Aṇguttara-Nikāya
III. Tika Nipāta
VIII. Ānanda Vagga
The Book of the Threes
Sutta 78
Sīla-b-Bata Suttaṃ
Ethical Practices
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
[76.1][pts][than] I Hear Tell:
Once upon a time Old Man, Ānanda, Vesali-town revisiting,
Great Woods,
The Chamber of the Pinicaled Ceiling.
There then, he drew near to The Lucky Man.
Drawing near,
giving greeting,
he took a seat to one side.
Seated to one side then
the Lucky Man said this
to Old Man, Ānanda:
"Are then, Ānanda,
all ethical practices,
lifestyles,
holy pursuits[1]
practiced with diligence
fruitful?"
"But there is not in this case, bhante,
only one outcome."
"Well then Ānanda, divide this into parts."
"When there is, bhante,
ethical practice,
lifestyle,
holy pursuit
practiced with diligence
where unskillful[2] things increase
skillful things dwindle away
then such ethical practice,
lifestyle,
holy pursuit
practiced with diligence
is fruitless.[3]
But when there is, bhante,
ethical practice,
lifestyle,
holy pursuit
practiced with diligence
where unskillful things dwindle away
skillful things increase
then such ethical practice,
lifestyle,
holy pursuit
practiced with diligence
is fruitful."
The Master approved
this saying of Old Man Ānanda.
There then Old Man Ānanda
thinking: "the Master approves,"
rose up
and keeping the Lucky Man to his right[4]
took his leave,
giving salutation.
There then, the Lucky Man,
not long after Old Man Ānanda took leave,
said this to the beggars there:
"A seeker, Beggars, is Ānanda
but it is not easy to come up with[5] his equal[6] in wisdom."
[1] Brahmā-cariya. 'Brahmā-carryings-on'. A term which has given translators no end of hassle. It means living the holy life according to the highest standards of Brahmā. One has 'companions in the Brahmā-cariya.' It is frequently translated 'celibacy' but celibacy is only one aspect of this manner of living. Being able to say, at the end, that one has 'lived the Brahmā-cariya' is one of the knowledges of the Arahant. In this case the idea is that one has lived the life of the God Brahmā.
[2] Akusalā and in the next kusalā. 'unskillful and skillful', I previously had taken this to kucchita and then to kucchi, hollow and solid, but now think the usual translation is better.
[3] This must be understood, (so I believe) as meaning 'of pleasant, or positive, or beneficial "fruit"; not 'no fruit', for surely poorly conceived and practiced behavior has fruit ... just not of the desirable sort. Or perhaps we are to understand 'fruit' in the strict sense of that which directly results from one's intentions. So in the case of poor behavior done with the intent to create positive results, there is no [such] fruit.
[4] Abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṃ katvā pakkāmi. Not precisely circumambulating (per Bhk. Thanissaro), which means going all the way around, but departing keeping one's right side towards the master (teacher, king, emperor), even to the extent of walking backwards. I am not sure if this might also mean by way of the master's right side. I have only seen this in the case of a person sitting to the master's left departing to the master's right. I do not know how this is managed when a person is sitting to the master's right. Crossing in front to depart by the master's right might be taken as offensive. Taken as it is written it would allow one sitting to the right to depart by the master's left.
[5] Sulabharūpo. Well-got-form/manifestation. ?
[6] Samasamo. Same same.
