Ambalaṭṭhikarāhulovādasutta

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Majjhima Nikāya 61

Ambalaṭṭhikarāhulovādasutta

Advice to Rāhula at Ambalaṭṭhika · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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kusalaṁ idaṁ kāyakammaṁ sukhudrayaṁ sukhavipākan’ti, evarūpaṁ te, rāhula, kāyena kammaṁ karaṇīyaṁ.

It’s skillful, with happiness as its outcome and result.’ Then, Rāhula, you should do such a deed.

While you are acting with the body, you should check on that same act: ‘Does this act with the body that I am doing 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 am doing leads to hurting myself, hurting others, or hurting both. It’s unskillful, with suffering as its outcome and result.’ Then, Rāhula, you should desist from such a deed. But if, while checking in this way, you know: ‘This act with the body that I am doing doesn’t lead to hurting myself, hurting others, or hurting both. It’s skillful, with happiness as its outcome and result.’ Then, Rāhula, you should continue doing such a deed.

Katvāpi te, rāhula, kāyena kammaṁ tadeva te kāyakammaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ:
‘yannu kho ahaṁ idaṁ kāyena kammaṁ akāsiṁ idaṁ me kāyakammaṁ attabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, parabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, ubhayabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati—
akusalaṁ idaṁ kāyakammaṁ dukkhudrayaṁ dukkhavipākan’ti?
Sace kho tvaṁ, rāhula, paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jāneyyāsi:
‘yaṁ kho ahaṁ idaṁ kāyena kammaṁ akāsiṁ, idaṁ me kāyakammaṁ attabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, parabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, ubhayabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati—
akusalaṁ idaṁ kāyakammaṁ dukkhudrayaṁ dukkhavipākan’ti, evarūpaṁ te, rāhula, kāyakammaṁ satthari vā viññūsu vā sabrahmacārīsu desetabbaṁ, vivaritabbaṁ, uttānīkātabbaṁ;
desetvā vivaritvā uttānīkatvā āyatiṁ saṁvaraṁ āpajjitabbaṁ.
Sace pana tvaṁ, rāhula, paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jāneyyāsi:

After you have acted with the body, you should check on that same act: ‘Does this act with the body that I have done 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 have done leads to hurting myself, hurting others, or hurting both. It’s unskillful, with suffering as its outcome and result.’ Then, Rāhula, you should confess, reveal, and clarify such a deed to the Teacher or a sensible spiritual companion. And having revealed it you should restrain yourself in future. But if, while checking in this way, you know:

‘yaṁ kho ahaṁ idaṁ kāyena kammaṁ akāsiṁ idaṁ me kāyakammaṁ nevattabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, na parabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, na ubhayabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati—
kusalaṁ idaṁ kāyakammaṁ sukhudrayaṁ sukhavipākan’ti, teneva tvaṁ, rāhula, pītipāmojjena vihareyyāsi ahorattānusikkhī kusalesu dhammesu.

‘This act with the body that I have done doesn’t lead to hurting myself, hurting others, or hurting both. It’s skillful, with happiness as its outcome and result.’ Then, Rāhula, you should live in rapture and joy because of this, training day and night in skillful qualities.

When you want to act with speech, you should check on that same deed: ‘Does this act of speech that I want to do lead to hurting myself, hurting others, or hurting both? …’ …

While doing it too, Rāhula, that very verbal action of yours by speech should be reflected upon: 'Now, indeed, I am doing this action by speech—this verbal action of mine leads to my own affliction, leads to another's affliction, leads to both affliction: this verbal action is unwholesome, with suffering as outcome, with suffering as result.' If, Rāhula, while reflecting, you would know thus: 'Indeed, I am doing this action by speech—this verbal action of mine leads to my own affliction, leads to another's affliction, leads to both affliction: this verbal action is unwholesome, with suffering as outcome, with suffering as result,' then you should withdraw from such a verbal action, Rāhula. But if, Rāhula, while reflecting, you would know thus: 'Indeed, I am doing this action by speech—this verbal action of mine leads neither to my own affliction, nor to another's affliction, nor to both affliction: this verbal action is wholesome, with happiness as outcome, with happiness as result,' then you should continue in such a verbal action, Rāhula.

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