Aṇguttara Nikāya
Catukka Nipāta
XXIV: Kamma Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fours
Chapter XXIV: The Deed

Sutta 233

Tatiya Kamma Suttaṃ

Soṇa-Kāyana

Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.

Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[239]

[1] Thus have I heard:

On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī.

Now Sikha^[1] Moggallāna, the brahmin, came to visit the Exalted One, and on coming to him greeted him courteously.

[240]Having greeted him courteously he took a seat at one side.

As he sat at one side Sikha Moggallāna the brahmin said this to the Exalted One:

'Friend Gotama, the other day or a few days ago the youth Soṇa-Kāyana came to me and said:

"Gotama the recluse proclaims the ineffectiveness of all deeds.^[2]

In doing so, sir,^[3] he has uttered annihilation of the world.

Why, sir, it is in deed that the world is real.^[4]

It persists in (man's) continual effort in his deeds!"'^[5]

■

'For my part, brahmin, I know not the youth Soṇa-Kāyana even by sight.

Whence then such a talk (by me)?

Now, brahmin, these four deeds I have myself comprehended,
realized
and made known.

What four?

There is a dark deed
with a dark result;
a bright deed
with a bright result;
a deed that is both dark and bright,
with a dark and bright result;
and the deed that is neither dark nor bright,
with a result neither dark nor bright,
which being itself a deed
conduces to the waning of deeds.

 

§

 

And of what sort, brahmin
is the deed that is dark,
with a dark result?

In this case, brahmin a certain one
plans planned bodily action
joined with harm
plans planned action of speech,
joined with harm,
plans planned action of thought,
joined with harm.

He thus planning harmful action of body,
planning harmful action of speech
planning harmful action of thought,
is born into a world that is harmful.

Thus born into a harmful world,
harmful contacts contact him.

Thus touched by harmful contacts
he feels feeling that is harmful,
that is sheer pain,
just as do beings in purgatory.

This, brahmin is called
"the dark deed with a dark result."

■

And of what sort, brahmin
is the bright deed
with the bright result?

In this case, brahmin a certain one
plans planned bodily action
that is not joined with harm
plans planned action of speech,
that is not joined with harm,
plans planned action of thought,
that is not joined with harm.

He thus planning harmless action of body,
planning harmless action of speech
planning harmless action of thought,
is born into a world that is harmless.

So born into a harmless world
harmless contacts touch him.

He, thus touched by harmless contacts,
experiences feeling that is harmless,
utter bliss,
such as do the Ever-radiant devas.

This, brahmin is called
"the bright deed with a bright result."

■

And of what sort, brahmin
is the deed that is both dark and bright,
with a result that is both dark and bright?

In this case, brahmin a certain one
plans planned bodily action
that is joined with harm and harmlessness,
plans planned action of speech,
that is joined with harm and harmlessness,
plans planned action of thought,
that is joined with harm and harmlessness.

He thus planning action of body,
that is both harmful and harmless
planning harmless action of speech
that is both harmful and harmless
planning harmless action of thought,
that is both harmful and harmless
is born into a world
that is both harmful and harmless.

Touched by contacts
both harmful and harmless
he experiences feeling
that is both harmful and harmless,
a mixture of pleasure and pain,
such as for instance some humans,
some devas,
and some dwellers in purgatory feel.

This, brahmin is called
"the deed that is both dark and bright,
with a result that is both dark and bright."

■

And of what sort, brahmin
is the deed that is neither dark nor bright,
with a result that is neither dark nor bright,
which, itself a deed,
conduces to the waning of deeds?

In this case, brahmin
the intention to abandon this dark deed
with its dark result,
the intention to abandon this bright deed
with its bright result,
the intention to abandon this deed both dark and bright
with a its result both dark and bright, -
this intention is called
"the deed that is neither dark nor bright,
with a result that is neither dark nor bright,
which, itself a deed,
conduces to the waning of deeds."

These four deeds I have myself comprehended,
realized
and made known."

 

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^[1] 'On the crown of his head he had a great tuft.' Comy. Cf. Moliya of S. ii, 13.

^[2] Taught by Makkhali; cf. D. i, 53; S. iii, 210; A. i, 286 (n'atthi kammaṃ, n'atthi kiriyaṃ, n'atthi viriyaṃ).

^[3] Bho, as Comy. and Sinh. text for kho of our text.

^[4] Kamma-sacca = k. sabhāvo. Comy.

^[5] K. samārambha-ṭṭhāayī = k. s. tiṭṭhati; kammaṃ āyūhanto tiṭṭhati Comy.