Sāleyyakasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 41

The People of Sālā · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ yena sālā nāma kosalānaṁ brāhmaṇagāmo tadavasari.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was wandering in the land of the Kosalans together with a large Saṅgha of mendicants when he arrived at a village of the Kosalan brahmins named Sālā.

Assosuṁ kho sāleyyakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā:
“samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo sakyaputto sakyakulā pabbajito kosalesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ sālaṁ anuppatto.
Taṁ kho pana bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ evaṁ kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggato:
‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’.
So imaṁ lokaṁ sadevakaṁ samārakaṁ sabrahmakaṁ sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiṁ pajaṁ sadevamanussaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedeti.
So dhammaṁ deseti ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ;
kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāseti.
Sādhu kho pana tathārūpānaṁ arahataṁ dassanaṁ hotī”ti.

The brahmins and householders of Sālā heard, “It seems the ascetic Gotama—a Sakyan, gone forth from a Sakyan family—while wandering in the land of the Kosalans has arrived at Sālā, together with a large Saṅgha of mendicants. He has this good reputation: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ He has realized with his own insight this world—with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans—and he makes it known to others. He teaches Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. He reveals an entirely full and pure spiritual life. It’s good to see such perfected ones.”

Atha kho sāleyyakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā appekacce bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu; appekacce bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu, sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu; appekacce yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu; appekacce bhagavato santike nāmagottaṁ sāvetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu; appekacce tuṇhībhūtā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho sāleyyakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:

Then the brahmins and householders of Sālā went up to the Buddha. Before sitting down to one side, some bowed, some exchanged greetings and polite conversation, some held up their cupped palms toward the Buddha, some announced their name and clan, while some kept silent. Seated to one side they said to the Buddha:

“ko nu kho, bho gotama, hetu, ko paccayo, yena m’idhekacce sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjanti?
Ko pana, bho gotama, hetu, ko paccayo, yena m’idhekacce sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjantī”ti?

“What is the cause, worthy Gotama, what is the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell? And what is the cause, worthy Gotama, what is the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm?”

“Adhammacariyāvisamacariyāhetu kho, gahapatayo, evam’idhekacce sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjanti.
Dhammacariyāsamacariyāhetu kho, gahapatayo, evam’idhekacce sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjantī”ti.

“Unprincipled and immoral conduct is the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. Principled and moral conduct is the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.”

“Na kho mayaṁ imassa bhoto gotamassa saṅkhittena bhāsitassa, vitthārena atthaṁ avibhattassa, vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāma.
Sādhu no bhavaṁ gotamo tathā dhammaṁ desetu, yathā mayaṁ imassa bhoto gotamassa saṅkhittena bhāsitassa, vitthārena atthaṁ avibhattassa, vitthārena atthaṁ ājāneyyāmā”ti.
“Tena hi, gahapatayo, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Evaṁ, bho”ti kho sāleyyakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
Bhagavā etadavoca:

“We don’t understand the detailed meaning of the worthy Gotama’s brief statement. Worthy Gotama, please teach us this matter in detail so we can understand the meaning.” “Well then, householders, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, worthy sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Tividhaṁ kho, gahapatayo, kāyena adhammacariyāvisamacariyā hoti, catubbidhaṁ vācāya adhammacariyāvisamacariyā hoti, tividhaṁ manasā adhammacariyāvisamacariyā hoti.

“Householders, unprincipled and immoral conduct is threefold by way of body, fourfold by way of speech, and threefold by way of mind.

Kathañca, gahapatayo, tividhaṁ kāyena adhammacariyāvisamacariyā hoti?
Idha, gahapatayo, 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.
Evaṁ kho, gahapatayo, tividhaṁ kāyena adhammacariyāvisamacariyā hoti.

And how is unprincipled and immoral conduct threefold by way of body? 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. 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. This is how unprincipled and immoral conduct is threefold by way of body.

Kathañca, gahapatayo, catubbidhaṁ vācāya adhammacariyāvisamacariyā hoti?
Idha, gahapatayo, 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.

And how is unprincipled and immoral conduct fourfold by way of speech? 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 friend, 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.

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