English
Now, Potaliya the householder, well-clothed and well-covered, with parasol and sandals, walking and wandering, approached that forest grove; having approached, he entered that forest grove and approached the Blessed One; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. Having exchanged courteous and amiable talk, he stood to one side. To Potaliya the householder, standing to one side, the Blessed One said: "There are seats, householder; if you wish, sit down." When this was said, Potaliya the householder, displeased and resentful, remained silent, thinking, "The ascetic Gotama addresses me with the term 'householder'!" A second time the Blessed One... A third time the Blessed One... to Potaliya the householder, saying: “There are seats, householder; if you wish, sit down.” When this was said, Potaliya the householder, angered and displeased that the ascetic Gotama addressed him as “householder,” said to the Blessed One: “This is not fitting, good Gotama, this is not proper, that you address me as ‘householder’.” “Indeed, householder, those are your characteristics, those are your signs, those are your indications, just like a householder.” “But good Gotama, all my activities have been renounced, all my dealings have been cut off.” “How then, householder, have all your activities been renounced, all your dealings been cut off?” “Here, good Gotama, whatever wealth I had, or grain, or silver, or gold, all that I have handed over as inheritance to my sons. Therein I dwell, not advising, not reproving, concerned only with food and clothing. Thus, good Gotama, all my activities have been renounced, all my dealings have been cut off.” “You, householder, speak of the cutting off of dealings in one way, but in the discipline of the noble ones, the cutting off of dealings is in another way.” “How then, venerable sir, is the cutting off of dealings in the discipline of the noble ones? It would be good for me, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would teach me the Dhamma in such a way that there is the cutting off of dealings in the discipline of the noble ones.” “Then, householder, listen, pay careful attention, I will speak.” “Yes, venerable sir,” Potaliya the householder replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said: “These eight things, householder, in the discipline of the noble ones, lead to the cutting off of dealings. Which eight? By relying on non-killing, killing is to be abandoned; by relying on taking what is given, taking what is not given is to be abandoned; by relying on truthful speech, false speech is to be abandoned; by relying on non-slanderous speech, slanderous speech is to be abandoned; By relying on non-greed and non-craving, greed and craving are to be abandoned. By relying on non-blame and non-resentment, blame and resentment are to be abandoned. By relying on non-anger and non-distress, anger and distress are to be abandoned. By relying on non-conceit, conceit is to be abandoned. These eight things, householder, are stated in brief, not elaborated in detail, and they lead to the cutting off of common speech in the Noble Discipline. “Those eight things, venerable sir, that the Blessed One has stated in brief, not elaborated in detail, and which lead to the cutting off of common speech in the Noble Discipline—it would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would elaborate these eight things in detail, out of compassion.” “Then, householder, listen, attend carefully, I shall speak.” “Yes, venerable sir,” Potaliya the householder replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: “‘By relying on not taking life, taking life is to be abandoned’— this was said. What was it said in reference to? Here, householder, a noble disciple reflects thus: ‘Because of which fetters I would be a killer of living beings, I am practicing for the abandonment, for the cutting off of those fetters. If I were to be a killer of living beings, my own self would blame me because of taking life. Discerning wise people would censure me because of taking life. After the breaking up of the body, after death, a bad destination is to be expected because of taking life. This indeed is a fetter, this is a hindrance, namely, taking life. And whatever defilements, vexations, and torments would arise because of taking life, for one who abstains from taking life, those defilements, vexations, and torments do not exist.’ ‘By relying on not taking life, taking life is to be abandoned’— that which was said, it was said in reference to this. “‘By relying on not taking what is not given, taking what is not given is to be abandoned’— this was said. What was it said in reference to? Here, householder, The noble disciple reflects thus: ‘For the sake of which fetters I would be one who takes what is not given, for the abandoning of those fetters, for their uprooting, I am practicing. If I were one who takes what is not given, my own self would blame me because of taking what is not given. And the wise, having examined, would censure me because of taking what is not given. Upon the body’s dissolution, after death, a bad destination would be expected because of taking what is not given. Indeed, this taking what is not given is a fetter, this is an obstacle. And those taints, vexations, and fevers that would arise because of taking what is not given, for one abstaining from taking what is not given, those taints, vexations, and fevers do not arise.’ ‘Relying on giving, taking what is not given is to be abandoned’ – what was said thus, was said with reference to this. 35. “‘Relying on truthful speech, false speech is to be abandoned’ – what was said thus, with reference to what was it said? Here, householder, the noble disciple reflects thus: ‘For the sake of which fetters I would be a speaker of false speech, for the abandoning of those fetters, for their uprooting, I am practicing. If I were a speaker of false speech, my own self would blame me because of false speech. And the wise, having examined, would censure me because of false speech. Upon the body’s dissolution, after death, a bad destination would be expected because of false speech. Indeed, this false speech is a fetter, this is an obstacle. And those taints, vexations, and fevers that would arise because of false speech, for one abstaining from false speech, those taints, vexations, and fevers do not arise.’ ‘Relying on truthful speech, false speech is to be abandoned’ – what was said thus, was said with reference to this. 36. “‘Relying on non-slanderous speech, slanderous speech is to be abandoned’ – what was said thus, with reference to what was it said? Here, householder, the noble disciple reflects thus: ‘For the sake of which fetters I would be a speaker of slanderous speech, for the abandoning of those fetters, for their uprooting, I am practicing. If I were If I were one of slanderous speech, my own self would blame me on account of slanderous speech, and having investigated, the wise would censure me on account of slanderous speech, after the break-up of the body, after death, a bad destination would be expected on account of slanderous speech. This indeed is a fetter, this is a hindrance, namely, slanderous speech. And those taints, vexations, and fevers that would arise on account of slanderous speech, for one who has abstained from slanderous speech, those taints, vexations, and fevers do not exist. ‘Relying on non-slanderous speech, slanderous speech is to be abandoned’ – what was said thus, was said with reference to this. 37. “‘Relying on non-greed, greed is to be abandoned’ – this was said. With reference to what was this said? Here, householder, a noble disciple reflects thus: ‘For the sake of which fetters I would be greedy, for the abandonment and uprooting of those fetters I am practicing. If I were greedy, my own self would blame me on account of greed, and having investigated, the wise would censure me on account of greed, after the break-up of the body, after death, a bad destination would be expected on account of greed. This indeed is a fetter, this is a hindrance, namely, greed. And those taints, vexations, and fevers that would arise on account of greed, for one who has abstained from greed, those taints, vexations, and fevers do not exist. ‘Relying on non-greed, greed is to be abandoned’ – what was said thus, was said with reference to this. 38. “‘Relying on non-blame and non-anger, blame and anger are to be abandoned’ – this was said. With reference to what was this said? Here, householder, a noble disciple reflects thus: ‘For the sake of which fetters I would be prone to blame and anger, for the abandonment and uprooting of those fetters I am practicing. If I were prone to blame and anger, my own self would blame me on account of blame and anger, and having investigated, the wise would censure me on account of blame and anger, of the body After the body's breaking, after death, a bad destination is expected, due to blame and resentment. This indeed is a fetter, this is a hindrance, namely blame and resentment. And those effluents, vexations, and fevers that would arise due to blame and resentment, for one without blame and resentment, those effluents, vexations, and fevers do not arise.' 'Relying on not having blame and resentment, blame and resentment should be abandoned' – what was said thus, was said with reference to this. 39. "'Relying on not having anger and vexation, anger and vexation should be abandoned' – this was said, but with reference to what was it said? Here, householder, a noble disciple reflects thus: 'For the sake of abandoning and eradicating those fetters due to which I would be angry and vexed, I am practicing. If I were angry and vexed, my own self would blame me due to anger and vexation; discerning wise ones would censure me due to anger and vexation; after the body's breaking, after death, a bad destination is expected due to anger and vexation. This indeed is a fetter,