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Translators: sujato

Numbered Discourses 2.1–10

1. Kammakaraṇavagga
The Chapter on Punishments

1. Vajjasutta

1. Faults

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,

“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Mendicants!”

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
“Venerable sir,” they replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Buddha said this:

“Dvemāni, bhikkhave, vajjāni.
“There are, mendicants, these two faults.

Katamāni dve?
What two?

Diṭṭhadhammikañca vajjaṁ samparāyikañca vajjaṁ.
The fault apparent in the present life, and the fault to do with lives to come.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, diṭṭhadhammikaṁ vajjaṁ?
What is the fault apparent in the present life?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco passati coraṁ āgucāriṁ rājāno gahetvā vividhā kammakāraṇā kārente;
It’s when someone sees that kings have arrested a bandit, a criminal, and subjected them to various punishments—

kasāhipi tāḷente, vettehipi tāḷente, addhadaṇḍakehipi tāḷente, hatthampi chindante, pādampi chindante, hatthapādampi chindante, kaṇṇampi chindante, nāsampi chindante, kaṇṇanāsampi chindante, bilaṅgathālikampi karonte, saṅkhamuṇḍikampi karonte, rāhumukhampi karonte, jotimālikampi karonte, hatthapajjotikampi karonte, erakavattikampi karonte, cīrakavāsikampi karonte, eṇeyyakampi karonte, baḷisamaṁsikampi karonte, kahāpaṇikampi karonte, khārāpatacchikampi karonte, palighaparivattikampi karonte, palālapīṭhakampi karonte, tattenapi telena osiñcante, sunakhehipi khādāpente, jīvantampi sūle uttāsente, asināpi sīsaṁ chindante.
whipping, caning, and clubbing; cutting off hands or feet, or both; cutting off ears or nose, or both; the ‘porridge pot’, the ‘shell-shave’, the ‘Rāhu’s mouth’, the ‘garland of fire’, the ‘burning hand’, the ‘bulrush twist’, the ‘bark dress’, the ‘antelope’, the ‘meat hook’, the ‘coins’, the ‘caustic pickle’, the ‘twisting bar’, the ‘straw mat’; being splashed with hot oil, being fed to the dogs, being impaled alive, and being beheaded.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:
It occurs to them:

‘yathārūpānaṁ kho pāpakānaṁ kammānaṁ hetu coraṁ āgucāriṁ rājāno gahetvā vividhā kammakāraṇā kārenti;
‘If I were to commit the kinds of bad deeds for which the kings arrested that bandit, that criminal,

kasāhipi tāḷenti, vettehipi tāḷenti, addhadaṇḍakehipi tāḷenti, hatthampi chindanti, pādampi chindanti, hatthapādampi chindanti, kaṇṇampi chindanti, nāsampi chindanti, kaṇṇanāsampi chindanti, bilaṅgathālikampi karonti, saṅkhamuṇḍikampi karonti, rāhumukhampi karonti, jotimālikampi karonti, hatthapajjotikampi karonti, erakavattikampi karonti, cīrakavāsikampi karonti, eṇeyyakampi karonti, baḷisamaṁsikampi karonti, kahāpaṇikampi karonti, khārāpatacchikampi karonti, palighaparivattikampi karonti, palālapīṭhakampi karonti, tattenapi telena osiñcanti, sunakhehipi khādāpenti, jīvantampi sūle uttāsenti, asināpi sīsaṁ chindanti.

Ahañceva kho pana evarūpaṁ pāpakammaṁ kareyyaṁ, mampi rājāno gahetvā evarūpā vividhā kammakāraṇā kāreyyuṁ;
the rulers would arrest me and subject me to the same punishments.

kasāhipi tāḷeyyuṁ …pe… asināpi sīsaṁ chindeyyun’ti.

So diṭṭhadhammikassa vajjassa bhīto na paresaṁ pābhataṁ vilumpanto carati.
Afraid of the fault apparent in the present life, they do not steal the belongings of others.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, diṭṭhadhammikaṁ vajjaṁ.
This is called the fault apparent in the present life.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, samparāyikaṁ vajjaṁ?
What is the fault to do with lives to come?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco iti paṭisañcikkhati:
It’s when someone reflects:

‘kāyaduccaritassa kho pana pāpako dukkho vipāko abhisamparāyaṁ, vacīduccaritassa pāpako dukkho vipāko abhisamparāyaṁ, manoduccaritassa pāpako dukkho vipāko abhisamparāyaṁ.
‘Bad conduct of body, speech, or mind has a bad, painful result in the next life.

Ahañceva kho pana kāyena duccaritaṁ careyyaṁ, vācāya duccaritaṁ careyyaṁ, manasā duccaritaṁ careyyaṁ.
If I conduct myself badly,

Kiñca taṁ yāhaṁ na kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjeyyan’ti.
then, when my body breaks up, after death, won’t I be reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell?’

So samparāyikassa vajjassa bhīto kāyaduccaritaṁ pahāya kāyasucaritaṁ bhāveti, vacīduccaritaṁ pahāya vacīsucaritaṁ bhāveti, manoduccaritaṁ pahāya manosucaritaṁ bhāveti, suddhaṁ attānaṁ pariharati.
Afraid of the fault to do with lives to come, they give up bad conduct by way of body, speech, and mind, and develop good conduct by way of body, speech, and mind, keeping themselves pure.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, samparāyikaṁ vajjaṁ.
This is called the fault to do with lives to come.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, dve vajjāni.
These are the two faults.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ:
So you should train like this:

‘diṭṭhadhammikassa vajjassa bhāyissāma, samparāyikassa vajjassa bhāyissāma, vajjabhīruno bhavissāma vajjabhayadassāvino’ti.
‘We will fear the fault apparent in the present life, and we will fear the fault to do with lives to come. We will fear faults, seeing the danger in faults.’

Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṁ.
That’s how you should train.

Vajjabhīruno, bhikkhave, vajjabhayadassāvino etaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ yaṁ parimuccissati sabbavajjehī”ti.
If you fear faults, seeing the danger in faults, you can expect to be freed from all faults.”

Paṭhamaṁ.

2. Padhānasutta

2. Endeavor

“Dvemāni, bhikkhave, padhānāni durabhisambhavāni lokasmiṁ.
“These two endeavors are challenging in the world.

Katamāni dve?
What two?

Yañca gihīnaṁ agāraṁ ajjhāvasataṁ cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānapaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānuppadānatthaṁ padhānaṁ, yañca agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitānaṁ sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggatthaṁ padhānaṁ.
The endeavor of laypeople staying in a home to provide robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. And the endeavor of those gone forth from the lay life to homelessness to let go of all attachments.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, dve padhānāni durabhisambhavāni lokasmiṁ.
These are the two endeavors that are challenging in the world.

Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ dvinnaṁ padhānānaṁ yadidaṁ sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggatthaṁ padhānaṁ.
The better of these two endeavors is the effort to let go of all attachments.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ:
So you should train like this:

‘sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggatthaṁ padhānaṁ padahissāmā’ti.
‘We shall endeavor to let go of all attachments.’

Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
That’s how you should train.”

Dutiyaṁ.

3. Tapanīyasutta

3. Mortifying

“Dveme, bhikkhave, dhammā tapanīyā.
“These two things, mendicants, are mortifying.

Katame dve?
What two?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa kāyaduccaritaṁ kataṁ hoti, akataṁ hoti kāyasucaritaṁ;
It’s when someone has done bad things and not done good things, by way of body, speech, and mind.

vacīduccaritaṁ kataṁ hoti, akataṁ hoti vacīsucaritaṁ;

manoduccaritaṁ kataṁ hoti, akataṁ hoti manosucaritaṁ.

So ‘kāyaduccaritaṁ me katan’ti tappati, ‘akataṁ me kāyasucaritan’ti tappati;
Thinking, ‘I’ve done bad things by way of body, speech, and mind’, they’re mortified. Thinking, ‘I haven’t done good things by way of body, speech, and mind’, they’re mortified.

‘vacīduccaritaṁ me katan’ti tappati, ‘akataṁ me vacīsucaritan’ti tappati;

‘manoduccaritaṁ me katan’ti tappati, ‘akataṁ me manosucaritan’ti tappati.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve dhammā tapanīyā”ti.
These are the two things that are mortifying.”

Tatiyaṁ.

4. Atapanīyasutta

4. Not Mortifying

“Dveme, bhikkhave, dhammā atapanīyā.
“These two things, mendicants, are not mortifying.

Katame dve?
What two?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa kāyasucaritaṁ kataṁ hoti, akataṁ hoti kāyaduccaritaṁ;
It’s when someone has done good things and not done bad things, by way of body, speech, and mind.

vacīsucaritaṁ kataṁ hoti, akataṁ hoti vacīduccaritaṁ;

manosucaritaṁ kataṁ hoti, akataṁ hoti manoduccaritaṁ.

So ‘kāyasucaritaṁ me katan’ti na tappati, ‘akataṁ me kāyaduccaritan’ti na tappati;
Thinking, ‘I’ve done good things by way of body, speech, and mind’, they’re not mortified. Thinking, ‘I haven’t done bad things by way of body, speech, and mind’, they’re not mortified.

‘vacīsucaritaṁ me katan’ti na tappati, ‘akataṁ me vacīduccaritan’ti na tappati;

‘manosucaritaṁ me katan’ti na tappati, ‘akataṁ me manoduccaritan’ti na tappati.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve dhammā atapanīyā”ti.
These are the two things that are not mortifying.”

Catutthaṁ.

5. Upaññātasutta

5. Learned for Myself

“Dvinnāhaṁ, bhikkhave, dhammānaṁ upaññāsiṁ—
“Mendicants, I have learned these two things for myself—

yā ca asantuṭṭhitā kusalesu dhammesu, yā ca appaṭivānitā padhānasmiṁ.
to never be content with skillful qualities, and to never stop trying.

Appaṭivānī sudāhaṁ, bhikkhave, padahāmi:
I never stopped trying, thinking:

‘kāmaṁ taco ca nhāru ca aṭṭhi ca avasissatu, sarīre upassussatu maṁsalohitaṁ, yaṁ taṁ purisathāmena purisavīriyena purisaparakkamena pattabbaṁ na taṁ apāpuṇitvā vīriyassa saṇṭhānaṁ bhavissatī’ti.
‘Gladly, let only skin, sinews, and bones remain! Let the flesh and blood waste away in my body! I will not stop trying until I have achieved what is possible by human strength, energy, and vigor.’

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, appamādādhigatā sambodhi, appamādādhigato anuttaro yogakkhemo.
It was by diligence that I achieved awakening, and by diligence that I achieved the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.

Tumhe cepi, bhikkhave, appaṭivānaṁ padaheyyātha:
If you too never stop trying, thinking:

‘kāmaṁ taco ca nhāru ca aṭṭhi ca avasissatu, sarīre upassussatu maṁsalohitaṁ, yaṁ taṁ purisathāmena purisavīriyena purisaparakkamena pattabbaṁ na taṁ apāpuṇitvā vīriyassa saṇṭhānaṁ bhavissatī’ti, tumhepi, bhikkhave, nacirasseva—
‘Gladly, let only skin, sinews, and bones remain! Let the flesh and blood waste away in my body! I will not stop trying until I have achieved what is possible by human strength, energy, and vigor.’

yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissatha.
You will soon realize the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life. You will live having achieved with your own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ:
So you should train like this:

‘appaṭivānaṁ padahissāma.
‘We will never stop trying, thinking:

Kāmaṁ taco ca nhāru ca aṭṭhi ca avasissatu, sarīre upassussatu maṁsalohitaṁ, yaṁ taṁ purisathāmena purisavīriyena purisaparakkamena pattabbaṁ na taṁ apāpuṇitvā vīriyassa saṇṭhānaṁ bhavissatī’ti.
“Gladly, let only skin, sinews, and bones remain! Let the flesh and blood waste away in my body! I will not stop trying until I have achieved what is possible by human strength, energy, and vigor.”’

Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
That’s how you should train.”

Pañcamaṁ.

6. Saṁyojanasutta

6. Fetters

“Dveme, bhikkhave, dhammā.
“There are, mendicants, these two things.

Katame dve?
What two?

Yā ca saṁyojaniyesu dhammesu assādānupassitā, yā ca saṁyojaniyesu dhammesu nibbidānupassitā.
Seeing things that are prone to being fettered as gratifying, and seeing things that are prone to being fettered as boring.

Saṁyojaniyesu, bhikkhave, dhammesu assādānupassī viharanto rāgaṁ na pajahati, dosaṁ na pajahati, mohaṁ na pajahati.
When you keep seeing things that are prone to being fettered as gratifying, you don’t give up greed, hate, and delusion.

Rāgaṁ appahāya, dosaṁ appahāya, mohaṁ appahāya na parimuccati jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi.
When these are not given up, you’re not freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.

Na parimuccati dukkhasmāti vadāmi.
You’re not freed from suffering, I say.

Saṁyojaniyesu, bhikkhave, dhammesu nibbidānupassī viharanto rāgaṁ pajahati, dosaṁ pajahati, mohaṁ pajahati.
When you keep seeing things that are prone to being fettered as boring, you give up greed, hate, and delusion.

Rāgaṁ pahāya, dosaṁ pahāya, mohaṁ pahāya, parimuccati jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi.
When these are given up, you’re freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.

Parimuccati dukkhasmāti vadāmi.
You’re freed from suffering, I say.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve dhammā”ti.
These are the two things.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.

7. Kaṇhasutta

7. Dark

“Dveme, bhikkhave, dhammā kaṇhā.
“These two things, mendicants, are dark.

Katame dve?
What two?

Ahirikañca anottappañca.
Lack of conscience and prudence.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve dhammā kaṇhā”ti.
These are the two things that are dark.”

Sattamaṁ.

8. Sukkasutta

8. Bright

“Dveme, bhikkhave, dhammā sukkā.
“These two things, mendicants, are bright.

Katame dve?
What two?

Hirī ca ottappañca.
Conscience and prudence.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve dhammā sukkā”ti.
These are the two things that are bright.”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

9. Cariyasutta

9. Conduct

“Dveme, bhikkhave, dhammā sukkā lokaṁ pālenti.
“These two bright things, mendicants, protect the world.

Katame dve?
What two?

Hirī ca ottappañca.
Conscience and prudence.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve sukkā dhammā lokaṁ na pāleyyuṁ, nayidha paññāyetha mātāti vā mātucchāti vā mātulānīti vā ācariyabhariyāti vā garūnaṁ dārāti vā.
If these two bright things did not protect the world, there would be no recognition of the status of mother, aunts, or wives and partners of teachers and respected people.

Sambhedaṁ loko agamissa, yathā ajeḷakā kukkuṭasūkarā soṇasiṅgālā.
The world would become dissolute, like goats and sheep, chickens and pigs, and dogs and jackals.

Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, ime dve sukkā dhammā lokaṁ pālenti tasmā paññāyati mātāti vā mātucchāti vā mātulānīti vā ācariyabhariyāti vā garūnaṁ dārāti vā”ti.
But because the two bright things protect the world, there is recognition of the status of mother, aunts, and wives and partners of teachers and respected people.”

Navamaṁ.

10. Vassūpanāyikasutta

10. Entering the Rainy Season

“Dvemā, bhikkhave, vassūpanāyikā.
“There are, mendicants, these two entries to the rainy season.

Katamā dve?
What two?

Purimikā ca pacchimikā ca.
Earlier and later.

Imā kho, bhikkhave, dve vassūpanāyikā”ti.
These are the two entries to the rainy season.”

Dasamaṁ.

Kammakaraṇavaggo paṭhamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Vajjā padhānā dve tapanīyā,

Upaññātena pañcamaṁ;

Saṁyojanañca kaṇhañca,

Sukkaṁ cariyā vassūpanāyikena vaggo.