Sāleyyakasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 41

The People of Sālā · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

of harsh speechPharusavāco indeedkho furthermorepana ishoti. whateverYā thatsā speechvācā cruelaṇḍakā nastykakkasā hurtful to othersparakaṭukā offensiveparābhisajjanī bordering on angerkodhasāmantā not leading to immersionasamādhisaṁvattanikā, such kind oftathārūpiṁ speechvācaṁ one who speaksbhāsitā ishoti.
one who talks nonsenseSamphappalāpī indeedkho furthermorepana ishoti. one who speaks untimelyAkālavādī one who speaks what is not factualabhūtavādī one who speaks what is not beneficialanatthavādī one who speaks contrary to the teachingadhammavādī one who speaks contrary to the trainingavinayavādī. without valueAnidhānavatiṁ speechvācaṁ one who speaksbhāsitā ishoti at the wrong timeakālena unreasonableanapadesaṁ ramblingapariyantavatiṁ pointlessanatthasaṁhitaṁ.
thusEvaṁ indeedkho, householdersgahapatayo, fourfoldcatubbidhaṁ by way of speechvācāya unprincipled and immoral conductadhammacariyāvisamacariyā ishoti.

They speak harshly. They use the kinds of words that are cruel, nasty, hurtful, offensive, bordering on anger, not leading to immersion. They talk nonsense. Their speech is untimely, and is neither factual nor beneficial. It has nothing to do with the teaching or the training. Their words have no value, and are untimely, unreasonable, rambling, and pointless. This is how unprincipled and immoral conduct is fourfold by way of speech.

And how is unprincipled and immoral conduct threefold by way of mind? It’s when someone is covetous. They covet the wealth and belongings of others: ‘Oh, if only their belongings were mine!’ They have ill will and malicious intentions: ‘May these sentient beings be killed, slaughtered, slain, destroyed, or annihilated!’ They have wrong view. Their perspective is distorted: ‘There’s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. There’s no fruit or result of good and bad deeds. There’s no afterlife. There’s no such thing as mother and father, or beings that are reborn spontaneously. And there’s no ascetic or brahmin who is rightly comported and rightly practiced, and who describes the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.’ This is how unprincipled and immoral conduct is threefold by way of mind.

thusEvaṁ because of unprincipled and immoral conductadhammacariyāvisamacariyāhetu indeedkho, householdersgahapatayo, thus here someevam’idhekacce sentient beingssattā of the bodykāyassa from breaking upbhedā afterparaṁ from deathmaraṇā to a place of lossapāyaṁ to a bad placeduggatiṁ to the underworldvinipātaṁ to hellnirayaṁ are rebornupapajjanti.

That’s how 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.

threefoldTividhaṁ indeedkho, householdersgahapatayo, by way of bodykāyena principled and moral conductdhammacariyāsamacariyā ishoti, fourfoldcatubbidhaṁ by way of speechvācāya principled and moral conductdhammacariyāsamacariyā ishoti, threefoldtividhaṁ by way of mindmanasā principled and moral conductdhammacariyāsamacariyā ishoti.

Householders, principled and moral conduct is threefold by way of body, fourfold by way of speech, and threefold by way of mind.

and howKathañca, householdersgahapatayo, threefoldtividhaṁ by way of bodykāyena principled and moral conductdhammacariyāsamacariyā ishoti?
hereIdha, householdersgahapatayo, someoneekacco killing living creaturespāṇātipātaṁ having given uppahāya from killing living creaturespāṇātipātā refrainingpaṭivirato ishoti, having renounced the rodnihitadaṇḍo having renounced the swordnihitasattho scrupulouslajjī kinddayāpanno full of sympathy for all living beingssabbapāṇabhūtahitānukampī livesviharati.
stealingAdinnādānaṁ having given uppahāya from stealingadinnādānā refrainingpaṭivirato ishoti. whichYaṁ thattaṁ of anotherparassa wealth or belongings of othersparavittūpakaraṇaṁ, in the villagegāmagataṁ orvā in the wildernessaraññagataṁ orvā, thattaṁ not givennādinnaṁ with the intention to commit thefttheyyasaṅkhātaṁ takerādātā ishoti.
sexual misconductKāmesumicchācāraṁ having given uppahāya from sexual misconductkāmesumicchācārā refrainingpaṭivirato ishoti. those women whoYā thosetā protected by mothermāturakkhitā protected by fatherpiturakkhitā protected by mother and fathermātāpiturakkhitā protected by brotherbhāturakkhitā protected by sisterbhaginirakkhitā protected by relativesñātirakkhitā protected by clangottarakkhitā protected on principledhammarakkhitā having a husbandsassāmikā whose violation is punishable by lawsaparidaṇḍā evenantamaso garlanded as a token of betrothalmālāguḷaparikkhittāpi, with such womentathārūpāsu notna sexual relationscārittaṁ undertakerāpajjitā ishoti.
thusEvaṁ indeedkho, householdersgahapatayo, threefoldtividhaṁ by way of bodykāyena principled and moral conductdhammacariyāsamacariyā ishoti.

And how is principled and moral conduct threefold by way of body? 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. This is how principled and moral conduct is threefold by way of body.

and howKathañca, householdersgahapatayo, fourfoldcatubbidhaṁ by speechvācāya principled and moral conductdhammacariyāsamacariyā ishoti?
hereIdha, householdersgahapatayo, someoneekacco lyingmusāvādaṁ having given uppahāya from lyingmusāvādā restrainedpaṭivirato ishoti. to a councilSabhāgato orvā to an assemblyparisāgato orvā, to a family meetingñātimajjhagato orvā to a guildpūgamajjhagato orvā to the royal courtrājakulamajjhagato orvā, summonedabhinīto asked as a witnesssakkhipuṭṭho: please, my friend‘ehambho manpurisa, whatyaṁ you knowjānāsi thattaṁ sayvadehī’ti, heso not knowingajānaṁ orvā saysāha: not‘na I knowjānāmī’ti, knowingjānaṁ orvā saysāha: I know‘jānāmī’ti, not seeingapassaṁ orvā saysāha: not‘na I seepassāmī’ti, seeingpassaṁ orvā saysāha: I see‘passāmī’ti. soIti for one's own sakeattahetu orvā for another's sakeparahetu orvā for some trivial worldly reasonāmisakiñcikkhahetu orvā notna deliberately lyingsampajānamusā speakerbhāsitā ishoti.
backbitingPisuṇaṁ speechvācaṁ having given uppahāya from backbitingpisuṇāya speechvācāya restrainedpaṭivirato ishoti, from hereito having heardsutvā notna thereamutra a repeaterakkhātā of theseimesaṁ for dividingbhedāya, thereamutra orvā having heardsutvā notna of theseimesaṁ a repeaterakkhātā of thoseamūsaṁ for dividingbhedāya. soIti of the dividedbhinnānaṁ orvā a reconcilersandhātā, of the unitedsahitānaṁ orvā a supporteranuppadātā, delighting in harmonysamaggārāmo loving harmonysamaggarato enjoying harmonysamagganandī promoting harmonysamaggakaraṇiṁ speechvācaṁ speakerbhāsitā ishoti.

And how is principled and moral conduct fourfold by way of speech? It’s when someone gives up lying. 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 don’t know.’ Knowing, they say ‘I know.’ Not seeing, they say ‘I don’t see.’ And seeing, they say ‘I see.’ So they don’t deliberately lie for the sake of themselves or another, or for some trivial worldly reason. They give up backbiting. They don’t repeat in one place what they heard in another so as to divide people against each other. Instead, they reconcile those who are divided and support those who are united, delighting in harmony, loving harmony, speaking words that promote harmony.

harshPharusaṁ speechvācaṁ having given uppahāya harshpharusāya speechvācāya restrainedpaṭivirato ishoti. whicheverYā thatsā speechvācā mellownelā pleasing to the earkaṇṇasukhā endearingpemanīyā going to the hearthadayaṅgamā politeporī likable to the peoplebahujanakantā agreeable to the people—of such kindbahujanamanāpā—tathārūpiṁ speechvācaṁ speaksbhāsitā ishoti.
talking nonsenseSamphappalāpaṁ having given uppahāya talking nonsensesamphappalāpā restrainedpaṭivirato ishoti. speaking at the right timeKālavādī speaking truthbhūtavādī speaking meaningfullyatthavādī speaking in line with dhammadhammavādī speaking in line with the trainingvinayavādī valuablenidhānavatiṁ speechvācaṁ speaksbhāsitā ishoti at the right timekālena with good reasonsāpadesaṁ succinctpariyantavatiṁ beneficialatthasaṁhitaṁ.
thusEvaṁ indeed,kho, householders,gahapatayo, fourfoldcatubbidhaṁ by way of speechvācāya principled and moral conductdhammacariyāsamacariyā ishoti.

They give up harsh speech. They speak in a way that’s mellow, pleasing to the ear, endearing, going to the heart, polite, likable, and agreeable to the people. They give up talking nonsense. Their words are timely, true, and meaningful, in line with the teaching and training. They say things at the right time which are valuable, reasonable, succinct, and beneficial. This is how principled and moral conduct is fourfold by way of speech.

and howKathañca, householdersgahapatayo, threefoldtividhaṁ by mindmanasā principled and moral conductdhammacariyāsamacariyā ishoti?
hereIdha, householdersgahapatayo, someoneekacco not covetousanabhijjhālu ishoti, whichyaṁ thattaṁ of anotherparassa the wealth and belongings of othersparavittūpakaraṇaṁ thattaṁ does not covetnābhijjhātā ishoti: oh‘aho if onlyvata whichyaṁ of anotherparassa thattaṁ were minemamassā’ti.
with kind heartAbyāpannacitto indeedkho thenpana ishoti loving intentionsappaduṭṭhamanasaṅkappo: these‘ime sentient beingssattā free of enmityaverā free of ill willabyābajjhā untroubledanīghā happysukhī themselvesattānaṁ may they livepariharantū’ti.
with right viewSammādiṭṭhiko indeedkho thenpana ishoti with undistorted perspectiveaviparītadassano:
there is‘atthi givingdinnaṁ there isatthi sacrificeyiṭṭhaṁ there isatthi offeringhutaṁ, there areatthi of good and bad deedssukatadukkaṭānaṁ of deedskammānaṁ fruitphalaṁ resultvipāko, there isatthi thisayaṁ worldloko there isatthi otherparo worldloko, there isatthi mothermātā there isatthi fatherpitā, there areatthi beingssattā reborn spontaneouslyopapātikā, there areatthi in the worldloke ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā rightly comportedsammaggatā rightly practicedsammāpaṭipannā whoye thisimañca worldlokaṁ and the otherparañca worldlokaṁ with their own insightsayaṁ direct knowledgeabhiññā having realizedsacchikatvā describepavedentī’ti.
thusEvaṁ indeedkho, householdersgahapatayo, threefoldtividhaṁ by mindmanasā principled and moral conductdhammacariyāsamacariyā ishoti.

And how is principled and moral conduct threefold by way of mind? It’s when someone is not covetous. They don’t covet the wealth and belongings of others: ‘Oh, if only their belongings were mine!’ They have a kind heart and loving intentions: ‘May these sentient beings live free of enmity and ill will, untroubled and happy!’ They have right view, an undistorted perspective: ‘There is meaning in giving, sacrifice, and offerings. There are fruits and results of good and bad deeds. There is an afterlife. There are such things as mother and father, and beings that are reborn spontaneously. And there are ascetics and brahmins who are rightly comported and rightly practiced, and who describe the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.’ This is how principled and moral conduct is threefold by way of mind.

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version