Aṇguttara Nikāya
4. Catukka Nipāta
VI. Puññābhisanda Vagga
Paṭhama Saṃvāsa Suttaṃ
Sutta 53
Ways of Living Together
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Sourced from dhammatalks.org
For free distribution only.
[1][pts][bodh] On one occasion the Blessed One was traveling along the highway between Madhurā and Verañjā. And many male and female householders were also traveling along the highway between Madhurā and Verañjā.
Then the Blessed One, coming down from the highway, sat at the root of a tree. The male and female householders saw him sitting at the root of the tree and, on seeing him, approached him. On arrival, having bowed down to him, they sat to one side.
As they were sitting there, he said to them, "Householders, there are four ways of living together. Which four? A corpse lives together with a corpse. A corpse lives together with a female deva. A male deva lives together with a corpse. A male deva lives together with a female deva.
"And how does a corpse live together with a corpse? There is the case where a husband is one who takes life, takes what is not given (steals), engages in sexual misconduct, tells lies, and drinks liquor, wine, and spirits that are a cause for heedlessness. He is unvirtuous, of bad character, one who lives at home obsessed with the stain of stinginess and who insults and verbally abuses brahmans and contemplatives. And his wife is one who takes life, takes what is not given, engages in sexual misconduct, tells lies, and drinks liquor, wine, and spirits that are a cause for heedlessness. She is unvirtuous, of bad character, one who lives at home obsessed with the stain of stinginess and who insults and verbally abuses brahmans and contemplatives.
"That, householders, is how a corpse lives together with a corpse.
"And how does a corpse live together with a female deva? There is the case where a husband is one who takes life … and who insults and verbally abuses brahmans and contemplatives. But his wife is one who refrains from taking life, refrains from taking what is not given, refrains from engaging in sexual misconduct, refrains from telling lies, and refrains from drinking liquor, wine, and spirits that are a cause for heedlessness. She is virtuous, of admirable character, one who lives at home devoid of the stain of stinginess and who doesn’t insult or verbally abuse brahmans and contemplatives.
"That, householders, is how a corpse lives together with a female deva.
"And how does a male deva live together with a corpse? There is the case where a husband is one who refrains from taking life, refrains from taking what is not given, refrains from engaging in sexual misconduct, refrains from telling lies, and refrains from drinking liquor, wine, and spirits that are a cause for heedlessness. He is virtuous, of admirable character, one who lives at home devoid of the stain of stinginess and who doesn’t insult or verbally abuse brahmans and contemplatives. But his wife is one who takes life, takes what is not given, engages in sexual misconduct, tells lies, and drinks liquor, wine, and spirits that are a cause for heedlessness. She is unvirtuous, of bad character, one who lives at home obsessed with the stain of stinginess and who insults and verbally abuses brahmans and contemplatives.
"That, householders, is how a male deva lives together with a corpse.
"And how does a male deva live together with a female deva? There is the case where a husband is one who refrains from taking life, refrains from taking what is not given, refrains from engaging in sexual misconduct, refrains from telling lies, and refrains from drinking liquor, wine, and spirits that are a cause for heedlessness. He is virtuous, of admirable character, one who lives at home devoid of the stain of stinginess and who doesn’t insult or verbally abuse brahmans and contemplatives. And his wife is one who refrains from taking life, refrains from taking what is not given, refrains from engaging in sexual misconduct, refrains from telling lies, and refrains from drinking liquor, wine, and spirits that are a cause for heedlessness. She is virtuous, of admirable character, one who lives at home devoid of the stain of stinginess and who doesn’t insult or verbally abuse brahmans and contemplatives.
"That, householders, is how a male deva lives together with a female deva.
"And these, householders, are the four ways of living together."
When both are unvirtuous, miserly, abusive, they, husband and wife, live together as corpses.
When the husband is unvirtuous, miserly, abusive, but the wife is virtuous, responsive, free from stinginess, they live together as a female deva with a corpse for a husband.
When the husband is virtuous, responsive, free from stinginess, but the wife is unvirtuous, miserly, abusive, they live together as a female corpse with a male deva for a husband.
When both have conviction and are responsive, restrained, living the Dhamma, they, husband and wife, speak endearingly to each other. Many benefits come to them and comfort appears.
Their enemies are disheartened,
as both have virtue in tune.[1]
Having practiced the Dhamma here,
both with habits and practices in tune,
delighting (after death)
in the world of the devas,
they rejoice, enjoying sensual pleasures.
[1] Sama, which means, "even," "equal," "on pitch," or "in tune." Throughout ancient cultures, the terminology of music was used to describe the moral quality of people and acts. Discordant intervals or poorly-tuned musical instruments were metaphors for evil; harmonious intervals and well-tuned instruments, for good.
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