English
The interpretation should be made in the reverse manner of what is stated in the wholesome side. This kind of passage, "Your gains, monks," and so on, is called 'result' because it functions as an indicator and announcer of the result. Sirs, for us who are burning in hell, sixty thousand years have been completed with our constant sinking and rising. When, at what time, will the end and conclusion of hell be? There is no end and conclusion to hell. How can there be an end and conclusion to hell? The end and conclusion of hell is not seen by us. Sirs, because when you and I were born as sons of a rich merchant, evil was done by you and by me in various ways, therefore the end and conclusion of hell is not seen by us— this passage is called 'result' because it functions as an indicator and announcer of the result. (13) 121. Because an unrighteous person is negligent in wholesome states, therefore, wherever that unrighteous, negligent person goes, to whatever bad destination he goes, that very unrighteous deed done by him destroys that unrighteous person who goes there. How does it destroy? Just as a black snake caught by oneself destroys the person who catches it, even so, the unrighteous deed done by oneself destroys that unrighteous person. The meaning of the verse beginning "Indeed, neither Dhamma nor unrighteousness" is clear. These two suttas are both 'deed' and 'result' because they function as indicators and announcers of both deed and result. Monks, you Do not be afraid of merits. Monks, what is called "merits" this word "merits" is a designation for what is wished for, desired, dear, pleasing, for happiness, for deeds that produce happy results. Monks, I know that merits performed for a long time have been experienced for a long time as wished for, desired, dear, pleasing. If you were to ask, "How do you know?" Formerly, having cultivated a mind of loving-kindness, a mind of second jhāna accompanied by loving-kindness, for seven years, for seven aeons of contraction and expansion, I did not return to this human world. It should be understood that "seven aeons of contraction and expansion" means that the term "contraction" includes the period of contraction and stability, and "expansion" includes the period of expansion and stability. The same applies to other instances. Monks, in an aeon of contraction, I attained the Abhassara realm. In an aeon of expansion, I was reborn in an empty Brahma-vimāna. Monks, being reborn there, in that Brahma-vimāna, because of that rebirth, I became a Brahmā. I was an Overpowerer, overpowering others with great power. I was an Unoverpowered Great Brahmā, not overpowered by others. Indeed, I was entirely a Master, a Wielder of Power. Monks, I was Sakka, king of the gods, thirty-six times. I was a righteous king of righteousness, a universal monarch, a victorious conqueror of the four quarters, established in the stability of the country, endowed with the seven treasures such as the wheel-gem, hundreds of times. What need to speak of being a regional king? Monks, when I was such a universal monarch, this thought occurred to me: "By what fruit, by what result, am I now so mighty, so powerful? The fruit is the fruit of what deed? This result is the result of what deed?" This thought occurred to me. Monks, as I was reflecting, this thought occurred to me: "By what fruit, by what result..." Oh, I am now so mighty, so powerful. This result that has come to me is indeed the fruit of three actions. This outcome is indeed the result of three actions. What are these three actions whose fruit is this outcome? Of giving, of self-control, of restraint— this is the fruit, the outcome of these three actions. This was the reflection, so it is said, so it is explained. In that Sutta beginning with "Monks, do not fear meritorious deeds," whatever giving there is, whatever self-control there is, whatever restraint there is, this triad of giving, etc., is action (kamma). And the Sutta that speaks of and makes known these is also called action (kamma). The condition for that, the condition for that action, the result that has arisen due to that condition, that which is experienced, this result should also be included in the outcome (vipāka). This outcome, and the passage that speaks of and makes known this, is also called outcome (vipāka). The Cūḷakammavibhaṅga (Sutta), which is a detailed analysis of the diversity of the outcomes of actions, should be explained in the same way. The Sutta taught by the Blessed One to the young man Subha, son of Todeyya: in that Sutta, it is said that actions like taking life, etc., lead to short life or long life; actions like harming, etc., lead to much sickness or little sickness; actions like envy, etc., lead to little influence or great influence; actions like anger, etc., lead to ill-favored appearance or good appearance; actions like disrespect, etc., lead to low birth or high birth; actions like stinginess, etc., lead to little wealth or great wealth; actions like not paying attention, etc., lead to dull wisdom or great wisdom. This sevenfold group of actions beginning with taking life is action (kamma). And the Sutta that speaks of and makes known these is also called action (kamma). In that Subha Sutta, the short life or long life mentioned... (and so on)... the dull wisdom or great wisdom mentioned, this short life or long life, etc., is the outcome (vipāka). And the passage that speaks of and makes known this is also outcome (vipāka). This Subha Sutta, because it functions as speaking of and making known both wholesome and unwholesome actions and their outcomes, is both action (kamma) and outcome (vipāka). (14) 122. The person who, by avoiding misconduct in speech, speaks... He should be guarded, by not producing covetousness and so on, he should be restrained in mind, by abandoning the taking of life and so on, he should not do unwholesome deeds with his body, thus, these three paths of action he should purify. That person attains the path proclaimed by the sages, the noble eightfold path. This discourse, beginning with "guarded in speech," is called wholesome, because it proceeds as an expounder and indicator of wholesome things. The person for whom there is no bad deed with the body, no bad deed with speech, no bad deed with the mind, that person, restrained in these three places of arising, I call a "brahmin." This verse is called wholesome, in the manner explained. "These three, monks... ...are roots of wholesome things." This statement is wholesome, in the manner explained. Monks, for the attainment of wholesome states, knowledge is the forerunner, and shame and fear of wrongdoing follow after. This statement is called wholesome, in the manner explained. Just as the Māluvā creeper causes the Sāla tree, bent down, to fall to the ground, so too, the person who has extreme immorality in two or three existences, that person makes himself manifest, bent down, in the lower realms. Just as a person desiring harm wishes for harm, and does harm, so too, such an immoral person brings harm upon himself. This statement, beginning with "whose," is unwholesome, in the manner explained. Just as a diamond, a jewel of stone, crushes a rock, so too, the evil deed, born of oneself, arising from oneself, done by oneself, crushes the foolish person who does evil. This statement, beginning with "by oneself indeed," is unwholesome, in the manner explained. Devas, devoid of wholesome deeds, having practiced the ten unwholesome paths of action, become blameworthy, and the foolish, dull-witted ones return to the hells. This "da The discourse beginning with "the path of action" is unwholesome in the manner stated. This saying, "These three, monks... the roots of unwholesomeness," is unwholesome in the manner stated. (15) Just as whatever seed one sows, that seed bears such a fruit, so too, the wise doer of good bears good fruit, and the foolish doer of evil bears evil fruit. Therein, in the discourse beginning with "just as," the saying "the doer of good, good" is wholesome. And the saying "the doer of evil, evil" is unwholesome. This pair of sayings is both wholesome and unwholesome in the manner stated. Good people, doers of good, go to a good destination by wholesome action. Evil people, doers of evil, go to states of woe by unwholesome action. Through the destruction of action, of action accompanied by volitional formations and consciousness, through its complete cessation, those good people, with minds liberated, with minds liberated by cutting off, by tranquility, are extinguished from the unwholesome. How are they extinguished? Just as a flame is extinguished when the fuel is exhausted, so too, those good people are extinguished through the complete and utter destruction of action. Therein, in that verse-saying beginning with "by wholesome," the saying "by wholesome... to a good destination" is called wholesome because it functions as a speaker and indicator of the wholesome. And the saying "to states of woe by unwholesome action" is called unwholesome because it functions as a speaker and indicator of the unwholesome. This verse-saying beginning with "by wholesome" is both wholesome and unwholesome in the manner stated. (16) 123. This verse-saying, "Just as a bee a flower... a sage should wander," is called permitted because it functions as a speaker and indicator of permitted conduct. A bee is a bee, a honey-maker, that wanders by way of drinking and taking flower nectar. Taking the flower nectar, it becomes slow-moving, and the flower, its color, its scent... and without destroying it, having drunk the flower essence as much as it needs, and having taken the flower essence to make honey, it goes to a grove to make honey. The color and fragrance of the flowers remain natural. Just so, a monk, entering a village for alms, generating a pleasing sight, a pleasing gaze, a pleasing walk, a pleasing stand, and so on,