3.5.12

Lesson 3.5.12 Aṅkurapetavatthu – Not Even Harming a Tree

The final, delightful verses of this chapter, taken from the Aṅkurapetavatthu, introduce the inspirational story of Aṅkura, who had taken a vow to generate wholesome future kamma by performing good and beneficial acts. His historical account, found in the Petavatthupāḷi, illustrates the diverse workings of kamma. This text, along with the Vimānavatthupāḷi and the Jātakapāḷi, details the different outcomes of wholesome and unwholesome actions, and belongs to the later canonical works. While the Jātakapāḷi reveals the birth stories of the Bodhisatta, the Petavatthupāḷi focuses on the results of unwholesome deeds, and the Vimānavatthupāḷi shows the benefits of good actions in heavenly realms. The purpose of these "biographies" is to demonstrate that every action has a consequence and that a person's conduct directly impacts their future. The noteworthy historical account of Aṅkura, a notable example of this principle, is split in two parts and continued in more detail in a later chapter.