English translation 3.5.5
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3.5.5 How to Abandon the Destruction of Life? *
The Bhagavā spoke in the following manner: – ‘‘There are eight things, householder, that bring about the renouncing of all trades according to the Discipline of the Noble One’s. Which are the eight? Depending upon the non-killing of living beings, the killing of living beings gets renounced; depending upon the accepting of what is given only, the taking of what is not given gets renounced; depending upon truthful speech, the abandoning of false speech gets renounced; depending upon benevolent speech, the abandoning of malevolent speech gets renounced; depending upon feeling no avarice nor covetousness, avarice and greed are left behind; depending upon carrying no reproach nor wrath, reproach and wrath are left behind; depending upon having no anger nor despair, annoyance and anguish are left behind; depending upon non-arrogance, arrogance and conceit get renounced. These are the eight things told in short, by not going into detailed exposition, householder, that bring about the renouncing of all trades according to the Discipline of the Noble One’s.”
“These eight things that bring about the renouncing of all trades according to the Discipline of the Noble One’s are told to me in short but not going into detailed exposition - it would be good, Bhante, if the Bhagavā out of compassion explained to me, the eight things, that bring about the renouncing of all trades according to the Discipline of the Noble One’s by going into detailed exposition!”
“Then, householder, listen carefully and full of attention, I will tell you!”
“Very well, Bhante,” replied the householder Potaliya to the Bhagavā.
Here the Bhagavā spoke in the following manner:
“It was said: ‘Depending upon the non-killing of living beings, the killing of living beings gets renounced’ – but in respect to what is this said? Here, householder there is a noble disciple who considers thus: ‘I am practicing the way of abandoning and cutting off the fetters, on grounds that it is because of these fetters that I may kill a living being. If I was to kill a living being, I would blame myself because of killing a living being. The wise, having come to know this would reproach me because of killing a living being. And on the breakage of the body I would expect to arrive at the lower fields because of killing a living being. This killing of living beings in itself is a fetter and a hindrance! And because of this killing of living beings impurities, distress and fever may arise. But if this killing of living beings gets completely rejected, impurities, distress and fever will not arise.’ That is why in allusion to this it was said: ‘Depending upon the non-killing of living beings the killing of living beings gets renounced.’
It was said: ‘Depending upon the accepting of what is given only, the taking of what is not given gets renounced!’ – but in respect to what is this said? Here, householder there is a noble disciple who considers thus: ‘I am practicing the way of abandoning and cutting off the fetters on grounds that it is because of these fetters I may take what is not given. Because if I was to take what is not given, I would blame myself because of this taking what is not given. The wise, having come to know this would reproach me because of this taking of what is not given. And on the breakage of the body I would expect to arrive at the lower fields on grounds of taking of what is not given. This very taking of what is not given in itself is a fetter and a hindrance! And because of this taking of what is not given impurities, distress and fever may arise. But if this taking of what is not given gets completely rejected, impurities, vexation and fever will not arise.’ That is why in allusion to this it was said: ‘Depending upon the accepting of what is given only, the taking of what is not given gets renounced!’
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* Potaliyasuttaṃ: Potaliya + sutta
“These eight things that bring about the renouncing of all trades according to the Discipline of the Noble One’s are told to me in short but not going into detailed exposition - it would be good, Bhante, if the Bhagavā out of compassion explained to me, the eight things, that bring about the renouncing of all trades according to the Discipline of the Noble One’s by going into detailed exposition!”
“Then, householder, listen carefully and full of attention, I will tell you!”
“Very well, Bhante,” replied the householder Potaliya to the Bhagavā.
Here the Bhagavā spoke in the following manner:
“It was said: ‘Depending upon the non-killing of living beings, the killing of living beings gets renounced’ – but in respect to what is this said? Here, householder there is a noble disciple who considers thus: ‘I am practicing the way of abandoning and cutting off the fetters, on grounds that it is because of these fetters that I may kill a living being. If I was to kill a living being, I would blame myself because of killing a living being. The wise, having come to know this would reproach me because of killing a living being. And on the breakage of the body I would expect to arrive at the lower fields because of killing a living being. This killing of living beings in itself is a fetter and a hindrance! And because of this killing of living beings impurities, distress and fever may arise. But if this killing of living beings gets completely rejected, impurities, distress and fever will not arise.’ That is why in allusion to this it was said: ‘Depending upon the non-killing of living beings the killing of living beings gets renounced.’
It was said: ‘Depending upon the accepting of what is given only, the taking of what is not given gets renounced!’ – but in respect to what is this said? Here, householder there is a noble disciple who considers thus: ‘I am practicing the way of abandoning and cutting off the fetters on grounds that it is because of these fetters I may take what is not given. Because if I was to take what is not given, I would blame myself because of this taking what is not given. The wise, having come to know this would reproach me because of this taking of what is not given. And on the breakage of the body I would expect to arrive at the lower fields on grounds of taking of what is not given. This very taking of what is not given in itself is a fetter and a hindrance! And because of this taking of what is not given impurities, distress and fever may arise. But if this taking of what is not given gets completely rejected, impurities, vexation and fever will not arise.’ That is why in allusion to this it was said: ‘Depending upon the accepting of what is given only, the taking of what is not given gets renounced!’
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* Potaliyasuttaṃ: Potaliya + sutta
Last modified: Monday, 14 December 2015, 8:31 AM