Aṅguttara Nikāya
Catukka Nipāta
X: Asura Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fours
Chapter X: Asuras
Sutta 99
Sikkhāpada Suttaɱ
Precepts
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī.
Then the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," they replied, and the Exalted One said:
"Monks, these four persons are found existing in the world.
What four?
He who is bent, on his own profit,
not another's;
he who is bent on another's profit,
not his own;
he who is bent on the profit of both;
he who is bent on the profit of neither.
And how, monks, is a person
bent on his own profit, not another's?
Herein a certain person,
as regards himself,
abstains from killing,
but does not incite another to do so;
as regards himself,
abstains from stealing,
but does not incite another to do so;
as regards himself,
abstains from wrong conduct in sense-desires,
but does not incite another to do so;
as regards himself,
abstains from lying,
but does not incite another to do so;
as regards himself,
abstains from liquor fermented and distilled,
but does not incite another so to abstain.
Thus a person is bent on his own profit,
not another's
And how, monks, is a person
bent on another's profit,
not his own?
Herein a certain person
does not himself
abstain from killing,
but does incite another to do so;
does not himself,
abstain from stealing,
but does incite another to do so;
does not himself,
abstain from wrong conduct in sense-desires,
but does incite another to do so;
does not himself,
abstain from lying,
but does incite another to do so;
does not himself,
abstain from liquor fermented and distilled,
but does incite another so to abstain.
Thus a person bent on another's profit,
not his own
And how, monks, is a person bent
neither on his own
nor on another's profit?
Herein a certain person
neither himself abstains
nor incites another to abstain from killing
neither himself abstains
nor incites another to abstain from stealing,
neither himself abstains
nor incites another to abstain from wrong conduct in sense-desires,
neither himself abstains
nor incites another to abstain from lying,
neither himself abstains
nor incites another to abstain from liquor fermented and distilled.
Thus a person is bent
neither on his own
nor on another's profit
And how, monks, is a person bent
both on his own profit
and another's?
Herein a certain person
both himself abstains from killing
and incites another to do so,
both himself abstains from stealing,
and incites another to do so,
both himself abstains from from wrong conduct in sense-desires,
and incites another to do so,
both himself abstains from lying,
and incites another to do so,
both himself abstains from liquor fermented and distilled
and incites another to do so.
Thus a person is bent
both on his own profit
and another's
So these, monks, are the four persons found existing in the world.'
