English
Endowed with these ten qualities, bhikkhus, a female lay follower lives at home without confidence. Endowed with ten qualities, bhikkhus, a female lay follower lives at home with confidence. Which ten? She abstains from killing living beings… She abstains from taking what is not given… She abstains from sexual misconduct… She abstains from false speech… She abstains from divisive speech… She abstains from harsh speech… She abstains from idle chatter… She is not covetous… she is not cruel... she is of a mind free from ill-will... she is of right view... Monks, an lay follower endowed with these ten qualities lives in a home with confidence." The Fifth. 6. The Discourse on Creeping "Monks, I will teach you the discourse on the creeping way. Listen to it, attend carefully; I will speak." "Yes, venerable sir," those monks replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: "And what, monks, is the discourse on the creeping way? Beings, monks, are owners of their kamma, heirs of their kamma, born of their kamma, bound by their kamma, have kamma as their refuge. Whatever kamma they do—good or bad—of that they are heirs. "Here, monks, some person is a killer of living beings, fierce, with blood-stained hands, intent on striking and killing, without compassion for all living creatures. He creeps with the body, he creeps with speech, he creeps with mind. His bodily action is crooked, his verbal action is crooked, his mental action is crooked, his destination is crooked, his rebirth is crooked. "And for one whose destination is crooked, monks, whose rebirth is crooked, I declare one of two destinations: either the hells, which are entirely suffering, or the animal realm, which is of creeping birth. And what, monks, is that animal realm of creeping birth? Snakes, scorpions, centipedes, mongooses, cats, mice, owls, or any other creatures of the animal realm who creep when they see humans. Thus, monks, there is the rebirth of what has come to be. What one does, by that one is reborn. Having been reborn, contacts touch him. Thus, monks, I say, 'Beings are heirs of their kamma.' "Here, monks, some person is a taker of what is not given... he is a wrongdoer in sensual pleasures... he is a speaker of falsehoods... he is a speaker of divisive speech... he is a speaker of harsh speech... he is a speaker of idle chatter... he is covetous... he is of a mind full of ill-will... he is of wrong view, holding a perverted outlook— 'There is no giving... there is no self..." having realized by direct knowledge, they declare. He creeps with the body, he creeps with speech, he creeps with the mind. His bodily action is crooked, his verbal action is crooked, his mental action is crooked, his destination is crooked, his rebirth is crooked. For one with a crooked destination, monks, with a crooked rebirth, I declare one of two destinations: either the hells of unmitigated suffering, or the animal realm of creeping creatures. And what, monks, is that animal realm of creeping creatures? Snakes, scorpions, centipedes, mongooses, cats, mice, owls, or any other creatures of the animal realm who, seeing humans, creep. Thus, monks, a being's rebirth is of that being; by what one does, by that one is reborn. Having been reborn, contacts touch him. Thus, monks, I say, 'Beings are heirs of their actions.' Beings, monks, are owners of their actions, heirs of their actions, born of their actions, bound by their actions, supported by their actions. Whatever action they do— whether good or bad— of that they are the heirs. Here, monks, someone, having abandoned the taking of life, abstains from the taking of life; he has laid down rod and weapon, he is conscientious, compassionate, dwelling with sympathy for the welfare of all living beings. He does not creep with the body, he does not creep with speech, he does not creep with the mind. His bodily action is straight, his verbal action is straight, his mental action is straight, his destination is straight, his rebirth is straight. For one with a straight destination, monks, with a straight rebirth, I declare one of two destinations: either the heavens of unmitigated happiness, or those high families, families of wealthy khattiyas, or families of wealthy brahmins, or families of wealthy householders, rich, with great wealth, with great possessions, with abundant gold and silver, with abundant property and goods, with abundant grain and produce. Thus, monks, a being's rebirth is of that being; by what one does, by that one is reborn. Having been reborn, contacts touch him. Thus, monks, I ‘Beings are heirs of their kamma,’ I say. Here, monks, some abandon taking what is not given, and abstain from taking what is not given… …they abstain from sexual misconduct… …they abandon false speech, and abstain from false speech… …they abandon divisive speech, and abstain from divisive speech… …they abandon harsh speech, and abstain from harsh speech… …they abandon idle chatter, and abstain from idle chatter… …they are not covetous… …they are not malevolent in mind… …they have right view, an unperverted vision – ‘There is what is given… …those who, having directly known and realized this world and the other world themselves, proclaim them.’ They do not wriggle with the body, they do not wriggle with speech, they do not wriggle with the mind. Their bodily action is straight, their verbal action is straight, their mental action is straight, their going is straight, their rebirth is straight. For one whose going is straight, monks, whose rebirth is straight, I declare one of two destinies: either the heavens of unalloyed happiness, or those high families: families of great wealthy khattiyas, or families of great wealthy brahmins, or families of great wealthy householders, rich, with great wealth, with great possessions, with abundant gold and silver, with abundant means of sustenance, with abundant grain and corn. Thus, monks, there is the rebirth of what has come to be. By what one does, one is reborn. Having been reborn, contacts touch them. Thus, monks, I say, ‘Beings are heirs of their kamma.’ Beings are owners of their kamma, monks, heirs of their kamma, born of their kamma, bound by their kamma, have kamma as their refuge. Whatever kamma they perform – whether good or bad – of that they will be heirs. This, monks, is the discourse on wriggling, the discourse on the Dhamma. Sixth. 7. First Discourse on Intentional Actions I do not say, monks, that intentional actions, performed and accumulated, will come to an end without being experienced. And that, either in this very life, or in the next… But I do not say, monks, that there is an end to suffering without experiencing the results of intentional actions that have been done and accumulated. There, monks, three kinds of bodily misconduct, unwholesome and intentional, lead to suffering, and have painful results; four kinds of verbal misconduct, unwholesome and intentional, lead to suffering, and have painful results; three kinds of mental misconduct, unwholesome and intentional, lead to suffering, and have painful results. And how, monks, are there three kinds of bodily misconduct, unwholesome and intentional, leading to suffering, and having painful results? Here, monks, someone is a killer of living beings, fierce, with bloody hands, given to striking and wounding, without compassion for all living creatures. He is a taker of what is not given. Whatever is another's property or belongings, whether in the village or in the wilderness, that which is not given, considered as theft, he takes. He is a wrongdoer in sensual pleasures. Those women who are protected by their mother, protected by their father, protected by their parents, protected by their brother, protected by their sister, protected by their relatives, protected by the Dhamma, who have a husband, who are subject to punishment, even those garlanded by a husband, with such he engages in misconduct. Thus, monks, are there three kinds of bodily misconduct, unwholesome and intentional, leading to suffering, and having painful results. And how, monks, are there four kinds of verbal misconduct, unwholesome and intentional, leading to suffering, and having painful results? Here, monks, someone is a speaker of falsehoods. Having gone to an assembly, or to a gathering, or among relatives, or among a guild, or among royalty, being brought forward and questioned as a witness: 'Come, good man, tell what you know!' He, not knowing, says 'I know,' or knowing, says 'I don't know,' or not seeing, says 'I see,' or seeing, says 'I don't see.' Thus, for his own sake, or for another's sake, or for some trifling material gain, he knowingly speaks a lie. He is a slanderer. Having heard here, he tells there for their division, or having heard there, he tells here for their division. Thus, he is a splitter of the united, or an encourager of the divided. He delights in factions, rejoices in factions, enjoys factions, he speaks words that cause division. He is harsh-tongued. That speech is rough, coarse, hurtful to others, abusive to others, bordering on anger. It is not conducive to concentration. He speaks such speech. He is a frivolous talker, speaking at the wrong time, speaking what is not true, speaking what is not beneficial, speaking what is not Dhamma, speaking what is not Vinaya. He speaks speech that is not worth treasuring, at the wrong time, without reason, without limit, not connected with benefit. Thus, monks, these four kinds of verbal misconduct, born of unwholesome intention, lead to suffering, result in suffering. And how, monks, are there three kinds of mental misconduct, born of unwholesome intention, leading to suffering, resulting in suffering? Here, monks, someone is covetous. Whatever belongs to others, the wealth and possessions of others, he covets it – 'Oh, if only what belongs to others were mine!' He has a malevolent mind, a corrupted intention –