, jānaṁ vā āha: ‘na jānāmī’ti; apassaṁ vā āha: ‘passāmī’ti, passaṁ vā āha: ‘na passāmī’ti—iti attahetu vā parahetu vā āmisakiñcikkhahetu vā sampajānamusā bhāsitā hoti;
pisuṇavāco kho pana hoti, ito sutvā amutra akkhātā imesaṁ bhedāya, amutra vā sutvā imesaṁ akkhātā amūsaṁ bhedāya—iti samaggānaṁ vā bhettā, bhinnānaṁ vā anuppadātā, vaggārāmo, vaggarato, vagganandī, vaggakaraṇiṁ vācaṁ bhāsitā hoti;
pharusavāco kho pana hoti, yā sā vācā kaṇḍakā kakkasā pharusā parakaṭukā parābhisajjanī kodhasāmantā asamādhisaṁvattanikā, tathārūpiṁ vācaṁ bhāsitā hoti;

It’s when someone lies. 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 man, say what you know.’ Not knowing, they say ‘I know.’ Knowing, they say ‘I don’t know.’ Not seeing, they say ‘I see.’ And seeing, they say ‘I don’t see.’ So they deliberately lie for the sake of themselves or another, or for some trivial worldly reason. They backbite. They repeat in one place what they heard in another so as to divide people against each other. And so they divide those who are harmonious, supporting division, delighting in division, loving division, speaking words that promote division. They speak harshly. They use the kinds of words that are cruel, nasty, hurtful, offensive, bordering on anger, not leading to immersion.

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