Aṇguttara-Nikāya
III. Tika Nipāta
XII. Āpāyika Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
or
More-Numbered Suttas
III. The Book of the Threes
XII. The Downfall
Sutta 116
Apaññaka Suttaṃ
Sure[1]
Translated from the Pali by
F.L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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[1] Thus have I heard:
Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī.
There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," they replied,
and the Exalted One said:
"Monks, there are these three failures.
What three?
Failure in morals,
failure in mind,
failure in view.
■
And of what sort
is failure in morals?
Herein, monks, a certain one
takes life,
steals,
is a wrongdoer in sensual desires,
a liar,
a slanderer,
of bitter speech,
an idle babbler.
This is called 'failure in morals.'
■
2. And of what sort
is failure in mind?
Herein, monks, a certain one
is covetous
and malevolent of heart.
This is called
'failure in mind.'
■
3. And of what sort
is failure in view?
Herein a certain one
holds the depraved,
the perverse view
that there is no (virtue in) almsgiving,
in sacrifice,
in offerings:
that there is no fruit,
no result
of good and evil deeds:
that this world is not,
that there is no world beyond:
that there is no mother,
no father,
no beings of spontaneous birth:
that in the world are no recluses and brahmins
who have won the summit,
who have won perfection,
who of themselves
by their own intuitional powers
have realized the world beyond
and can proclaim it.
This, monks, is called
'failure in view.'
■
4. Just as a true die
when thrown
rests evenly on whatever side it falls,
even so, monks,
it is due to failure in morals,
that beings, when body breaks up,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Way of Woe,
in the Downfall,
in Purgatory.
It is due to failure in mind,
that beings, when body breaks up,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Way of Woe,
in the Downfall,
in Purgatory.
It is due to failure in view,
that beings, when body breaks up,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Way of Woe,
in the Downfall,
in Purgatory.
These are the three failures.
§
5. Monks, there are these three successes.
What three?
Success in morals,
success in mind,
success in view.
■
Now of what sort
is success in morals?
Herein, monks, a certain one
abstains from taking life
abstains from stealing,
abstains from wrongdoing in sensual desires,
abstains from lies,
abstains from slander,
abstains from bitter speech,
abstains from idle babble.
This is called
'success in morals.'
■
6. And of what sort
is success in mind?
Herein a certain one
is not covetous
or malevolent of heart.
This is called
'success in mind.'
■
7. And of what sort
is success in view?
Herein a certain one has right view:
he holds with certainty
that there is (virtue in) almsgiving,
in sacrifice,
in offerings:
that there is fruit and result
of good and evil deeds:
that this world is,
that there is a world beyond:
that mother,
father
and beings of spontaneous birth do exist:
that in the world there are recluses and brahmins
who have won the summit,
who have won perfection,
who of themselves
by their own intuitional powers
have realized the world beyond
and can proclaim it.
This, monks, is called
'success in view.'
■
8. Just as a true die[2]
when thrown
rests evenly on whatever side it falls,
even so, monks,
it is owing to success in morals
that beings,
when body breaks up,
after death are reborn in the Happy Lot,
in the Heaven World.
It is owing to success in mind
that beings,
when body breaks up,
after death are reborn in the Happy Lot,
in the Heaven World.
It is owing to success in views
that beings,
when body breaks up,
after death are reborn in the Happy Lot,
in the Heaven World.
These are the three successes."
[1] Apaññaka, at supra, text 113, a term for Nibbāna.
[2] Maṇi, a six-sided die (pāsaka). Comy. Cf. A. v, 294, 296. This simile may explain the debated phrase yathābhataṃ or yathāhataṃ at A. i, 3; [Ed? but see: #43] S. iv, 325, which I think may mean 'according to the cast,' 'as sure as a gun.'
