English
were you engaged in just now? And what was the discussion that was left unfinished?" "Let that talk stand, good Ānanda, the one we were engaged in just now. That talk will not be difficult for you, good Ānanda, to hear later on. It would be good if you, good Ānanda, would speak to us a talk on the Dhamma from your own teacher's doctrine." "Then, Sandaka, listen, pay careful attention, I will speak." "Yes, good sir," Sandaka the wanderer replied to Venerable Ānanda. Venerable Ānanda said this: "There are these four, Sandaka, ways of living unholy lives declared by the Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One. And four uncomforting holy lives have been declared, where a discerning person would not live the holy life, or living it, would not attain the method, the Dhamma, the wholesome." "But what are these four, good Ānanda, ways of living unholy lives declared by the Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, where a discerning person would not live the holy life, or living it, would not attain the method, the Dhamma, the wholesome?" 225. "Here, Sandaka, some teacher holds such a view, makes such a statement: 'There is no gift, no sacrifice, no offering. There is no fruit or result of good or bad deeds. There is no this world, no other world. There is no mother, no father. There are no spontaneously arisen beings. There are no ascetics or brahmins in the world who are rightly gone, rightly practiced, who, having directly known and realized this world and the other world themselves, proclaim it. This person is made of four great elements. When he dies, the earth element returns to the earth-body, it goes back to it. The water element returns to the water-body, it goes back to it. The fire element returns to the fire-body..." This (element) goes to, returns to (its own kind), wind goes to, returns to the wind-body, the faculties pass into space. Five men, with the bier as the fifth, carry the dead body, until the cremation ground, their footprints are seen. The bones become dove-colored. The offerings turn to ashes; this giving is a doctrine of givers. Their talk is empty, a false lament, whoever speaks of existence. Both fools and wise men, at the breaking up of the body, are cut off, perish, do not exist after death. There, Sandaka, a discerning person reflects thus: ‘This good teacher speaks thus, holds this view: There is no gift, no sacrifice, no offering. There is no fruit or result of good or bad deeds. There is no this world, no other world. There is no mother, no father. There are no spontaneously arisen beings. There are no recluses or brahmins in the world, rightly gone, rightly practiced, who, having realized and directly experienced this world and the other world themselves, proclaim it. This person is made of four great elements. When he dies, earth goes to, returns to the earth-body, water goes to, returns to the water-body, fire goes to, returns to the fire-body, wind goes to, returns to the wind-body, the faculties pass into space. Five men, with the bier as the fifth, carry the dead body, until the cremation ground, their footprints are seen. The bones become dove-colored. The offerings turn to ashes; this giving is a doctrine of givers. Their talk is empty, a false lament, whoever speaks of existence. Both fools and wise men, at the breaking up of the body, are cut off, perish, do not exist after death.’ If the word of this good teacher is true, what I have not done, I have done here. What I have not lived, I have lived here. Both of us here have attained equality, and I do not say, ‘Both of us, at the breaking up of the body, will be cut off, will perish, will not exist after death.’ Moreover, this good teacher’s nakedness, shaven head… I, who practice living in a hut, pulling out hair and beard, living in a bed crowded with children, enjoying Kāsī sandalwood, wearing garlands, perfumes, and ointments, accepting gold and silver, shall I be equal in practice with this venerable teacher? In the future, what knowing, what seeing, shall I lead the holy life under this teacher? 'This is an unholy way of life' – thus knowing, he becomes disenchanted with the holy life and departs. This, Sandaka, is the first unholy way of life declared by that Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, in which a wise person would not lead the holy life for himself, and if he did lead it, he would not attain the right, skillful Dhamma. 226. And further, Sandaka, some teacher here holds such a view, such a doctrine: 'For one who acts, causes to act, cuts, causes to cut, tortures, causes to torture, grieves, causes to grieve, wearies, causes to weary, trembles, causes to tremble, destroys life, takes what is not given, breaks into houses, plunders, commits burglary, stands on the highway, goes to another's wife, speaks falsehood – for one who acts, no evil is done. Even if, with a razor-sharp discus, one were to make all beings on this earth into a single heap of flesh, a single pile of flesh, there would be no evil from that cause, no coming of evil. Even if one were to go to the south bank of the Ganges, killing, causing to kill, cutting, causing to cut, torturing, causing to torture, there would be no evil from that cause, no 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 would be no merit from that cause, no coming of merit. By giving, by self-control, by restraint, by speaking truth, there is no merit, no coming of merit.' There, Sandaka, a wise person reflects thus: 'This venerable teacher holds such a view, such a doctrine – for one who acts, causes to act...' To one who cuts, to one who causes to cut, to one who cooks, to one who causes to cook, to one who grieves, to one who causes to grieve, to one who wearies, to one who causes to weary, to one who trembles, to one who causes to tremble, to one who takes life, to one who takes what is not given, to one who breaks into houses, to one who plunders, to one who commits burglary, to one who lies in wait on the highway, to one who goes to another's wife, to one who speaks falsehood, to one who acts, no evil is done. Even if with a razor-edged wheel one were to make of the living beings on this earth one mass of flesh, one heap of flesh, there is no evil from that cause, there is no coming of evil. Even if one were to go to the south bank of the Ganges, killing, slaying, cutting, causing to cut, cooking, causing to cook, there is no evil from that cause, there is no 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 no merit from that cause, there is no coming of merit. By giving, by self-control, by restraint, by speaking truth, there is no merit, there is no coming of merit.’ If this venerable teacher's word is true, then what I have not done is done, what I have not lived is lived. Both of us here are equal, having attained the same state, I who do not say, ‘For both of you who act, no evil is done.’ Moreover, this venerable teacher's nakedness, shaven head, squatting posture, plucking out of hair and beard, I who live in a bed crowded with children, enjoying Kasi sandalwood, wearing garlands, perfumes, and ointments, accepting gold and silver, will be equal in destiny with this venerable teacher. In the future, knowing what, seeing what, shall I lead the holy life under this teacher? ‘This is a dwelling of unholy life,’ thus knowing, one becomes disenchanted with that holy life and departs. This, Sandaka, is the second dwelling of unholy life declared by the Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, where a discerning person would not lead the holy life with confidence, and if he were to lead it, he would not attain the method, the Dhamma, the wholesome. 227. “Again And further, Sandaka, some teacher here holds such a view, proclaims such a doctrine: ‘There is no cause, no condition for the defilement of beings; without cause, without condition, beings are defiled. There is no cause, no condition for the purification of beings; without cause, without condition, beings are purified. There is no strength, no energy, no human might, no human effort. All beings, all creatures, all existences, all lives are powerless, without strength, without energy, determined by fate, by chance, by nature, experiencing pleasure and pain in the six classes of birth.’ Therein, Sandaka, a discerning person reflects thus: ‘This venerable teacher holds such a view, proclaims such a doctrine: “There is no cause, no condition for the defilement of beings; without cause, without condition, beings are defiled. There is no cause, no condition for the purification of beings; without cause, without condition, beings are purified. There is no strength, no energy, no human might, no human effort. All beings, all creatures, all existences, all lives are powerless, without strength, without energy, determined by fate, by chance, by nature, experiencing pleasure and pain in the six classes of birth.” If the word of this venerable teacher is true, then what I have not done is done, what I have not lived is lived. Both of us here have attained the same status, the same recluseship, I who do not say, “Both of us will be purified without cause, without condition.” Indeed, the nakedness, the shaved head, the squatting posture, the plucking out of hair and beard of this venerable teacher is superfluous, if I, dwelling in a bed crowded with children, enjoying Kasi sandalwood, wearing garlands, perfumes, and ointments, accepting gold and silver, will be on the same footing as this venerable teacher. Knowing what, seeing what, shall I lead the holy life under this teacher in the next world? ‘This is not a holy life’ –