Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

Pāpakena ca sīlena,² pāpikāya ca diṭṭhiyā;³

Etehi dvīhi dhammehi, yo samannāgato⁴ naro;

Kāyassa bhedā duppañño, nirayaṃ⁵ sopapajjatī⁶’ti.⁷

When the following two characteristics can be recognised in a person:

Unwholesome moral conduct and likewise malevolent conception,

Then at the break-up of the body such a foolish one is reborn in the lower fields.

Bhaddakena ca sīlena, bhaddikāya ca diṭṭhiyā;

Etehi dvīhi dhammehi, yo samannāgato naro;

Kāyassa bhedā sappañño, saggaṃ⁸ so upapajjatī’ti.⁹

 “When a person is endowed with the following two virtues:

Auspicious moral conduct and benevolent conception,¹⁰

Then at the break-up of the body such a wise one is reborn in the heavenly fields.”

These verses were reported to Queen Sāmāvatī by her female slave Khujjuttarā, after she, by happenstance, passed by and heard one of the Buddha’s discourses and realised the core of his teaching. By listening to the Buddha, Khujjuttarā fully recognized the unwholesome choice she had herself taken so far in her life and henceforth fully changed her demeanour and character.¹¹

It is the human existence, located between the woeful plane and the sensuous heavenly realm, that is enriched by the unique ability amongst beings, humankind has the choice to opt for an honest, healthy, sincere and wholesome lifestyle. The Pāli term akhaṇḍādisīlabhāvena¹² describes the development of someone who yearns to perfect ones actions, which should never provide any harm to anyone. Such an auspicious conduct then facilitates the ability and proper foundation for potential spiritual growth and acquisition of proper understanding and real wisdom.

Sīla, consisting of the three essential components of moral and ethical conduct sammāvācā, sammākammanto and sammā-ājīvo,is positioned in the midpoint of the eightfold description of the Ariyo Aṭṭhaṅgiko Maggo. with sammādiṭṭhi and sammāsaṅkappo preceding.Thus, the previous chapters repeatedly highlighted the importance of sammādiṭṭhi as a forerunner and necessary precursor of all the other links, comparing it with the dawn that precedes and announces the sunlight.¹³ Yet, in the threefold portrayal insīla, samādhi and pañña, sīlagets positioned first. Even so on a first superficial glance, this seems to be an ostensible contradiction and a sincere follower of the path will easily resolve this apparent dilemma:

Compared with a tripod, where each leg supports and upholds the other two, each of the three constituents in the threefold portrayal similarly support one another. Through a logical approach, anyone of common sense certainly understands and even experiences that a moral lifestyle and ethical conduct yields and fosters harmony not only within but as well with one’s surrounding environment. But when based on applied insight through self-observation, such theoretical comprehension turns into experiential recognition:

One realizes that any intended performance of unwholesome, harming or disagreeable activities generates restlessness, agitation, and disquiet for oneself and produces disharmony, conflict and tension with others—while any intention to help, support or comfort others similarly generates a compassionate and loving attitude within. That explains the core importance of sīla.

This essential significance of proper, honest and upright sīla is emphasized in the current quotation from the Mahāparinibbānasutta, also found verbatim in the Pāṭaligāmiyasutta.¹⁴ Here the Buddha expounds to the residents of the Pāṭali village the drawbacks for someone who neglects upholding moral conduct but also emphasizes the benefits for someone who follows moral conduct. Thus this discourse has been chosen as the first exposition of this chapter to illustrate the indispensable prominence of sīla.

Someone who wishes to achieve mental calm—and based on this, proceeds in spiritual growth—requires a healthy foothold for mental calm and inner peace!