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B0102010101brahmajālasuttaṃ (brahma net sutra)

English

namely, storing up food, storing up drink, storing up clothes, storing up vehicles, storing up beds, storing up perfumes, storing up raw meat; From such storing up of goods for enjoyment, the recluse Gotama abstains. Thus, monks, a common person, speaking in praise of the Tathāgata, might speak. 13. Just as some venerable recluses and brahmins, having eaten food given out of faith, dwell addicted to seeing shows of this kind, namely, dancing, singing, music, theatrical performances, recitations, hand-clapping, cymbal-playing, drum-playing, street-shows, acrobatics, bamboo-pole climbing, washing shows, elephant fights, horse fights, buffalo fights, bull fights, goat fights, ram fights, cock fights, quail fights, stick fights, boxing, wrestling, mock battles, army reviews, battle arrays, troop inspections; From such seeing of shows, the recluse Gotama abstains. Thus, monks, a common person, speaking in praise of the Tathāgata, might speak. 14. Just as some venerable recluses and brahmins, having eaten food given out of faith having eaten, they dwell addicted to such places of heedlessness in gambling, namely – eight-square, ten-square, sky-game, path-game, dice-game, stick-game, hand-game, dice, reed-game, crooked-game, trick-game, spinning-top, measuring-game, chariot-game, bow-game, letter-game, thought-game, as-it-is-game, or such like – from such places of heedlessness in gambling, the recluse Gotama abstains – Thus, indeed, monks, might an ordinary person, speaking in praise of the Tathāgata, speak. 15. ‘‘‘Or again, some worthy recluses and brahmins, having eaten food offered by faith, they dwell addicted to such high and luxurious beds, namely – a long couch, a divan, a goat-hair rug, a variegated rug, a white woolen rug, a flower-embroidered rug, a cotton mattress, a figured rug, a rug with long fleece, a rug with one side fleece, a silk rug, a rug woven with gold and jewels, a rug of fine silk, an elephant-rug, a horse-rug, a chariot-rug, a rug of antelope hides, a rug of choice deer hides, with a canopy, with crimson pillows at both ends, or such like – from such high and luxurious beds, the recluse Gotama abstains – Thus, indeed, monks, might an ordinary person, speaking in praise of the Tathāgata, speak. 16. ‘‘‘Or again, some worthy recluses and brahmins, having eaten food offered by faith, they dwell addicted to such places of adornment and embellishment, namely – rubbing, massaging, bathing, anointing, mirrors, eye-salve, garlands, perfumes, ointments, face-powder, face-paint, bracelets, headbands, staffs, tubes, swords, umbrellas, embroidered slippers, turbans, jewels, yak-tail whisks, white clothes, long-fringed clothes, or such like – from such places of adornment and embellishment, the recluse Gotama abstains – Thus, indeed, monks, might an ordinary person, speaking in praise of the Tathāgata, speak. Monks, a worldling, praising the Tathāgata, might praise him thus: 17. “‘Whereas some venerable recluses and brahmins, having eaten food given in faith, dwell addicted to such low talk, namely: talk of kings, talk of robbers, talk of ministers, talk of armies, talk of fear, talk of war, talk of food, talk of drink, talk of clothes, talk of beds, talk of garlands, talk of perfumes, talk of relatives, talk of vehicles, talk of villages, talk of market towns, talk of cities, talk of countries, talk of women, talk of heroes, talk of streets, talk of watering places, talk of departed spirits, diverse talk, talk of the world, talk of the ocean, talk of being and not being— from such low talk, the recluse Gotama is refrained’— Thus, monks, a worldling, praising the Tathāgata, might praise him. 18. “‘Whereas some venerable recluses and brahmins, having eaten food given in faith, dwell addicted to such contentious talk, namely: ‘You do not understand this Dhamma and Discipline, I understand this Dhamma and Discipline. How could you understand this Dhamma and Discipline? You are practicing wrongly, I am practicing rightly. What I say is consistent, what you say is inconsistent. You said first what should have been said last, and last what should have been said first. Your long-held view is overturned. Your argument is refuted. You are defeated. Go and seek release from your view, or unravel it if you can!’— From such contentious talk, the recluse Gotama is refrained’— Thus, monks, a worldling, praising the Tathāgata, might praise him. 19. “‘Whereas some venerable recluses and brahmins, having eaten food given in faith, dwell addicted to such duties of messengers and errands, namely: for kings, for royal ministers, for nobles, for brahmins, for householders, for young men, He is one who abstains from running errands and going on missions for kings, ministers, and other people, saying: “Go here! Come there! Take this! Bring that!” It is in this way, monks, that an ordinary person, when speaking in praise of the Tathāgata, might speak. 20. Or, “Whereas some venerable ascetics and brahmins, having eaten food offered by faith, are given to trickery, flattery, divination, insinuation, and seeking gain with gain, the ascetic Gotama abstains from such trickery and flattery.” It is in this way, monks, that an ordinary person, when speaking in praise of the Tathāgata, might speak. The Middle Virtues are finished. The Great Virtues 21. Or, “Whereas some venerable ascetics and brahmins, having eaten food offered by faith, maintain their lives by wrong livelihood through such base arts as: interpreting bodily marks, omens, portents, dreams, and characteristics; divining from mouse-bitten cloth; performing fire oblations, ladle oblations, husk oblations, chaff oblations, rice-grain oblations, ghee oblations, oil oblations, mouth oblations, and blood oblations; practicing body-lore, site-lore, field-lore, charm-lore, ghost-lore, earth-lore, snake-lore, poison-lore, scorpion-lore, mouse-lore, bird-lore, crow-lore; predicting life spans; giving protective charms for arrows; and interpreting animal signs. The ascetic Gotama abstains from such base arts and wrong livelihood.” It is in this way, monks, that an ordinary person, when speaking in praise of the Tathāgata, might speak. 22. Or, “Whereas some venerable ascetics and brahmins, having eaten food offered by faith, maintain their lives by wrong livelihood through such base arts as: interpreting the marks of gems, garments, staves, swords, arrows, bows, and other weapons; and interpreting the marks of women, Marks of auspiciousness, Marks of men, Marks of boys, Marks of girls, Marks of male slaves, Marks of female slaves, Marks of elephants, Marks of horses, Marks of buffaloes, Marks of bulls, Marks of cows, Marks of goats, Marks of sheep, Marks of fowls, Marks of quails, Marks of iguanas, Marks of shrews, Marks of tortoises, Marks of deer— From such low arts, From wrong livelihood, The recluse Gotama abstains. Thus, indeed, O bhikkhus, A common person, Speaking in praise of the Tathāgata, Might speak. 23. Or again, Some worthy recluses and brahmins, Having eaten food given in faith, Maintain their livelihood By such low arts, Namely: There will be a king's going forth, There will be a king's not going forth, The inner kings will advance, The outer kings will retreat, The outer kings will advance, The inner kings will retreat, The inner kings will be victorious, The outer kings will be defeated, The outer kings will be victorious, The inner kings will be defeated, This one will be victorious, This one will be defeated— From such low arts, From wrong livelihood, The recluse Gotama abstains. Thus, indeed, O bhikkhus, A common person, Speaking in praise of the Tathāgata, Might speak. 24. Or again, Some worthy recluses and brahmins, Having eaten food given in faith, Maintain their livelihood By such low arts, Namely: There will be an eclipse of the moon, There will be an eclipse of the sun, There will be an eclipse of a star, The moon and sun will go on their proper course, The moon and sun will go off their proper course, The stars will go on their proper course, The stars will go off their proper course— It will be the going off course (of stars), It will be the fall of meteors, It will be the burning of directions, It will be an earthquake, It will be the sounding of a divine drum, It will be the rising, setting, darkening, brightening of the moon, sun, and stars. Such will be the result of a moon eclipse, Such will be the result of a sun eclipse, Such will be the result of a star eclipse, Such will be the result of the moon and sun going on course, Such will be the result of the moon and sun going off course, Such will be the result of the stars going on course, Such will be the result of the stars going off course, Such will be the result of a meteor fall, Such will be the result of the burning of directions, Such will be the result of an earthquake, Such will be the result of a divine drum sounding, Such will be the result of the rising, setting, darkening, brightening of the moon, sun, and stars – ‘From such low arts and wrong livelihood the recluse Gotama abstains’ – Thus, monks, an ordinary person, speaking in praise of the Tathāgata, might speak. 25. ‘Or again, some worthy recluses and brahmins, having eaten food given in faith, live by such low arts and wrong livelihood, such as – There will be good rain, There will be bad rain, There will be plenty, There will be famine, There will be security, There will be danger, There will be sickness, There will be health, Palmistry, Calculation, Reckoning, Poetry, Worldly philosophy – ‘From such low arts and wrong livelihood the recluse Gotama abstains’ – Thus, monks, an ordinary person, speaking in praise of the Tathāgata, might speak. 26. ‘Or again, some worthy recluses and brahmins, having eaten food given in faith, live by such low arts and wrong livelihood, such as – ā carrying away, bringing back, enclosing, opening, gathering, scattering, making fortunate, making unfortunate,