Mahākammavibhaṅgasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 136

Mahākammavibhaṅgasutta

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

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thusEvaṁ out·dobyākaramāno indeedkho, Ānandaānanda, Samiddhisamiddhi foolish·personmoghapuriso of Potaliputtapotaliputtassa of the wandererparibbājakassa rightlysammā out·dobyākaramāno would answerbyākareyya.
butApi andca, Ānandaānanda, whoke andca other·sectariansaññatitthiyā wanderersparibbājakā foolishbālā not·competentabyattā whoke andca thus·gonetathāgatassa great·deed·analysismahākammavibhaṅgaṁ will understandjānissanti?
ifSace you alltumhe, Ānandaānanda, would listensuṇeyyātha thus·gonetathāgatassa great·deed·analysismahākammavibhaṅgaṁ explainingvibhajantassā”ti.

Answering in this way, Samiddhi would have rightly answered Potaliputta. Still, who are those foolish and incompetent wanderers of other religions to understand the Realized One’s great analysis of deeds? If you would all listen, Ānanda, I will explain the Realized One’s great analysis of deeds.”

now is“Etassa, Blessed Onebhagavā, timekālo, now isetassa, Holy Onesugata, timekālo
thatyaṁ Blessed Onebhagavā great·deed·analysismahākammavibhaṅgaṁ would explainvibhajeyya. of the Blessed OneBhagavato having heardsutvā mendicantsbhikkhū will remember itdhāressantī”ti.
well then“Tena Ānandahānanda, listensuṇāhi, wellsādhukaṁ mindmanasi applykarohi; I will speakbhāsissāmī”ti.
yes“Evaṁ, sirbhante”ti indeedkho Venerableāyasmā Ānandaānando of the Blessed Onebhagavato repliedpaccassosi.
Blessed OneBhagavā said thisetadavoca:

“Now is the time, Blessed One! Now is the time, Holy One! Let the Buddha explain the great analysis of deeds. The mendicants will listen and remember it.” “Well then, Ānanda, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” Ānanda replied. The Buddha said this:

these four“Cattārome, Ānandaānanda, individualspuggalā beingsanto foundsaṁvijjamānā in the worldlokasmiṁ.
whichKatame fourcattāro?
here, ĀnandaIdhānanda, a certainekacco individualpuggalo hereidha one who kills living creaturespāṇātipātī ishoti, stealsadinnādāyī ishoti, commits sexual misconductkāmesumicchācārī ishoti, speaks falselymusāvādī ishoti, speaks backbitinglypisuṇavāco ishoti, speaks harshlypharusavāco ishoti, speaks nonsensicallysamphappalāpī ishoti, covetousabhijjhālu ishoti, with malicious mindbyāpannacitto ishoti, has wrong viewmicchādiṭṭhi ishoti.
theySo of the bodykāyassa from breaking upbhedā afterparaṁ from deathmaraṇā a place of lossapāyaṁ a bad placeduggatiṁ the underworldvinipātaṁ hellnirayaṁ they are rebornupapajjati.
hereIdha but, Ānandapanānanda, a certainekacco individualpuggalo hereidha one who kills living creaturespāṇātipātī ishoti, stealsadinnādāyī ishoti, commits sexual misconductkāmesumicchācārī ishoti, speaks falselymusāvādī ishoti, speaks backbitinglypisuṇavāco ishoti, speaks harshlypharusavāco ishoti, speaks nonsensicallysamphappalāpī ishoti, covetousabhijjhālu ishoti, with malicious mindbyāpannacitto ishoti, has wrong viewmicchādiṭṭhi ishoti.
theySo of the bodykāyassa from breaking upbhedā afterparaṁ from deathmaraṇā a good placesugatiṁ a heavenly realmsaggaṁ worldlokaṁ they are rebornupapajjati.

“Ānanda, these four individuals are found in the world. What four? It’s when an individual here kills living creatures, steals, and commits sexual misconduct. They use speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. And they’re covetous, malicious, and have wrong view. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. But some other individual here kills living creatures, steals, and commits sexual misconduct. They use speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. And they’re covetous, malicious, and have wrong view. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.

But some other individual here refrains from killing living creatures, stealing, sexual misconduct, or using speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical. And they’re contented, kind-hearted, with right view. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. But some other individual here refrains from killing living creatures, stealing, sexual misconduct, or using speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical. And they’re contented, kind-hearted, with right view. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.

here, Ānanda,Idhānanda, someekacco asceticsamaṇo orvā brahminbrāhmaṇo orvā keen-effort·by-pursuingātappamanvāya exertion·by-pursuingpadhānamanvāya devotion·by-pursuinganuyogamanvāya diligence·by-pursuingappamādamanvāya right·application-of-mind·by-pursuingsammāmanasikāramanvāya such·kindtathārūpaṁ heart·immersioncetosamādhiṁ experiencesphusati as·immersedyathāsamāhite in the mindcitte with clairvoyancedibbena with the eyecakkhunā purifiedvisuddhena surpassing·humanatikkantamānusakena thatamuṁ individualpuggalaṁ they seepassati—
hereidha one who kills living creaturespāṇātipātiṁ one who stealsadinnādāyiṁ in-sensual-pleasures·wrong-conductkāmesumicchācāriṁ false·speakingmusāvādiṁ backbiting·speechpisuṇavācaṁ harsh·speechpharusavācaṁ nonsensical speechsamphappalāpiṁ covetousabhijjhāluṁ malicious·mindbyāpannacittaṁ wrong·viewmicchādiṭṭhiṁ of the bodykāyassa at the breakupbhedā afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā they seepassati a place of lossapāyaṁ a bad placeduggatiṁ the underworldvinipātaṁ hellnirayaṁ rebornupapannaṁ.
theySo thus·spokeevamāha:
there is‘atthi it seemskira, worthy sirbho, badpāpakāni deedskammāni, there isatthi of bad conductduccaritassa the resultvipāko.
indeed + IAmāhaṁ individualpuggalaṁ I sawaddasaṁ hereidha one who kills living creaturespāṇātipātiṁ one who stealsadinnādāyiṁ ……pe… wrong·viewmicchādiṭṭhiṁ of the bodykāyassa at the breakupbhedā afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā I seepassāmi a place of lossapāyaṁ a bad placeduggatiṁ the underworldvinipātaṁ hellnirayaṁ rebornupapannan’ti.
theySo thus·spokeevamāha:
whoever‘yo it seemskira, worthy sirbho, one who kills living creaturespāṇātipātī one who stealsadinnādāyī ……pe… wrong·viewmicchādiṭṭhi, allsabbo suchso of the bodykāyassa at the breakupbhedā afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā a place of lossapāyaṁ a bad placeduggatiṁ the underworldvinipātaṁ hellnirayaṁ is rebornupapajjati.

Now, some ascetic or brahmin—by dint of keen, resolute, committed, and diligent effort, and right application of mind—experiences an immersion of the heart of such a kind that it gives rise to clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman. With that clairvoyance they see that individual here who killed living creatures, stole, and committed sexual misconduct; who used speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical; and who was covetous, malicious, and had wrong view. And they see that, when their body breaks up, after death, they are reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. They say: ‘It seems, worthy sir, that there is such a thing as bad deeds, and the result of bad conduct. For I have seen a individual here who killed living creatures … and had wrong view. And when their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.’ They say: ‘It seems that everyone who kills living creatures … and has wrong view is reborn in hell.

whoYe thusevaṁ knowjānanti, theyte rightlysammā knowjānanti; whoye otherwiseaññathā knowjānanti, wronglymicchā theirtesaṁ knowledgeñāṇan’ti.
thusIti heso whateveryadeva for himtassa for himselfsāmaṁ knownñātaṁ for himselfsāmaṁ seendiṭṭhaṁ for himselfsāmaṁ understoodviditaṁ just thattadeva theretattha obstinatelythāmasā graspingparāmāsā insisting onabhinivissa declaresvoharati: this only‘idameva truthsaccaṁ, anything else is futilemoghamaññan’ti.

Those whose notion is this have the right notion. Those whose notion is otherwise have a wrong notion.’ And so they obstinately stick to what they have known, seen, and understood for themselves, insisting that: ‘This is the only truth, anything else is futile.’

hereIdha but, Ānanda,panānanda, someekacco asceticsamaṇo orvā brahminbrāhmaṇo orvā keen-effort·byātappamanvāya resolute-effort·bypadhānamanvāya committed-effort·byanuyogamanvāya diligent-effort·byappamādamanvāya right·application-of-mind·bysammāmanasikāramanvāya such·kindtathārūpaṁ heart·immersioncetosamādhiṁ experiencesphusati when collectedyathāsamāhite in mindcitte with divinedibbena with the eyecakkhunā purifiedvisuddhena superhumanatikkantamānusakena thatamuṁ individualpuggalaṁ they seepassati—
hereidha who killed living creaturespāṇātipātiṁ who took what was not givenadinnādāyiṁ ……pe… wrong·viewmicchādiṭṭhiṁ, of the bodykāyassa at the breakupbhedā afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā they seepassati in a heavenly realmsugatiṁ heavenlysaggaṁ worldlokaṁ rebornupapannaṁ.
TheySo say thus:evamāha:
there is no‘natthi it seems,kira, sir,bho, badpāpakāni deeds,kammāni, there is nonatthi of bad conductduccaritassa the result.vipāko.
For IAmāhaṁ individualpuggalaṁ saw·hereaddasaṁ—idha who killed living creaturespāṇātipātiṁ who took what was not givenadinnādāyiṁ ……pe… wrong·viewmicchādiṭṭhiṁ, of the bodykāyassa at the breakupbhedā afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā I sawpassāmi in a heavenly realmsugatiṁ heavenlysaggaṁ worldlokaṁ reborn.upapannan’ti.
TheySo say thus:evamāha:
whoever‘yo it seems,kira, sir,bho, who kills living creaturespāṇātipātī who takes what was not givenadinnādāyī ……pe… wrong·viewmicchādiṭṭhi, allsabbo thoseso of the bodykāyassa at the breakupbhedā afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā in a heavenly realmsugatiṁ heavenlysaggaṁ worldlokaṁ is reborn.upapajjati.
Those whoYe thusevaṁ knowjānanti thosete rightlysammā know;jānanti; those whoye otherwiseaññathā know,jānanti, wrongmicchā theirtesaṁ notion.ñāṇan’ti.

But some other ascetic or brahmin—by dint of keen, resolute, committed, and diligent effort, and right application of mind—experiences an immersion of the heart of such a kind that it gives rise to clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman. With that clairvoyance they see that individual here who killed living creatures … and had wrong view. And they see that they are reborn in a heavenly realm. They say: ‘It seems that there is no such thing as bad deeds, and the result of bad conduct. For I have seen an individual here who killed living creatures … and had wrong view. And I saw that they were reborn in a heavenly realm.’ They say: ‘It seems that everyone who kills living creatures … and has wrong view is reborn in a heavenly realm. Those whose notion is this have the right notion. Those whose notion is otherwise have a wrong notion.’

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