SN24:6 Acting
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
1At Sāvatthī. "Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise:[n.255] The doctrine of the inefficacy of action (akiriyavāda), at DN I 52,22–53,2 ascribed to Pūraṇa Kassapa. See Fruits of Recluseship, pp. 69–70.
‘When one acts or makes others act, when one mutilates or makes others mutilate, when one tortures or makes others inflict torture, when one inflicts sorrow or makes others inflict sorrow, when one oppresses or makes others inflict oppression, when one intimidates or makes others inflict intimidation,
when one destroys life, takes what is not given, breaks into houses, plunders wealth, commits burglary, ambushes highways, seduces another's wife, utters falsehood— no evil is done by the doer.
If, with a razor-rimmed wheel, one were to make the living beings of this earth into one mass of flesh, into one heap of flesh, because of this there would be no evil and no outcome of evil.
If one where to go along the south bank of the Ganges sn.iii.209 killing and slaughtering, mutilating and making others mutilate, torturing and making others inflict torture, because of this there would be no evil and no outcome of evil.
If one where to go along the north bank of the Ganges giving gifts and making others give gifts, making offerings and making others make offerings, because of this there would be no merit and no outcome of merit.
By giving, by taming oneself, by self-control, by speaking truth, there is no merit and no outcome of merit’?"
"Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One … ."
2"When there is form, bhikkhus, when there is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, by clinging to any of these things, by adhering to any of these things, such a view as this arises:
‘When one acts or makes others act … there is no merit and no outcome of merit.’
3"What do you think, bhikkhus, is form permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, venerable sir."
"Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?"
"Suffering, venerable sir."
"But without clinging to what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, could such a view as that arise?"
"No, venerable sir."
"Is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, venerable sir."
"Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?"
"Suffering, venerable sir."
"But without clinging to what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, could such a view as that arise?"
"No, venerable sir."
"That which is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, and ranged over by the mind:[n.250] This is a fourfold classification of all objects. According to Spk, the seen (diṭṭha) is the visible-form base; the heard (suta), the sound base; the sensed (muta), the objects of smell, taste, and touch; and the cognized (viññāta), the other seven bases (i.e., the six internal sense bases and the mental-phenomena base). The words "attained, sought after, and ranged over by the mind" (pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā) are just an elaboration of the fourth. is that permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, venerable sir."
"Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?"
"Suffering, venerable sir."
"But without clinging to what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, could such a view as that arise?"
"No, venerable sir."
4"When, bhikkhus, a noble disciple has abandoned perplexity in these six cases,[n.251] I read imesu chasu ṭhānesu, with Se and Ee, as against Be imesu ca ṭhānesu. Spk is silent, but it seems the six cases are the five aggregates and the tetrad of sense objects taken collectively as one. Cp. MN I 135,34–36, where the tetrad of sense objects actually replaces viññāṇa as a basis for wrong views (diṭṭhiṭṭhāna).
and when, further, he has abandoned perplexity about suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the way leading to the cessation of suffering,
he is then called a noble disciple who is a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination." sn.iii.210
1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. "Kismiṁ nu kho, bhikkhave, sati, kiṁ upādāya, kiṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:
‘karoto kārayato chindato chedāpayato pacato pācāpayato socato socāpayato kilamato kilamāpayato phandato phandāpayato
pāṇamatipātayato adinnaṁ ādiyato sandhiṁ chindato nillopaṁ harato ekāgārikaṁ karoto paripanthe tiṭṭhato paradāraṁ gacchato musā bhaṇato karoto na karīyati pāpaṁ.
Khurapariyantena cepi cakkena yo imissā pathaviyā pāṇe ekamaṁsakhalaṁ ekamaṁsapuñjaṁ kareyya, natthi tatonidānaṁ pāpaṁ, natthi pāpassa āgamo.
Dakkhiṇañcepi gaṅgāya tīraṁ gaccheyya; hananto ghātento chindanto chedāpento pacanto pācento, natthi tatonidānaṁ pāpaṁ, natthi pāpassa āgamo.
Uttarāñcepi gaṅgāya tīraṁ gaccheyya; dadanto dāpento yajanto yajāpento, natthi tatonidānaṁ puññaṁ, natthi puññassa āgamo.
Dānena damena saṁyamena saccavajjena natthi puññaṁ natthi puññassa āgamo’"ti.
"Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā … pe …
2"Rūpe kho, bhikkhave, sati, rūpaṁ upādāya, rūpaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati: ‘karoto kārayato … pe … natthi puññaṁ natthi puññassa āgamo’ti. Vedanāya sati … pe … saññāya sati … saṅkhāresu sati … viññāṇe sati, viññāṇaṁ upādāya, viññāṇaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:
‘karoto kārayato … pe … natthi puññaṁ natthi puññassa āgamo’ti.
3Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti? "Aniccaṁ, bhante" … pe
… api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya: ‘karoto … pe … natthi puññaṁ natthi puññassa āgamo"ti? "No hetaṁ, bhante".
"Vedanā … saññā … saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti? "Aniccaṁ, bhante … pe
… api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya: ‘karoto kārayato … pe … natthi puññaṁ natthi puññassa āgamo’"ti? "No hetaṁ, bhante".
"Yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tampi niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti? "Aniccaṁ, bhante … pe
… api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya: ‘karoto kārayato … pe … natthi puññaṁ natthi puññassa āgamo’"ti? "No hetaṁ, bhante".
4"Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa imesu ca ṭhānesu kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti,
dukkhepissa kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti … pe … dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāyapissa kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti –
ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyano"ti.
Chaṭṭhaṁ.