English
May the good Gotama teach me the Dhamma in such a way that I may understand the detailed meaning of this brief statement of the good Gotama, the detailed meaning of what has not been explained." "Then, young man, listen, attend carefully; I shall speak." "Yes, good sir," Subha, the young man, son of Todeyya, replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: "Here, young man, a certain woman or man is a killer of living beings, cruel, with blood-stained hands, intent on striking and killing, without mercy towards living beings. Due to that kamma, thus completed, thus undertaken, with the breaking up of the body, after death, he reappears in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. If he does not reappear in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell, with the breaking up of the body, after death, if he comes to the human state, wherever he is reborn, he is short-lived. This, young man, is the path of practice that leads to being short-lived—that is, being a killer of living beings, cruel, with blood-stained hands, intent on striking and killing, without mercy towards living beings. "Here, however, young man, a certain woman or man, having abandoned the killing of living beings, abstains from the killing of living beings. He refrains, lays down rod, lays down weapon, is conscientious, compassionate, dwelling with kindness for the welfare of all living beings. By that action, thus completed, thus undertaken, with the breaking up of the body, after death, he reappears in a good destination, a heavenly world. If he does not reappear in a good destination, a heavenly world, with the breaking up of the body, after death, if he comes to human existence, wherever he is reborn, he is long-lived. This, young man, is the path that leads to long life: namely this – abandoning the taking of life, refraining from the taking of life, laying down rod, laying down weapon, being conscientious, compassionate, dwelling with kindness for the welfare of all living beings. 291. Here, young man, some woman or man is of a harmful nature to beings, with hand, or with clod, or with stick, or with weapon. By that action, thus completed, thus undertaken, with the breaking up of the body, after death, he reappears in a state of woe, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. If he does not reappear in a state of woe, a bad destination, a downfall, hell, with the breaking up of the body, after death, if he comes to human existence, wherever he is reborn, he is sickly. This, young man, is the path that leads to sickness: namely this – being of a harmful nature to beings with hand, or with clod, or with stick, or with weapon. But here, young man, some woman or man is of a non-harmful nature to beings with hand, or with clod, or with stick, or with weapon. By that action, thus completed, thus undertaken, with the breaking up of the body, after death, he reappears in a good destination, a heavenly world. If he does not reappear in a good destination, a heavenly world, with the breaking up of the body, after death, if he comes to human existence, wherever he is reborn, he is healthy. This, young man, is the path that leads to health: namely this – being of a non-harmful nature to beings with hand, or with clod, or with stick, or with weapon. 292. Here, young man, some woman or man is angry, full of vexation... full of vexation. Even when told a little, he gets angry, he gets upset, he gets annoyed, he gets resentful, he manifests anger, hatred, and displeasure. By that action, thus completed, thus undertaken, with the breaking up of the body, after death, he reappears in a state of woe, a bad destination, a downfall, in hell. If he does not reappear in a state of woe, a bad destination, a downfall, in hell, with the breaking up of the body, after death, if he comes to human existence, wherever he is reborn, he is ugly. This, young man, is the path that leads to ugliness, namely— he is angry, full of vexation; even when told a little, he gets angry, he gets upset, he gets annoyed, he gets resentful, he manifests anger, hatred, and displeasure. “Here, young man, some woman or man is not angry, not full of vexation; even when told a lot, he does not get angry, he does not get upset, he does not get annoyed, he does not get resentful, he does not manifest anger, hatred, or displeasure. By that action, thus completed, thus undertaken, with the breaking up of the body, after death, he reappears in a good destination, in the heavenly world. If he does not reappear in a good destination, in the heavenly world, with the breaking up of the body, after death, if he comes to human existence, wherever he is reborn, he is beautiful. This, young man, is the path that leads to beauty, namely— he is not angry, not full of vexation; even when told a lot, he does not get angry, he does not get upset, he does not get annoyed, he does not get resentful, he does not manifest anger, hatred, or displeasure. 293. “Here, young man, some woman or man is envious; he envies, he is hostile towards, he harbors envy for the gains, honors, respect, reverence, homage, and worship of others. By that action, thus completed, thus undertaken, with the breaking up of the body, after death, he reappears in a state of woe, a bad destination, a downfall, in hell. If he does not reappear in a state of woe, a bad destination, a downfall, in hell, with the breaking up of the body, after death, if he comes to human existence, wherever he is reborn, he is reborn of little influence. This, young man, is the path that leads to little influence – he is envious; he envies, is resentful, and binds himself with envy regarding others' gains, honors, respect, reverence, salutations, and offerings. But here, young man, some woman or man is not envious; they do not envy, are not resentful, and do not bind themselves with envy regarding others' gains, honors, respect, reverence, salutations, and offerings. By that action, thus completed, thus undertaken, with the breaking up of the body, after death, they are reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world. If, with the breaking up of the body, after death, they are not reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world, if they come to human existence, wherever they are reborn, they are of great influence. This, young man, is the path that leads to great influence – he is not envious; he does not envy, is not resentful, and does not bind himself with envy regarding others' gains, honors, respect, reverence, salutations, and offerings. 294. Here, young man, some woman or man is not a giver to a recluse or a brahmin of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, perfumes, ointments, beds, dwellings, or lamps. By that action, thus completed, thus undertaken, with the breaking up of the body, after death, they are reborn in a state of woe, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell. If, with the breaking up of the body, after death, they are not reborn in a state of woe, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell, if they come to human existence, wherever they are reborn, they are of little wealth. This, young man, is the path that leads to little wealth – he is not a giver to a recluse or a brahmin of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, perfumes, ointments, beds, dwellings, or lamps. But here, young man, some woman or man is a giver to a recluse or a brahmin of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, perfumes, ointments, beds, dwellings, or lamps. By that action, thus completed, thus undertaken, with the breaking up of the body, after death, they are reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world. If, after the body's breaking up, after death, he is not reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world, if he comes to human existence, wherever he is reborn, he is greatly wealthy. This, young man, is the path that leads to great wealth, namely – he is a giver to ascetics or brahmins of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, perfumes, ointments, beds, dwellings, and lamps. 295. Here, young man, some woman or man is stubborn and arrogant – does not greet those who should be greeted, does not rise for those who should be risen for, does not give a seat to those worthy of a seat, does not give way to those worthy of way, does not honor those who should be honored, does not respect those who should be respected, does not revere those who should be revered, does not worship those who should be worshipped. By that action, thus completed, thus undertaken, after the body's breaking up, after death, he is reborn in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. If, after the body's breaking up, after death, he is not reborn in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell, if he comes to human existence, wherever he is reborn, he is of low family. This, young man, is the path that leads to low family, namely – he is stubborn and arrogant; does not greet those who should be greeted, does not rise for those who should be risen for, does not give a seat to those worthy of a seat, does not give way to those worthy of way, does not honor those who should be honored, does not respect those who should be respected, does not revere those who should be revered, does not worship those who should be worshipped. Here again, young man, some woman or man is not stubborn and not arrogant; greets those who should be greeted, rises for those who should be risen for, gives a seat to those worthy of a seat, gives way to those worthy of way, honors those who should be honored, respects those who should be respected, reveres those who should be revered, worships those who should be worshipped. By that action, thus completed, thus undertaken, after the body's breaking up, after death, he is reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world. If, after the body's breaking up, after death, he is not reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world, if when he comes to human existence, wherever he is reborn,