English
The Foundation of the Teaching 89. Where are the eighteen root terms to be seen? In the Foundation of the Teaching. What is the Foundation of the Teaching? The discourse leading to defilement, the discourse leading to latent tendencies, the discourse leading to penetration, the discourse leading to the state of no-more-learning, the discourse leading to defilement and latent tendencies, the discourse leading to defilement and penetration, the discourse leading to defilement and the state of no-more-learning, the discourse leading to defilement, penetration, and the state of no-more-learning, the discourse leading to defilement, latent tendencies, and penetration, the discourse leading to latent tendencies and penetration, the discourse leading to defilement of craving, the discourse leading to defilement of views, the discourse leading to defilement of bad conduct, the discourse leading to purification from craving, the discourse leading to purification from views, the discourse leading to purification from bad conduct. Therein, defilement is threefold: defilement of craving, defilement of views, defilement of bad conduct. Therein, the defilement of craving is purified by tranquility; that tranquility is the aggregate of concentration. The defilement of views is purified by insight; that insight is the aggregate of wisdom. The defilement of bad conduct is purified by good conduct; that good conduct is the aggregate of morality. For one established in morality, if attachment arises to existences, then this tranquility and insight becomes a basis for meritorious deeds through development, leading to rebirth there. These four discourses, when made common, become eight; those same eight discourses, when made common, become sixteen. By these sixteen discourses, when differentiated, nine kinds of discourses are differentiated. A verse should be inferred from a verse, an exposition should be inferred from an exposition, a discourse should be inferred from a discourse. 90. Therein, what is the discourse leading to defilement? Blinded by desires, covered by a net, veiled by the covering of craving; Bound by the fetters of heedlessness, like fish in the mouth of a trap; Old age and death follow, as a calf follows its mother for milk. This is a discourse leading to defilement. These four, monks, are wrong courses of action. Which four? One goes by way of desire, one goes by way of hatred, one goes by way of delusion, one goes by way of fear. These, monks, are the four wrong courses of action. This the Blessed One said, having said this, the Fortunate One, then further said this, the Teacher – By desire, hatred, fear, delusion, whoever transgresses the Dhamma; his fame declines, like the moon in the dark fortnight. This is a discourse leading to defilement. Mind precedes phenomena, mind is chief, mind-made are they. If with a corrupted mind, one speaks or acts; then suffering follows him, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox. This is a discourse leading to defilement. When one is sluggish and a great eater, a sleeper, rolling about in bed; like a great hog fed on swill, the dullard repeatedly enters the womb. This is a discourse leading to defilement. As rust arises from iron, and having arisen from it, consumes it; so for one who is excessively impure, his own deeds lead him to a woeful state. This is a discourse leading to defilement. As a thief caught at the break-in, is tormented and bound by his own deed; so this populace, having passed away, in the other world, is tormented and bound by its own deed. This is a discourse leading to defilement. Beings who desire happiness, whoever harms them with a rod; seeking his own happiness, after death he does not obtain happiness. This is a discourse leading to defilement. If among cattle hurrying along, the bull goes crookedly; all of them go crookedly, when the leader has gone crookedly. Even so Among humans, whoever is considered the best; If he practices unrighteousness, how much more so other people; The whole kingdom lies in suffering, if the king is unrighteous. This is a discourse leading to defilement. These humans, who are difficult to sustain, do evil, attached to their possessions; They go to a place where many people gather, to Avīci hell, bitter and fearful. This is a discourse leading to defilement. Indeed, its fruit kills the banana, its fruit kills the bamboo, its fruit kills the reed; Honor kills the bad person, just as the fetus kills the mule. This is a discourse leading to defilement. A monk who is devoted to anger and ingratitude, devoted to gain and honor; Like a rotten seed in a good field, does not grow in the True Dhamma. This is a discourse leading to defilement. Here, monks, I discern with my mind, having encompassed the mind of a certain individual whose mind is corrupted, (how this individual behaves, what path he has entered upon, and what way he has ascended). If this individual were to die at this time, he would be cast into hell, just as he was brought there. For what reason? Because his mind, monks, is corrupted. Due to the corruption of mind, monks, some beings here, at the breaking up of the body, after death, are reborn in a state of woe, a bad destination, a downfall, in hell. The Blessed One spoke this meaning, and there it is said thus: Having known a certain individual here whose mind is corrupted; The Buddha declared this meaning in the presence of the monks: If this individual were to die at this time; He would be reborn in hell, for his mind is corrupted; For due to the corruption of mind, beings go to a bad destination. Just as he was brought, so would such a one be cast; At the breaking up of the body. From this, the foolish one is reborn in hell. This meaning too was spoken by the Blessed One, thus I have heard. This is a discourse leading to defilement. "If you fear suffering, If suffering is unpleasant to you; Do not do evil deeds, Openly or secretly. But if evil deeds, You will do or you do; There is no escape for you from suffering, Even if you arrive and flee." This is a discourse leading to defilement. "Having gained wealth by unrighteousness, And by falsehood, both; 'This is mine,' fools think, How will that be? Obstacles will surely arise, What is gathered will perish; Having died, they do not go to heaven, Are they not ruined by this much?" This is a discourse leading to defilement. "How does one dig up oneself? How does one wear out friends? How does one turn away from the Dhamma? How does one not go to heaven? By greed one digs up oneself, The greedy one wears out friends; By greed one turns away from the Dhamma, By greed one does not go to heaven." This is a discourse leading to defilement. "Fools, unintelligent ones, wander, As if by an enemy, by themselves; Doing evil deeds, Which have bitter fruit. That deed is not well done, Which, having done, one repents; Of which, with tearful face, weeping, One experiences the result." This is a discourse leading to defilement. "Difficult to do and difficult to endure, Is the ascetic life for the unskilled; Many indeed are the obstacles there, Where the fool sinks down. Whoever indeed, while the Tathagata Is speaking meaning and Dhamma; The fool defiles his mind, Vain indeed is his life. And I deserve this suffering, And worse than this, venerable sir; Who, not free from lust, Defile my mind towards the immeasurable Tathagatas." This is a discourse leading to defilement. "Measuring the immeasurable, How would a wise one conceive? The immeasurable, measuring... I think that is covered, not uncovered. This is a discourse leading to defilement. Indeed, for a man born, An axe is born in his mouth; With which the fool cuts himself, Speaking ill-spoken words. No sharp weapon, Nor poison like halāhala, Strikes one so wrongly, As ill-spoken words do. This is a discourse leading to defilement. 92. Whoever praises what is blameworthy, Or blames what is praiseworthy, He gathers misfortune with his mouth, By that misfortune he finds no happiness. Small is this misfortune, The loss of wealth in dice games; Even with all one's possessions and oneself, This misfortune is much greater: Whoever pollutes his mind towards the well-gone ones. A hundred thousand nirabbudas, And thirty-six and five abbudas; To which the blamer of noble ones goes to hell, Having set his speech and mind on evil. This is a discourse leading to defilement. Whoever is devoted to the qualities of greed, He abuses others with his speech; Faithless, stingy, ungrateful, Envious, devoted to slander. Evil-mouthed, disgraced, ignoble, Deceiver, wicked, doer of evil deeds; Worst of men, degenerate son, Do not speak much here, you are bound for hell. You scatter dust for your own harm, You blame the peaceful, you doer of evil; Having committed many bad deeds, You will surely go to ruin for a long time. This is a discourse leading to defilement. Among these, which is the discourse leading to purification? Mind is the forerunner of all mental states, Mind is their chief, they are mind-made; If with a pure mind, One speaks or acts; Then happiness follows him, Like a shadow that never leaves. This is a discourse leading to purification. 93. Mahānāma the Sakyan said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, this..." Kapilavatthu is prosperous and fertile, full of people, crowded and bustling. So, venerable sir, when I, having attended upon the Blessed One or upon mind-developing bhikkhus, enter Kapilavatthu in the evening, I encounter, venerable sir, an elephant, I encounter, venerable sir, a horse, I encounter, venerable sir, a chariot, I encounter, venerable sir, a cart, I encounter, venerable sir, a man. At that time, venerable sir, my mindfulness regarding the Blessed One is lost, my mindfulness regarding the Dhamma is lost, my mindfulness regarding the Sangha is lost. Then, venerable sir, it occurs to me: