English
2. The Chapter on Monks 1. The Discourse on the Instruction to Rāhula at Ambalaṭṭhikā 107. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels’ Sanctuary. Now on that occasion, the Venerable Rāhula was staying at Ambalaṭṭhikā. Then, in the evening, the Blessed One rose from his seclusion and went to Ambalaṭṭhikā, to where the Venerable Rāhula was. The Venerable Rāhula saw the Blessed One approaching from afar. Having seen him, he prepared a seat and water for the feet. The Blessed One sat down on the prepared seat. Having sat down, he washed his feet. The Venerable Rāhula also, having saluted the Blessed One, sat down to one side. 108. Then the Blessed One, having left a small amount of water in the water-jar, addressed the Venerable Rāhula: “Do you see, Rāhula, this small amount of water left in the water-jar?” “Yes, venerable sir.” “So small, Rāhula, is the recluseship of those who have no shame in intentional lying.” Then the Blessed One, having thrown away that small amount of water, addressed the Venerable Rāhula: “Do you see, Rāhula, this small amount of water thrown away?” “Yes, venerable sir.” “So thrown away, Rāhula, is the recluseship of those who have no shame in intentional lying.” Then the Blessed One, having overturned that water-jar, addressed the Venerable Rāhula: “Do you see, Rāhula, this water-jar overturned?” “Yes, venerable sir.” “So overturned, Rāhula, is the recluseship of those who have no shame in intentional lying.” Then the Blessed One, having righted that water-jar, addressed the Venerable Rāhula: “Do you see, Rāhula, this water-jar empty and void?” “Yes, venerable sir.” “So empty and void, Rāhula, is the recluseship of those who have no shame in intentional lying. Just as, Rāhula, a king’s elephant, with tusks like a plough-pole, well-grown, A noble-born elephant, accustomed to battle, gone to battle, with its front feet it acts, with its hind feet it acts, with its front body it acts, with its hind body it acts, with its head it acts, with its ears it acts, with its tusks it acts, with its tail it acts; it protects its trunk. Then to the elephant rider it occurs thus: 'This king's elephant, with tusks like ploughshares, grown strong, noble-born, accustomed to battle, gone to battle, with its front feet it acts, with its hind feet it acts, with its front body it acts, with its hind body it acts, with its head it acts, with its ears it acts, with its tusks it acts, with its tail it acts; it protects its trunk. The life of this king's elephant is not yet given up.' But when, Rahula, the king's elephant, with tusks like ploughshares, grown strong, noble-born, accustomed to battle, gone to battle, with its front feet it acts, with its hind feet it acts, with its front body it acts, with its hind body it acts, with its head it acts, with its ears it acts, with its tusks it acts, with its tail it acts, and with its trunk it acts, then to the elephant rider it occurs thus: 'This king's elephant, with tusks like ploughshares, grown strong, noble-born, accustomed to battle, gone to battle, with its front feet it acts, with its hind feet it acts, with its front body it acts, with its hind body it acts, with its head it acts, with its ears it acts, with its tusks it acts, with its tail it acts, and with its trunk it acts. The life of this king's elephant is given up. There is now nothing that this king's elephant will not do.' Even so, Rahula, for anyone who has no shame in intentional lying, I say there is no evil deed that they will not do. Therefore, Rahula, 'Even for fun, I will not speak a lie' - thus, Rahula, you should train yourself. "What do you think, Rahula, for what purpose is a mirror?" "For reflection, sir." "Even so, Rahula, having reflected again and again, one should act with the body..." ... repeatedly reflecting, repeatedly reflecting, one should act with speech; repeatedly reflecting, repeatedly reflecting, one should act with mind. Whatever action you, Rahula, wish to do with the body, that bodily action should be reflected upon by you: 'Would this bodily action that I wish to do with the body lead to my own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both? Is this an unwholesome bodily action, with painful outcome, with painful result?' If you, Rahula, reflecting, were to know thus: 'This bodily action that I wish to do with the body would lead to my own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both. This is an unwholesome bodily action, with painful outcome, with painful result,' then such a bodily action, Rahula, should certainly not be done by you. But if you, Rahula, reflecting, were to know thus: 'This bodily action that I wish to do with the body would lead neither to my own affliction, nor to the affliction of others, nor to the affliction of both. This is a wholesome bodily action, with pleasant outcome, with pleasant result,' then such a bodily action, Rahula, should be done by you. Even while doing, Rahula, an action with the body, that bodily action should be reflected upon by you: 'Would this bodily action that I am doing with the body lead to my own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both? Is this an unwholesome bodily action, with painful outcome, with painful result?' But if you, Rahula, reflecting, were to know thus: 'This bodily action that I am doing with the body leads to my own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both... ...leads to harm— this bodily action is unwholesome, it has a painful outcome, a painful result. You, Rahula, should withdraw from such a bodily action. But if you, Rahula, reflecting, should know thus: ‘Indeed, this action that I do with the body, this bodily action of mine does not lead to my own harm, nor to the harm of others, nor to the harm of both; this is a wholesome bodily action, with a pleasant outcome, a pleasant result.’ Then you, Rahula, should continue with such a bodily action. Even after you, Rahula, have done a bodily action, that same bodily action should be reflected upon by you: ‘Indeed, this action that I did with the body, this bodily action of mine led to my own harm, to the harm of others, to the harm of both; this unwholesome bodily action had a painful outcome, a painful result?’ If you, Rahula, reflecting, should know thus: ‘Indeed, this action that I did with the body, this bodily action of mine led to my own harm, to the harm of others, to the harm of both; this unwholesome bodily action had a painful outcome, a painful result,’ then such a bodily action, Rahula, should be confessed, revealed, and laid bare to the Teacher or to discerning fellow practitioners. Having confessed, revealed, and laid bare, restraint for the future should be undertaken. But if you, Rahula, reflecting, should know thus: ‘Indeed, this action that I did with the body, this bodily action of mine did not lead to my own harm, nor to the harm of others, nor to the harm of both; this is a wholesome bodily action, with a pleasant outcome, a pleasant result,’ then you, Rahula, should dwell with joy and gladness, training day and night in wholesome states. 110. Whatever verbal action you, Rahula, wished to do... Therefore, that very verbal action should be reflected upon by you: 'What if I, desiring to do this verbal action, this verbal action of mine might lead to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both? This verbal action is unwholesome, with a painful outcome, with painful results.' If you, Rahula, reflecting, should thus know: 'What if I, desiring to do this verbal action, this verbal action of mine might lead to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both? This verbal action is unwholesome, with a painful outcome, with painful results,' then such a verbal action, Rahula, should by no means be done by you. But if you, Rahula, reflecting, should thus know: 'What if I, desiring to do this verbal action, this verbal action of mine might lead neither to my own harm, nor to the harm of others, this verbal action is wholesome, with a pleasant outcome, with pleasant results,' then such a verbal action, Rahula, should be done by you. Even while doing a verbal action, Rahula, that very verbal action should be reflected upon by you: 'What if I am doing this verbal action, this verbal action of mine leads to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both? This verbal action is unwholesome, with a painful outcome, with painful results.' But if you, Rahula, reflecting, should thus know: 'What if I am doing this verbal action, this verbal action of mine leads to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both? This verbal action is unwholesome, with a painful outcome, with painful results,' then you, Rahula, should withdraw from such a verbal action. But if you, Rahula, reflecting, should thus know: 'What if I am doing this verbal action, this verbal action of mine leads neither to my own harm, it leads to, nor leads to harm of others, nor leads to harm of both – this is wholesome verbal action, with pleasant outcome, pleasant result. You, Rahula, should undertake such verbal action. "Having done, Rahula, a verbal action, that very verbal action should be reviewed by you: 'Did this verbal action which I did, this verbal action of mine, lead to self-harm, lead to harm of others, lead to harm of both – is this unwholesome verbal action, with painful outcome, painful result?' If, Rahula, reviewing, you should thus know: 'This verbal action which I did, this verbal action of mine, leads to self-harm, leads to harm of others, leads to harm of both – this is unwholesome verbal action, with painful outcome, painful result,' such a verbal action, Rahula, should be confessed, revealed, laid bare to the Teacher or to wise fellow practitioners; having confessed, revealed, laid bare,