English
The Discourse on Trades “Monks, these five trades should not be engaged in by a lay follower. Which five? Trade in weapons, trade in living beings, trade in meat, trade in intoxicants, trade in poisons— Monks, these five trades should not be engaged in by a lay follower.” The Seventh. 8. The Discourse on the King “What do you think, monks? Have you ever seen or heard that ‘this person, having abandoned the taking of life, abstains from the taking of life, he abstains from taking life. Do kings then seize him and because of his abstention from taking life kill him, or bind him, or banish him, or do with him as they please?” “No, venerable sir.” “Good, bhikkhus! Neither have I, bhikkhus, seen nor heard of this: ‘This man has abandoned taking life, he abstains from taking life. Kings then seize him and because of his abstention from taking life kill him, or bind him, or banish him, or do with him as they please.’ But rather, they declare his evil deed thus: ‘This man has deprived a woman or a man of life.’ Kings then seize him and because of taking life kill him, or bind him, or banish him, or do with him as they please. Have you ever seen or heard of such a thing?” “We have seen it, venerable sir, and we have heard it, and we will hear it.” “What do you think, bhikkhus? Have you ever seen or heard of this: ‘This man has abandoned taking what is not given, he abstains from taking what is not given. Do kings then seize him and because of his abstention from taking what is not given kill him, or bind him, or banish him, or do with him as they please?’” “No, venerable sir.” “Good, bhikkhus! Neither have I, bhikkhus, seen nor heard of this: ‘This man has abandoned taking what is not given, he abstains from taking what is not given. Kings then seize him and because of his abstention from taking what is not given kill him, or bind him, or banish him, or do with him as they please.’ But rather, they declare his evil deed thus: ‘This man has taken what was not given, by way of theft, from a village or a forest.’ Kings then seize him and because of taking what is not given kill him, or bind him, or banish him, or do with him as they please. Have you ever seen or heard of such a thing?” "By you, has such a thing been seen or heard?" "It has been seen by us, venerable sir, and heard, and will be heard." "What do you think, monks, has it been seen by you, or heard – ‘This person, having abandoned sexual misconduct, abstains from sexual misconduct. The kings, having seized him, on account of his abstinence from sexual misconduct, kill him, or bind him, or banish him, or do to him as they please’?" "No, venerable sir." "Good, monks! Indeed, by me too, monks, this has neither been seen nor heard – ‘This person, having abandoned sexual misconduct, abstains from sexual misconduct. The kings, having seized him, on account of his abstinence from sexual misconduct, kill him, or bind him, or banish him, or do to him as they please’." But rather, they declare his evil deed thus – ‘This person committed misconduct with other men’s wives, with other men’s daughters.’ The kings, having seized him, on account of sexual misconduct, kill him, or bind him, or banish him, or do to him as they please. Has such a thing been seen by you or heard?" "It has been seen by us, venerable sir, and heard, and will be heard." "What do you think, monks, has it been seen by you, or heard – ‘This person, having abandoned false speech, abstains from false speech. The kings, having seized him, on account of his abstinence from false speech, kill him, or bind him, or banish him, or do to him as they please’?" "No, venerable sir." "Good, monks! Indeed, by me too, monks, this has neither been seen nor heard – ‘This person, having abandoned false speech, abstains from false speech. The kings, having seized him, on account of his abstinence from false speech, kill him, or bind him, or banish him, or do to him as they please’." But rather, they declare his evil deed thus – ‘This person, by false speech, ruined the affairs of a householder or a householder’s son." Then kings, having seized him, on account of false speech, kill him, or bind him, or banish him, or do to him as they deem fit. Have you seen or heard of such a thing? "We have seen, Venerable Sir, and heard, and will hear." "What do you think, monks, have you seen or heard – 'This person, having abandoned the occasion for heedlessness through fermented and distilled liquors, abstains from the occasion for heedlessness through fermented and distilled liquors. Then kings, having seized him, on account of his abstinence from the occasion for heedlessness through fermented and distilled liquors, kill him, or bind him, or banish him, or do to him as they deem fit?'" "No, Venerable Sir." "Good, monks! Neither have I, monks, seen or heard – 'This person, having abandoned the occasion for heedlessness through fermented and distilled liquors, abstains from the occasion for heedlessness through fermented and distilled liquors. Then kings, having seized him, on account of his abstinence from the occasion for heedlessness through fermented and distilled liquors, kill him, or bind him, or banish him, or do to him as they deem fit.'" But rather, they declare his evil deed thus – 'This person, addicted to the occasion for heedlessness through fermented and distilled liquors, deprived a woman or a man of life; this person, addicted to the occasion for heedlessness through fermented and distilled liquors, took what was not given, reckoned as theft, from a village or a forest; this person, addicted to the occasion for heedlessness through fermented and distilled liquors, engaged in misconduct with others' wives or others' maidens; this person, addicted to the occasion for heedlessness through fermented and distilled liquors, ruined the wealth of a householder or a householder's son with false speech.' Then kings, having seized him, on account of the occasion for heedlessness through fermented and distilled liquors, kill him, or bind him, or banish him, or do to him as they deem fit. Have you seen or heard of such a thing? "We have seen, Venerable Sir, and heard, and will hear." The Eighth. 9. The Householder Discourse Then Anāthapiṇḍika the householder, surrounded by some five hundred lay followers, approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Then the Blessed One addressed Venerable Sāriputta: “Whatever lay follower, Sāriputta, clad in white, you might know to be restrained in conduct by the five training rules, and to be a willing recipient, an unhindered recipient, an unburdened recipient of the four exalted mental states that are pleasant abiding in this very life— such a one, if they wish, could declare of themselves: ‘I am one whose hell is destroyed, whose animal birth is destroyed, whose realm of hungry ghosts is destroyed, whose states of woe, bad destinations, and downfall are destroyed. I am a stream-enterer, not subject to downfall, certain of liberation, bound for enlightenment.’ “In which five training rules is one restrained in conduct? Here, Sāriputta, a noble disciple abstains from taking life, abstains from taking what is not given, abstains from sexual misconduct, abstains from false speech, abstains from distilled and fermented liquors, which are the basis of heedlessness. In these five training rules is one restrained in conduct. “Of which four exalted mental states that are pleasant abiding in this very life is one a willing recipient, an unhindered recipient, an unburdened recipient? Here, Sāriputta, a noble disciple is endowed with unwavering faith in the Buddha: ‘Indeed, that Blessed One is an Arahant, perfectly enlightened, endowed with knowledge and conduct, fortunate, knower of the world, unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One.’ This is their first exalted mental state, a pleasant abiding in this very life, attained for the purification of an unpurified mind, for the cleansing of an uncleansed mind. “Furthermore, Sāriputta, a noble disciple is endowed with unwavering faith in the Dhamma: ‘The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One, directly visible, timeless, inviting one to come and see, leading inwards, to be personally experienced by the wise.’ This is their second exalted mental state, a pleasant abiding in this very life. is attained for the purification of an impure mind, for the cleansing of an unpurified mind. “Again, furthermore, Sāriputta, the noble disciple is endowed with unwavering faith in the Saṅgha: ‘The Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples is practicing well; the Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples is practicing uprightly; the Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples is practicing for the sake of wisdom; the Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples is practicing properly; that is, the four pairs of persons, the eight individual persons— this Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples is worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world.’ This is his third mental abiding in a pleasant dwelling in this very life, attained for the purification of an impure mind, for the cleansing of an unpurified mind. “Again, furthermore, Sāriputta, the noble disciple is endowed with virtues dear to the noble ones: unbroken, untorn, unblemished, unspotted, liberating, praised by the wise, ungrasped, conducive to concentration. This is his fourth mental abiding in a pleasant dwelling in this very life, attained for the purification of an impure mind, for the cleansing of an unpurified mind. He is a willing recipient, an unhindered recipient, an unburdened recipient of these four mental abidings in a pleasant dwelling in this very life. “Whatever householder, Sāriputta, you might know, clothed in white, whose actions are restrained in these five training rules,