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let the word of those good recluses and brahmins be true. But this good person is censured by the wise in this very life as 'an immoral person, a person of wrong view, a proponent of no action.' If indeed there is action, then for this good person there is a double loss: both that he is censured by the wise in this very life, and that after the breakup of the body, after death, he will be reborn in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. Thus, this unverified doctrine is badly grasped by him; it stands pervading one side, it misses the wholesome state. 99. There, householders, those who Ascetics and brahmins, holding such views, holding such doctrines – ‘One who acts, one who causes to act, one who cuts, one who causes to cut, one who cooks, one who causes to cook, one who grieves, one who causes to grieve, one who wearies, one who causes to weary, one who trembles, one who causes to tremble, one who takes life, one who takes what is not given, one who breaks into houses, one who plunders, one who commits highway robbery, one who stands in wait for travelers, one who goes to another’s wife, one who speaks falsely; by acting, evil is done. Even if with a razor-edged wheel, one were to make the living beings on this earth into one heap of flesh, one pile of flesh, there is evil from that cause, there is a coming of evil. Even if one were to go to the south bank of the Ganges, killing, causing to kill, cutting, causing to cut, cooking, causing to cook, there is evil from that cause, there is a coming of evil. Even if one were to go to the north bank of the Ganges, giving, causing to give, sacrificing, causing to sacrifice, there is merit from that cause, there is a coming of merit. By giving, by taming, by restraint, by speaking truth, there is merit, there is a coming of merit’ – this is what is to be expected of them. These bad bodily conduct, bad verbal conduct, bad mental conduct – having avoided these three unwholesome states, these good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, good mental conduct – they will undertake and practice these three wholesome states. For what reason? For those venerable ascetics and brahmins see the danger, degradation, and defilement of unwholesome states, and the benefit of renunciation, the side of purification, in wholesome states. Indeed, regarding existing action, the view ‘there is action’ arises for him; that is his right view. Indeed, regarding existing action, he resolves ‘there is action’; that is his right intention. Indeed, regarding existing action, he speaks the word ‘there is action’; that is his right speech. Indeed, regarding existing action, he says ‘there is action’; those Arahants who are proponents of action, he does not oppose them. Indeed, regarding existing action, he (teaches) another ‘there is action’ he makes known; that is his declaration of the good Dhamma. And by that declaration of the good Dhamma he does not exalt himself, nor does he disparage others. Thus, his immorality is already abandoned, and morality is established – this right view, right intention, right speech, non-opposition to the noble ones, declaration of the good Dhamma, non-exaltation of self, non-disparagement of others. Thus, many wholesome states arise for him, conditioned by right view. "There, householders, an intelligent person reflects thus – ‘If there is action (karma), then this good person after the break-up of the body, after death, will reappear in a good destination, a heavenly world. Even if there is no action, let the word of those good recluses and brahmins be true; yet this good person is praised by the wise in this very life – a virtuous person, with right view, an advocate of action.’ If there is indeed action, then for this good person there is a sure gain in both ways – that he is praised by the wise in this very life, and that after the break-up of the body, after death, he will reappear in a good destination, a heavenly world. Thus, this irrefutable doctrine of his is well-grasped, well-undertaken, it stands pervading both sides, it avoids the unwholesome position." 100. "There are, householders, some recluses and brahmins who speak thus, who hold such a view – ‘There is no cause, no condition for the defilement of beings; beings are defiled without cause, without condition. There is no cause, no condition for the purification of beings; beings are purified without cause, without condition. There is no strength, no energy, no human might, no human endeavor; all beings, all creatures, all existences, all lives are powerless, without strength, without energy, determined by fate, circumstance, and nature, they experience pleasure and pain in the six classes of birth.’ And among those very recluses and brahmins, householders, some recluses and brahmins directly oppose the opposing views. They spoke thus: ‘There is a cause, there is a condition for the defilement of beings; with cause, with condition, beings are defiled. There is a cause, there is a condition for the purification of beings; with cause, with condition, beings are purified. There is strength, there is energy, there is human might, there is human endeavor; not all beings, not all creatures, not all living things, not all souls are without power, without strength, without energy, determined by fate, by chance, by nature, experiencing pleasure and pain in the six classes of birth alone.’ What do you think, householders, are not these ascetics and brahmins utterly opposed to one another in their views?” “Yes, venerable sir.” 101. “There, householders, those ascetics and brahmins who hold such views, who hold such opinions: ‘There is no cause, there is no condition for the defilement of beings; without cause, without condition, beings are defiled. There is no cause, there is no condition for the purification of beings; without cause, without condition, beings are purified. There is no strength, there is no energy, there is no human might, there is no human endeavor; all beings, all creatures, all living things, all souls are without power, without strength, without energy, determined by fate, by chance, by nature, experiencing pleasure and pain in the six classes of birth alone’— what is to be expected of them? Having abandoned good conduct in body, good conduct in speech, good conduct in mind— these three wholesome states— they will undertake and practice bad conduct in body, bad conduct in speech, bad conduct in mind— these three unwholesome states. For what reason? Because those venerable ascetics and brahmins do not see the danger, the degradation, the defilement of unwholesome states, nor the benefit, the purifying aspect, in the renunciation of wholesome states. Though there is indeed a cause, they hold the view ‘there is no cause’; that is their wrong view. Though there is indeed a cause, they conceive ‘there is no cause’; that is their wrong conception. And when there is a cause, he speaks the word, 'There is no cause.' That is for him wrong speech. And when there is a cause, he says, 'There is no cause.' He opposes those Arahants who speak of cause. And when there is a cause, he convinces another, 'There is no cause.' That is for him an instruction in non-Dhamma. And by that instruction in non-Dhamma, he praises himself, and disparages others. Thus, his good conduct is already abandoned, bad conduct is present – and this wrong view, wrong intention, wrong speech, opposition to the noble ones, instruction in non-Dhamma, self-praise, disparagement of others. Thus, many evil, unwholesome states arise for him, conditioned by wrong view. There, householders, a discerning person reflects thus: 'If indeed there is no cause, then this venerable person, after the breakup of the body, after death, will make himself safe; if indeed there is a cause, then this venerable person, after the breakup of the body, after death, will be reborn in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell. Let there be no cause, let the word of those venerable ascetics and brahmins be true; yet this venerable person is censured by the discerning in this very life – 'an immoral person, a person of wrong view, one who speaks of no cause.' If indeed there is a cause, then this venerable person has a double loss – that he is censured by the discerning in this very life, and that after the breakup of the body, after death, he will be reborn in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell. Thus, this unproven doctrine is badly grasped and adopted by him, it stands as a one-sided spread, it misses the wholesome state. 102. There, householders, those ascetics and brahmins who speak thus, who hold such a view – 'There is a cause, there is a condition for the defilement of beings; with cause, with condition, beings are defiled. There is a cause, there is a condition for the purification of beings... by wisdom; beings are purified with causes, with conditions. There is strength, there is vigor, there is human might, there is human endeavor; not all beings, not all creatures, not all living things, not all individual lives, are helpless, powerless, without vigor, determined by fate, by chance, by nature, experiencing pleasure and pain in the six classes of birth alone. Is this to be expected of them? That which is misconduct in body, misconduct in speech, misconduct in mind – having abandoned these three unwholesome states, that which is good conduct in body, good conduct in speech, good conduct in mind – they will live having undertaken these three wholesome states. For what reason? For those venerable ascetics and brahmins see the danger, the degradation, the defilement in unwholesome states, and the advantage, the side of purification in the renunciation of wholesome states. When there is a cause, his view is: 'There is a cause'; that is his right view. When there is a cause, he resolves: 'There is a cause'; that is his right intention. When there is a cause,