Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

Na bhaje¹ pāpake mitte, na bhaje purisādhame;²
Bhajetha mitte kalyāṇe, bhajetha purisuttame.³

One should not associate with evil friends, nor keep company with the vile.
One should associate with good friends and keep company with those who are noble.

The Buddha’s instruction to his son to carefully reflect on one’s intention in a threefold way with regard to all actions of body, speech and mind is in itself an extremely beneficial practice that should be applied by each and every one:

… paccavekkhitvā paccavekkhitvā kāyena kammaṃ kattabbaṃ, paccavekkhitvā paccavekkhitvā vācāya kammaṃ kattabbaṃ, paccavekkhitvā paccavekkhitvā manasā kammaṃ kattabbaṃ …⁴

This should get reflected under the threefold perspective whether it may lead to any harm what so ever for oneself, for others or oneself and others at the same time:

… attabyābādhāyapi saṃvatteyya, parabyābādhāyapi saṃvatteyya, ubhayabyābādhāyapi saṃvatteyya …

This reflection should not only be applied towards the threefold action of body, speech and mind of all present conduct but also get established as a wholesome and solid foundation for any given future comportment:

… karontenapi te, rāhula, kāyena kammaṃ … - … kammaṃ kattukāmo … - … katvāpi te, rāhula, kāyena kammaṃ…

and should also be applied to mull over on what one has done in the past. Thus it will provide a healthy base for what may be called confession of one's sins.

This practice of acknowledgment of one’s sins follows an ancient procedure — rather than faithfully relying on forgiveness of outside mercy –which is based on deep insight into one’s own weakness and faults. It results in upright and determined resolution bound by an open declaration of avoiding such like actions in the future:

Kathañcānanda, paṭiññātakaraṇaṃ⁵ hoti?

Idhānanda, bhikkhu codito⁶ vā acodito vā āpattiṃ⁷ sarati, vivarati⁸ uttānīkaroti.⁹ Tena, ānanda, bhikkhunā vuḍḍhataraṃ bhikkhuṃ upasaṅkamitvā ekaṃsaṃ cīvaraṃ katvā pāde vanditvā ukkuṭikaṃ¹⁰ nisīditvā añjaliṃ paggahetvā evamassa vacanīyo – ‘ahaṃ, bhante, itthannāmaṃ¹¹ āpattiṃ āpanno, taṃ paṭidesemī’ti.¹²

What, Ānanda is the act of acknowledgement?

Here, Ānanda a Bhikkhu, rebuked or on his own account remembers an offence, lays it open and reveals it. Here, Ānanda, the Bhikkhu should approach his senior Bhikkhu and with his robe arranged on one shoulder, having expressed his respects by kneeling down at the feet, and then stretching forth his folded hands should speak thus: ‘Bhante, I have committed such and such an offence, I do confess it!’

So evamāha – ‘passasī’ti? ‘Āma passāmī’ti. ‘Āyatiṃ saṃvareyyāsī’ti. ‘Saṃvarissāmī’ti.

Evaṃ kho, ānanda, paṭiññātakaraṇaṃ hoti.¹³

The Senior then says: ‘Do you see it?’ ‘Yes, I see it’ ‘Will you refrain therefrom in future?’ ‘Yes, I will refrain!’

This, Ānanda, is the act of acknowledgement!”

The Buddha concludes the Ambalaṭṭhikarāhulovādasuttaṃ by mentioning that this procedure of purifying bodily actions, verbal actions and mental actions has been the sacred and ancient practice of all saints in the past, of present times and will remain the wholesome practice of all saints in future:

Ye hi keci, rāhula, atītamaddhānaṃ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā kāyakammaṃ parisodhesuṃ, vacīkammaṃ parisodhesuṃ, manokammaṃ parisodhesuṃ, …

Yepi hi keci, rāhula, anāgatamaddhānaṃ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā …

Yepi hi keci, rāhula, etarahi samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā kāyakammaṃ parisodhenti, vacīkammaṃ parisodhenti, manokammaṃ parisodhenti, sabbe te evamevaṃ paccavekkhitvā paccavekkhitvā kāyakammaṃ parisodhenti, paccavekkhitvā paccavekkhitvā vacīkammaṃ parisodhenti, paccavekkhitvā paccavekkhitvā manokammaṃ parisodhenti.¹⁴

May this beneficial advice bear its fruit, even today, for anyone who tries to put it into practice!