Ambalaṭṭhikarāhulovādasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 61

Ambalaṭṭhikarāhulovādasutta

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

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

If, while checking in this way, you know: ‘This act of speech 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 vācāya kammaṁ akāsiṁ idaṁ me vacīkammaṁ nevattabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, na parabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, na ubhayabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati—
kusalaṁ idaṁ vacīkammaṁ sukhudrayaṁ sukhavipākan’ti, teneva tvaṁ, rāhula, pītipāmojjena vihareyyāsi ahorattānusikkhī kusalesu dhammesu.

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

kusalaṁ idaṁ manokammaṁ sukhudrayaṁ sukhavipākan’ti, evarūpaṁ te, rāhula, manasā kammaṁ karaṇīyaṁ.

“This mental action is wholesome, resulting in happiness, ripening in happiness”—such action, Rāhula, should be done by you by mind.

Even while doing, Rāhula, that very mental action by you with the mind should be reviewed: “Now, is this mental action that I am doing with the mind leading to self-harm also, leading to other-harm also, leading to both-harm also — this mental action is unwholesome, with suffering as result, with suffering as ripening?” If, Rāhula, while reviewing you would know thus: “This mental action that I am doing with the mind leads to self-harm also, leads to other-harm also, leads to both-harm also — this mental action is unwholesome, with suffering as result, with suffering as ripening,” then you should withdraw, Rāhula, such a mental action. But if, Rāhula, while reviewing you would know thus: “This mental action that I am doing with the mind leads neither to self-harm, nor to other-harm, nor to both-harm — this mental action is wholesome, with happiness as result, with happiness as ripening,” then you should pursue, Rāhula, such a mental action.

If, while checking in this way, you know: ‘This act of mind 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 be horrified, repelled, and disgusted by that deed. And being repelled, you should restrain yourself in future. But if, while checking in this way, you know: ‘This act with the mind that I have done doesn’t lead to hurting myself, hurting others, or hurting both.

kusalaṁ idaṁ manokammaṁ sukhudrayaṁ sukhavipākan’ti, teneva tvaṁ, rāhula, pītipāmojjena vihareyyāsi ahorattānusikkhī kusalesu dhammesu.

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.

All the ascetics and brahmins of the past, future, and present who purify their physical, verbal, and mental actions do so after repeatedly checking.

Tasmātiha, rāhula, ‘paccavekkhitvā paccavekkhitvā kāyakammaṁ parisodhessāmi, paccavekkhitvā paccavekkhitvā vacīkammaṁ parisodhessāmi, paccavekkhitvā paccavekkhitvā manokammaṁ parisodhessāmī’ti—
evañhi te, rāhula, sikkhitabban”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Attamano āyasmā rāhulo bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.
Ambalaṭṭhikarāhulovādasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ paṭhamaṁ.

So Rāhula, you should train yourself like this: ‘I will purify my physical, verbal, and mental actions after repeatedly checking.’” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Venerable Rāhula approved what the Buddha said.

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