Mahākammavibhaṅgasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 136

Mahākammavibhaṅgasutta

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

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Evaṁ byākaramāno kho, ānanda, samiddhi moghapuriso potaliputtassa paribbājakassa sammā byākaramāno byākareyya.
Api ca, ānanda, ke ca aññatitthiyā paribbājakā bālā abyattā ke ca tathāgatassa mahākammavibhaṅgaṁ jānissanti?
Sace tumhe, ānanda, suṇeyyātha tathāgatassa mahākammavibhaṅgaṁ vibhajantassā”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.”

“Etassa, bhagavā, kālo, etassa, sugata, kālo
yaṁ bhagavā mahākammavibhaṅgaṁ vibhajeyya. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.
“Tena hānanda, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā ānando bhagavato paccassosi.
Bhagavā etadavoca:

“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:

“Cattārome, ānanda, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
Katame cattāro?
Idhānanda, ekacco puggalo idha pāṇātipātī hoti, adinnādāyī hoti, kāmesumicchācārī hoti, musāvādī hoti, pisuṇavāco hoti, pharusavāco hoti, samphappalāpī hoti, abhijjhālu hoti, byāpannacitto hoti, micchādiṭṭhi hoti.
So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati.
Idha panānanda, ekacco puggalo idha pāṇātipātī hoti, adinnādāyī hoti, kāmesumicchācārī hoti, musāvādī hoti, pisuṇavāco hoti, pharusavāco hoti, samphappalāpī hoti, abhijjhālu hoti, byāpannacitto hoti, micchādiṭṭhi hoti.
So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati.

“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.

Idhānanda, ekacco samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā ātappamanvāya padhānamanvāya anuyogamanvāya appamādamanvāya sammāmanasikāramanvāya tathārūpaṁ cetosamādhiṁ phusati yathāsamāhite citte dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena amuṁ puggalaṁ passati—
idha pāṇātipātiṁ adinnādāyiṁ kāmesumicchācāriṁ musāvādiṁ pisuṇavācaṁ pharusavācaṁ samphappalāpiṁ abhijjhāluṁ byāpannacittaṁ micchādiṭṭhiṁ kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā passati apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapannaṁ.
So evamāha:
‘atthi kira, bho, pāpakāni kammāni, atthi duccaritassa vipāko.
Amāhaṁ puggalaṁ addasaṁ idha pāṇātipātiṁ adinnādāyiṁ …pe… micchādiṭṭhiṁ kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā passāmi apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapannan’ti.
So evamāha:
‘yo kira, bho, pāṇātipātī adinnādāyī …pe… micchādiṭṭhi, sabbo so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati.

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.

Ye evaṁ jānanti, te sammā jānanti; ye aññathā jānanti, micchā tesaṁ ñāṇan’ti.
Iti so yadeva tassa sāmaṁ ñātaṁ sāmaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sāmaṁ viditaṁ tadeva tattha thāmasā parāmāsā abhinivissa voharati: ‘idameva saccaṁ, moghamaññan’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.’

Idha panānanda, ekacco samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā ātappamanvāya padhānamanvāya anuyogamanvāya appamādamanvāya sammāmanasikāramanvāya tathārūpaṁ cetosamādhiṁ phusati yathāsamāhite citte dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena amuṁ puggalaṁ passati—
idha pāṇātipātiṁ adinnādāyiṁ …pe… micchādiṭṭhiṁ, kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā passati sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapannaṁ.
So evamāha:
‘natthi kira, bho, pāpakāni kammāni, natthi duccaritassa vipāko.
Amāhaṁ puggalaṁ addasaṁ—idha pāṇātipātiṁ adinnādāyiṁ …pe… micchādiṭṭhiṁ, kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā passāmi sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapannan’ti.
So evamāha:
‘yo kira, bho, pāṇātipātī adinnādāyī …pe… micchādiṭṭhi, sabbo so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati.
Ye evaṁ jānanti te sammā jānanti; ye aññathā jānanti, micchā tesaṁ 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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