Aṇguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka-Nipāta
XVII. Āghāta Vaggo

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fives
Chapter XVII: Malice

Sutta 168

Sīla Suttaṃ

Virtue

Translated by E. M. Hare

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[147]

[1] Thus have I heard:

Once the venerable Sāriputta addressed the monks, saying:

'Reverend sirs.'

'Reverend sir,' they replied;
and Sāriputta said:

'Reverend sirs, for the wicked,
who lack virtue,
right concentration is perforce destroyed;

—

when right concentration is not,
true knowledge and insight
are perforce destroyed
in one who lacks right concentration;

—

when true knowledge and insight are not,
aversion and dispassion
are perforce destroyed
in one who lacks true knowledge and insight;

—

when aversion and dispassion are not,
emancipated knowledge and insight
are perforce destroyed
in one who lacks aversion and dispassion.

■

Reverend sirs, just as in the case of a tree,
devoid of branches and leaves,
its shoots come not to maturity,
nor its bark,
nor its sapwood,
nor its core;
even so in the wicked,
who lack virtue,
right concentration is perforce destroyed;
when right concentration is not,
true knowledge and insight
are perforce destroyed
in one who lacks right concentration;
when true knowledge and insight are not,
aversion and dispassion
are perforce destroyed
in one who lacks true knowledge and insight;
when aversion and dispassion are not,
emancipated knowledge and insight
are perforce destroyed
in one who lacks aversion and dispassion.

 

§

 

Reverend sirs, in the moral and virtuous,
right concentration perforce thrives;

—

when there is right concentration,
true knowledge and insight
perforce thrive
in one who has right concentration;

—

when there is true knowledge and insight,
aversion and dispassion
perforce thrive
in one who has true knowledge and insight;

—

when there is aversion and dispassion,
emancipated knowledge and insight
perforce thrive
in one who has aversion and dispassion.

■

Reverend sirs, just as in the case of a tree,
possessing branches and leaves,
its shoots,
its bark,
sapwood
and core
come to maturity;
even so in the moral and virtuous
right concentration perforce thrives;
when there is right concentration,
true knowledge and insight
perforce thrive
in one who has right concentration;
when there is true knowledge and insight,
aversion and dispassion
perforce thrive
in one who has true knowledge and insight;
when there is aversion and dispassion,
emancipated knowledge and insight
perforce thrive
in one who has aversion and dispassion.'