Cūḷakammavibhaṅgasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 135

Cūḷakammavibhaṅgasutta

The Shorter Analysis of Deeds · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Idha, māṇava, ekacco itthī vā puriso vā thaddho hoti atimānī—
abhivādetabbaṁ na abhivādeti, paccuṭṭhātabbaṁ na paccuṭṭheti, āsanārahassa na āsanaṁ deti, maggārahassa na maggaṁ deti, sakkātabbaṁ na sakkaroti, garukātabbaṁ na garukaroti, mānetabbaṁ na māneti, pūjetabbaṁ na pūjeti.
So tena kammena evaṁ samattena evaṁ samādinnena kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati.
No ce kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati, sace manussattaṁ āgacchati yattha yattha paccājāyati nīcakulīno hoti.
Nīcakulīnasaṁvattanikā esā, māṇava, paṭipadā yadidaṁ—
thaddho hoti atimānī;

Take some woman or man who is obstinate and arrogant. They don’t bow to those they should bow to. They don’t rise up for them, offer them a seat, make way for them, or honor, respect, esteem, or venerate those who are worthy of such. Because of undertaking such deeds, after death they’re reborn in a place of loss … or if they return to the human realm, they’re reborn in a low class family …

abhivādetabbaṁ na abhivādeti, paccuṭṭhātabbaṁ na paccuṭṭheti, āsanārahassa na āsanaṁ deti, maggārahassa na maggaṁ deti, sakkātabbaṁ na sakkaroti, garukātabbaṁ na garukaroti, mānetabbaṁ na māneti, pūjetabbaṁ na pūjeti.

He does not salute one who should be saluted, does not rise for one for whom one should rise, does not give a seat to one deserving a seat, does not give way to one deserving a way, does not honour one who should be honoured, does not respect one who should be respected, does not revere one who should be revered, does not venerate one who should be venerated.

Idha pana, māṇava, ekacco itthī vā puriso vā atthaddho hoti anatimānī;
abhivādetabbaṁ abhivādeti, paccuṭṭhātabbaṁ paccuṭṭheti, āsanārahassa āsanaṁ deti, maggārahassa maggaṁ deti, sakkātabbaṁ sakkaroti, garukātabbaṁ garukaroti, mānetabbaṁ māneti, pūjetabbaṁ pūjeti.
So tena kammena evaṁ samattena evaṁ samādinnena kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati.
No ce kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati, sace manussattaṁ āgacchati yattha yattha paccājāyati uccākulīno hoti.
Uccākulīnasaṁvattanikā esā, māṇava, paṭipadā yadidaṁ—
atthaddho hoti anatimānī;
abhivādetabbaṁ abhivādeti, paccuṭṭhātabbaṁ paccuṭṭheti, āsanārahassa āsanaṁ deti, maggārahassa maggaṁ deti, sakkātabbaṁ sakkaroti, garukātabbaṁ garukaroti, mānetabbaṁ māneti, pūjetabbaṁ pūjeti.

But take some woman or man who is not obstinate and arrogant … Because of undertaking such deeds, after death they’re reborn in a heavenly realm … or if they return to the human realm, they’re reborn in an eminent family …

Idha, māṇava, ekacco itthī vā puriso vā samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā upasaṅkamitvā na paripucchitā hoti:
‘kiṁ, bhante, kusalaṁ, kiṁ akusalaṁ;
kiṁ sāvajjaṁ, kiṁ anavajjaṁ;
kiṁ sevitabbaṁ, kiṁ na sevitabbaṁ;
kiṁ me karīyamānaṁ dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāya hoti, kiṁ vā pana me karīyamānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya hotī’ti?
So tena kammena evaṁ samattena evaṁ samādinnena kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati.
No ce kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati, sace manussattaṁ āgacchati yattha yattha paccājāyati duppañño hoti.
Duppaññasaṁvattanikā esā, māṇava, paṭipadā yadidaṁ—
samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā upasaṅkamitvā na paripucchitā hoti:
‘kiṁ, bhante, kusalaṁ, kiṁ akusalaṁ;

Take some woman or man who doesn’t approach an ascetic or brahmin to ask: ‘Sir, what is skillful and what is unskillful? What is blameworthy and what is blameless? What should be cultivated and what should not be cultivated? What kind of action will lead to my lasting harm and suffering? Or what kind of action will lead to my lasting welfare and happiness?’ Because of undertaking such deeds, after death they’re reborn in a place of loss … or if they return to the human realm, they’re witless …

kiṁ sāvajjaṁ, kiṁ anavajjaṁ;
kiṁ sevitabbaṁ, kiṁ na sevitabbaṁ;
kiṁ me karīyamānaṁ dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāya hoti, kiṁ vā pana me karīyamānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya hotī’ti?

What is blameworthy, what is blameless; what is to be cultivated, what is not to be cultivated; what, when I do it, leads for a long time to harm and suffering, or what, when I do it, leads for a long time to welfare and happiness?

Idha pana, māṇava, ekacco itthī vā puriso vā samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā upasaṅkamitvā paripucchitā hoti:
‘kiṁ, bhante, kusalaṁ, kiṁ akusalaṁ;
kiṁ sāvajjaṁ, kiṁ anavajjaṁ;
kiṁ sevitabbaṁ, kiṁ na sevitabbaṁ;
kiṁ me karīyamānaṁ dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāya hoti, kiṁ vā pana me karīyamānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya hotī’ti?
So tena kammena evaṁ samattena evaṁ samādinnena kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati.
No ce kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati, sace manussattaṁ āgacchati yattha yattha paccājāyati mahāpañño hoti.
Mahāpaññasaṁvattanikā esā, māṇava, paṭipadā yadidaṁ—
samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā upasaṅkamitvā paripucchitā hoti:
‘kiṁ, bhante, kusalaṁ, kiṁ akusalaṁ;
kiṁ sāvajjaṁ, kiṁ anavajjaṁ;

But take some woman or man who does approach an ascetic or brahmin to ask: ‘Sir, what is skillful and what is unskillful? What is blameworthy and what is blameless? What should be cultivated and what should not be cultivated? What kind of action will lead to my lasting harm and suffering? Or what kind of action will lead to my lasting welfare and happiness?’ Because of undertaking such deeds, when their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. If they’re not reborn in a heavenly realm, but return to the human realm, then wherever they’re reborn they’re very wise. For asking questions of ascetics or brahmins is the path leading to wisdom.

kiṁ sevitabbaṁ, kiṁ na sevitabbaṁ;
kiṁ me karīyamānaṁ dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāya hoti, kiṁ vā pana me karīyamānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya hotī’ti?

What should be cultivated, what should not be cultivated? What, when done by me, leads for a long time to harm and suffering? Or what, when done by me, leads for a long time to benefit and happiness?

So it is the way people live that makes them how they are, whether short-lived or long-lived, sickly or healthy, ugly or lovely, insignificant or illustrious, poor or rich, in a low class or eminent family, or witless or wise.

Kammassakā, māṇava, sattā kammadāyādā kammayonī kammabandhū kammappaṭisaraṇā.
Kammaṁ satte vibhajati yadidaṁ—
hīnappaṇītatāyā”ti.

Sentient beings are the owners of their deeds and heir to their deeds. Deeds are their womb, their relative, and their refuge. It is deeds that divide beings into inferior and superior.”

Evaṁ vutte, subho māṇavo todeyyaputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama.
Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhotā gotamena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito.
Esāhaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca.
Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.
Cūḷakammavibhaṅgasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ pañcamaṁ.

When he had spoken, Subha said to him, “Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, worthy Gotama has made the Teaching clear in many ways. I go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

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