Aṇguttara Nikāya
Catukka Nipāta
XXIII: Sucarita Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fours
Chapter XXIII: Good Conduct

Sutta 224

Tatiya Bāla-Paṇḍita Suttaṃ

Taking Life

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

Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved

For details see Terms of Use.

 

---

[236]

[1] Thus have I heard:

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, possessing four qualities
the foolish,
sinful,
unworthy man
carries about with him
an uprooted,
lifeless self,
is blameworthy,
is censured by the intelligent
and begets much demerit.

What are the four?

Taking life,
stealing,
wrong conduct in sense-desires
falsehood.

"Monks, possessed of these four qualities
the foolish,
sinful,
unworthy man
carries about with him
an uprooted,
lifeless self,
is blameworthy,
is censured by the intelligent
and begets much demerit.

 

§

 

Monks, possessing these four qualities
the wise,
prudent,
worthy man
carries about with him a self
not uprooted,
not lifeless,
is blameless,
not censured by the intelligent
and begets much merit.

What are the four?

Abstaining from taking life,
abstaining from stealing,
abstaining from wrong conduct in sense-desires
abstaining from falsehood.

Monks, possessed of these four qualities
the wise,
prudent,
worthy man
carries about with him a self
not uprooted,
not lifeless,
is blameless,
not censured by the intelligent
and begets much merit.