Aṅguttara Nikāya 6.18
Translators: sujato
Numbered Discourses 6.18
2. Sāraṇīyavagga
2. Warm-hearted
Macchabandhasutta
A Fish Dealer
Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu cārikaṁ carati mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ.
At one time the Buddha was wandering in the land of the Kosalans together with a large Saṅgha of mendicants.
Addasā kho bhagavā addhānamaggappaṭipanno aññatarasmiṁ padese macchikaṁ macchabandhaṁ macche vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamānaṁ.
While walking along the road he saw a fish dealer in a certain spot selling fish that he had killed himself.
Disvā maggā okkamma aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle paññatte āsane nisīdi.
Seeing this he left the road, sat at the root of a tree on the seat spread out,
Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
and addressed the mendicants,
“passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, amuṁ macchikaṁ macchabandhaṁ macche vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamānan”ti?
“Mendicants, do you see that fish dealer selling fish that he killed himself?”
“Evaṁ, bhante”.
“Yes, sir.”
“Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
“What do you think, mendicants?
api nu tumhehi diṭṭhaṁ vā sutaṁ vā:
Have you ever seen or heard
‘macchiko macchabandho macche vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamāno tena kammena tena ājīvena hatthiyāyī vā assayāyī vā rathayāyī vā yānayāyī vā bhogabhogī vā mahantaṁ vā bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasanto’”ti?
of a fish dealer selling fish that he killed himself who, by means of that work and livelihood, got to travel by elephant, horse, chariot, or vehicle, or to enjoy wealth, or to live off a large fortune?”
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”
“Sādhu, bhikkhave.
“Good, mendicants!
Mayāpi kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, neva diṭṭhaṁ na sutaṁ:
I too have never seen or heard of such a thing.
‘macchiko macchabandho macche vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamāno tena kammena tena ājīvena hatthiyāyī vā assayāyī vā rathayāyī vā yānayāyī vā bhogabhogī vā mahantaṁ vā bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasanto’ti.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
Te hi so, bhikkhave, macche vajjhe vadhāyupanīte pāpakena manasānupekkhati, tasmā so neva hatthiyāyī hoti na assayāyī na rathayāyī na yānayāyī na bhogabhogī, na mahantaṁ bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasati.
Because when the fish are led to the slaughter he regards them with bad intentions.
Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
What do you think, mendicants?
api nu tumhehi diṭṭhaṁ vā sutaṁ vā:
Have you ever seen or heard
‘goghātako gāvo vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamāno tena kammena tena ājīvena hatthiyāyī vā assayāyī vā rathayāyī vā yānayāyī vā bhogabhogī vā mahantaṁ vā bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasanto’”ti?
of a butcher of cattle selling cattle that he killed himself who, by means of that work and livelihood, got to travel by elephant, horse, chariot, or vehicle, or to enjoy wealth, or to live off a large fortune?”
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”
“Sādhu, bhikkhave.
“Good, mendicants!
Mayāpi kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, neva diṭṭhaṁ na sutaṁ:
I too have never seen or heard of such a thing.
‘goghātako gāvo vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamāno tena kammena tena ājīvena hatthiyāyī vā assayāyī vā rathayāyī vā yānayāyī vā bhogabhogī vā mahantaṁ vā bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasanto’ti.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
Te hi so, bhikkhave, gāvo vajjhe vadhāyupanīte pāpakena manasānupekkhati, tasmā so neva hatthiyāyī hoti na assayāyī na rathayāyī na yānayāyī na bhogabhogī, na mahantaṁ bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasati.
Because when the cattle are led to the slaughter he regards them with bad intentions.
Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
What do you think, mendicants?
api nu tumhehi diṭṭhaṁ vā sutaṁ vā:
Have you ever seen or heard
‘orabbhiko …pe…
of a butcher of sheep …
sūkariko …pe…
a butcher of pigs …
sākuṇiko …pe…
a butcher of poultry …
māgaviko mage vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamāno tena kammena tena ājīvena hatthiyāyī vā assayāyī vā rathayāyī vā yānayāyī vā bhogabhogī vā mahantaṁ vā bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasanto’”ti?
or a deer-hunter selling deer which he killed himself who, by means of that work and livelihood, got to travel by elephant, horse, chariot, or vehicle, or to enjoy wealth, or to live off a large fortune?”
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”
“Sādhu, bhikkhave.
“Good, mendicants!
Mayāpi kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, neva diṭṭhaṁ na sutaṁ:
I too have never seen or heard of such a thing.
‘māgaviko mage vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamāno tena kammena tena ājīvena hatthiyāyī vā assayāyī vā rathayāyī vā yānayāyī vā bhogabhogī vā mahantaṁ vā bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasanto’ti.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
Te hi so, bhikkhave, mage vajjhe vadhāyupanīte pāpakena manasānupekkhati, tasmā so neva hatthiyāyī hoti na assayāyī na rathayāyī na yānayāyī na bhogabhogī, na mahantaṁ bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasati.
Because when the deer are led to the slaughter he regards them with bad intentions.
Te hi nāma so, bhikkhave, tiracchānagate pāṇe vajjhe vadhāyupanīte pāpakena manasānupekkhamāno neva hatthiyāyī bhavissati na assayāyī na rathayāyī na yānayāyī na bhogabhogī, na mahantaṁ bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasissati.
By regarding even animals led to the slaughter with bad intentions he did not get to travel by elephant, horse, chariot, or vehicle, or to enjoy wealth, or to live off a large fortune.
Ko pana vādo yaṁ manussabhūtaṁ vajjhaṁ vadhāyupanītaṁ pāpakena manasānupekkhati.
How much worse is someone who regards human beings brought to the slaughter with bad intentions!
Tañhi tassa, bhikkhave, hoti dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāya.
This will be for their lasting harm and suffering.
Kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjatī”ti.
When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.”
Aṭṭhamaṁ.