Advice to Rāhula at Ambalaṭṭhika · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.
Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā rāhulo ambalaṭṭhikāyaṁ viharati. Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena ambalaṭṭhikā yenāyasmā rāhulo tenupasaṅkami. Addasā kho āyasmā rāhulo bhagavantaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. Disvāna āsanaṁ paññāpesi, udakañca pādānaṁ. Nisīdi bhagavā paññatte āsane. Nisajja pāde pakkhālesi. Āyasmāpi kho rāhulo bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
Now at that time Venerable Rāhula was staying at Ambalaṭṭhikā. Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to Ambalaṭṭhika to see Venerable Rāhula. Rāhula saw the Buddha coming off in the distance. He spread out a seat and placed water for washing the feet. The Buddha sat down on the seat spread out, and washed his feet. Rāhula bowed to the Buddha and sat down to one side.
Atha kho bhagavā parittaṁ udakāvasesaṁ udakādhāne ṭhapetvā āyasmantaṁ rāhulaṁ āmantesi: “passasi no tvaṁ, rāhula, imaṁ parittaṁ udakāvasesaṁ udakādhāne ṭhapitan”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”. “Evaṁ parittakaṁ kho, rāhula, tesaṁ sāmaññaṁ yesaṁ natthi sampajānamusāvāde lajjā”ti.
Then the Buddha, leaving a little water in the pot, addressed Rāhula, “Rāhula, do you see this little bit of water left in the pot?” “Yes, sir.” “That’s how little of the ascetic’s nature is left in those who are not ashamed to tell a deliberate lie.”
Atha kho bhagavā parittaṁ udakāvasesaṁ chaḍḍetvā āyasmantaṁ rāhulaṁ āmantesi: “passasi no tvaṁ, rāhula, parittaṁ udakāvasesaṁ chaḍḍitan”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”. “Evaṁ chaḍḍitaṁ kho, rāhula, tesaṁ sāmaññaṁ yesaṁ natthi sampajānamusāvāde lajjā”ti.
Then the Buddha, discarding what little water was left in the pot, said to Rāhula, “Do you see this little bit of water that was discarded?” “Yes, sir.” “That’s how the ascetic’s nature is discarded in those who are not ashamed to tell a deliberate lie.”
Atha kho bhagavā taṁ udakādhānaṁ nikkujjitvā āyasmantaṁ rāhulaṁ āmantesi: “passasi no tvaṁ, rāhula, imaṁ udakādhānaṁ nikkujjitan”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”. “Evaṁ nikkujjitaṁ kho, rāhula, tesaṁ sāmaññaṁ yesaṁ natthi sampajānamusāvāde lajjā”ti.
Then the Buddha, turning the pot upside down, said to Rāhula, “Do you see how this pot is turned upside down?” “Yes, sir.” “That’s how the ascetic’s nature is turned upside down in those who are not ashamed to tell a deliberate lie.”
Atha kho bhagavā taṁ udakādhānaṁ ukkujjitvā āyasmantaṁ rāhulaṁ āmantesi: “passasi no tvaṁ, rāhula, imaṁ udakādhānaṁ rittaṁ tucchan”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”. “Evaṁ rittaṁ tucchaṁ kho, rāhula, tesaṁ sāmaññaṁ yesaṁ natthi sampajānamusāvāde lajjāti.
Then the Buddha, turning the pot right side up, said to Rāhula, “Do you see how this pot is vacant and hollow?” “Yes, sir.” “That’s how vacant and hollow the ascetic’s nature is in those who are not ashamed to tell a deliberate lie.
Seyyathāpi, rāhula, rañño nāgo īsādanto urūḷhavā abhijāto saṅgāmāvacaro saṅgāmagato purimehipi pādehi kammaṁ karoti, pacchimehipi pādehi kammaṁ karoti, purimenapi kāyena kammaṁ karoti, pacchimenapi kāyena kammaṁ karoti, sīsenapi kammaṁ karoti, kaṇṇehipi kammaṁ karoti, dantehipi kammaṁ karoti, naṅguṭṭhenapi kammaṁ karoti; rakkhateva soṇḍaṁ. Tattha hatthārohassa evaṁ hoti: ‘ayaṁ kho rañño nāgo īsādanto urūḷhavā abhijāto saṅgāmāvacaro saṅgāmagato purimehipi pādehi kammaṁ karoti, pacchimehipi pādehi kammaṁ karoti …pe… naṅguṭṭhenapi kammaṁ karoti; rakkhateva soṇḍaṁ. Apariccattaṁ kho rañño nāgassa jīvitan’ti. Yato kho, rāhula, rañño nāgo īsādanto urūḷhavā abhijāto saṅgāmāvacaro saṅgāmagato purimehipi pādehi kammaṁ karoti, pacchimehipi pādehi kammaṁ karoti …pe… naṅguṭṭhenapi kammaṁ karoti, soṇḍāyapi kammaṁ karoti, tattha hatthārohassa evaṁ hoti:
Suppose there was a royal bull elephant with tusks like draft-poles, able to draw a heavy load, pedigree and battle-hardened. In battle it uses its fore-feet and hind-feet, its fore-quarters and hind-quarters, its head, ears, tusks, and tail, but it still protects its trunk. So its rider thinks: ‘This royal bull elephant still protects its trunk. It has not yet given its life.’ But when that royal bull elephant … in battle uses its fore-feet and hind-feet, its fore-quarters and hind-quarters, its head, ears, tusks, and tail, and its trunk, its rider thinks:
‘ayaṁ kho rañño nāgo īsādanto urūḷhavā abhijāto saṅgāmāvacaro saṅgāmagato purimehipi pādehi kammaṁ karoti, pacchimehipi pādehi kammaṁ karoti, purimenapi kāyena kammaṁ karoti, pacchimenapi kāyena kammaṁ karoti, sīsenapi kammaṁ karoti, kaṇṇehipi kammaṁ karoti, dantehipi kammaṁ karoti, naṅguṭṭhenapi kammaṁ karoti, soṇḍāyapi kammaṁ karoti. Pariccattaṁ kho rañño nāgassa jīvitaṁ. Natthi dāni kiñci rañño nāgassa akaraṇīyan’ti. Evameva kho, rāhula, yassa kassaci sampajānamusāvāde natthi lajjā, nāhaṁ tassa kiñci pāpaṁ akaraṇīyanti vadāmi. Tasmātiha te, rāhula, ‘hassāpi na musā bhaṇissāmī’ti— evañhi te, rāhula, sikkhitabbaṁ.
‘This royal bull elephant … in battle uses its fore-feet and hind-feet, its fore-quarters and hind-quarters, its head, ears, tusks, and tail, and its trunk. It has given its life. Now there is nothing that royal bull elephant would not do.’ In the same way, when someone is not ashamed to tell a deliberate lie, there is no bad deed they would not do, I say. So you should train like this: ‘I will not tell a lie, even for a joke.’
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rāhula, kimatthiyo ādāso”ti? “Paccavekkhaṇattho, bhante”ti. “Evameva kho, rāhula, paccavekkhitvā paccavekkhitvā kāyena kammaṁ kattabbaṁ, paccavekkhitvā paccavekkhitvā vācāya kammaṁ kattabbaṁ, paccavekkhitvā paccavekkhitvā manasā kammaṁ kattabbaṁ.
What do you think, Rāhula? What is the purpose of a mirror?” “It’s for checking your reflection, sir.” “In the same way, deeds of body, speech, and mind should be done only after repeated checking.
Yadeva tvaṁ, rāhula, kāyena kammaṁ kattukāmo ahosi, tadeva te kāyakammaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ: ‘yannu kho ahaṁ idaṁ kāyena kammaṁ kattukāmo idaṁ me kāyakammaṁ attabyābādhāyapi saṁvatteyya, parabyābādhāyapi saṁvatteyya, ubhayabyābādhāyapi saṁvatteyya— akusalaṁ idaṁ kāyakammaṁ dukkhudrayaṁ dukkhavipākan’ti? Sace tvaṁ, rāhula, paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jāneyyāsi: ‘yaṁ kho ahaṁ idaṁ kāyena kammaṁ kattukāmo idaṁ me kāyakammaṁ attabyābādhāyapi saṁvatteyya, parabyābādhāyapi saṁvatteyya, ubhayabyābādhāyapi saṁvatteyya— akusalaṁ idaṁ kāyakammaṁ dukkhudrayaṁ dukkhavipākan’ti, evarūpaṁ te, rāhula, kāyena kammaṁ sasakkaṁ na karaṇīyaṁ. Sace pana tvaṁ, rāhula, paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jāneyyāsi: ‘yaṁ kho ahaṁ idaṁ kāyena kammaṁ kattukāmo idaṁ me kāyakammaṁ nevattabyābādhāyapi saṁvatteyya, na parabyābādhāyapi saṁvatteyya, na ubhayabyābādhāyapi saṁvatteyya—
When you want to act with the body, you should check on that same deed: ‘Does this act with the body that I want to do lead to hurting myself, hurting others, or hurting both? Is it unskillful, with suffering as its outcome and result?’ If, while checking in this way, you know: ‘This act with the body that I want to do leads to hurting myself, hurting others, or hurting both. It’s unskillful, with suffering as its outcome and result.’ To the best of your ability, Rāhula, you should not do such a deed. But if, while checking in this way, you know: ‘This act with the body that I want to do doesn’t lead to hurting myself, hurting others, or hurting both.
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