Aṅguttara Nikāya
Chakka-Nipāta
II: Sārāṇīya-Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Sixes
Chapter II: Be Considerate

Sutta 18

Macchika Suttaɱ

The Fish^[1]

Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.

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[216]

[1] Thus have I heard:

Once, when the Exalted One
with a great company of monks
walked a walk among the Kosalese,
he saw, as he went along the highway,
a fisherman,
who had caught a haul of fish
and was selling them as a fishmonger;
and the Exalted One at the sight
stepped off the road
and sat down at the foot of a tree
on a seat made ready for him.

And, sitting there, he said to the monks:

"Monks, see you that fisherman
who has caught a haul of fish
and is selling them as a fishmonger?

'Yes, lord.'

'Then what think you, monks,
have you either seen or heard
of a fisherman fishmonger
slaughtering and selling fish;
and as a result of such deeds,
of that way of living,
going about on an elephant^[2]
or on horseback
or in a chariot
or carriage
[217]or feasting at feasts^[3]
or living in the abundance of great wealth?

'No, indeed, lord.'

'Well, monks, neither have I
either seen or heard
of a fisherman fishmonger
slaughtering and selling fish;
and as a result of such deeds,
of that way of living,
going about on an elephant
or on horseback
or in a chariot
or carriage
or feasting at feasts
or living in the abundance of great wealth.

And why is that?

Verily, monks, evilly minded
he gloats on fish being slaughtered,
being brought to the slaughter;
and because of that
he goes not about on an elephant
nor on horseback
nor in a chariot
nor carriage
nor feasts at feasts
nor lives in the abundance of great wealth.

■

What think you, monks,
have you either seen or heard
of a butcher slaughtering and selling cattle;
and as a result of such deeds,
of that way of living,
going about on an elephant
or on horseback
or in a chariot
or carriage
or feasting at feasts
or living in the abundance of great wealth?

'No, indeed, lord.'

'Well, monks, neither have I
either seen or heard
of a butcher slaughtering and selling cattle
and as a result of such deeds,
of that way of living,
going about on an elephant
or on horseback
or in a chariot
or carriage
or feasting at feasts
or living in the abundance of great wealth.

And why is that?

Verily, monks, evilly minded
he gloats on cattle being slaughtered,
being brought to the slaughter;
and because of that
he goes not about on an elephant
nor on horseback
nor in a chariot
nor carriage
nor feasts at feasts
nor lives in the abundance of great wealth.

■

What think you, monks,
have you either seen or heard
of a butcher slaughtering and selling rams;
and as a result of such deeds,
of that way of living,
going about on an elephant
or on horseback
or in a chariot
or carriage
or feasting at feasts
or living in the abundance of great wealth?

'No, indeed, lord.'

'Well, monks, neither have I
either seen or heard
of a butcher slaughtering and selling rams
and as a result of such deeds,
of that way of living,
going about on an elephant
or on horseback
or in a chariot
or carriage
or feasting at feasts
or living in the abundance of great wealth.

And why is that?

Verily, monks, evilly minded
he gloats on rams being slaughtered,
being brought to the slaughter;
and because of that
he goes not about on an elephant
nor on horseback
nor in a chariot
nor carriage
nor feasts at feasts
nor lives in the abundance of great wealth.

■

What think you, monks,
have you either seen or heard
of a butcher slaughtering and selling pigs;
and as a result of such deeds,
of that way of living,
going about on an elephant
or on horseback
or in a chariot
or carriage
or feasting at feasts
or living in the abundance of great wealth?

'No, indeed, lord.'

'Well, monks, neither have I
either seen or heard
of a butcher slaughtering and selling pigs
and as a result of such deeds,
of that way of living,
going about on an elephant
or on horseback
or in a chariot
or carriage
or feasting at feasts
or living in the abundance of great wealth.

And why is that?

Verily, monks, evilly minded
he gloats on pigs being slaughtered,
being brought to the slaughter;
and because of that
he goes not about on an elephant
nor on horseback
nor in a chariot
nor carriage
nor feasts at feasts
nor lives in the abundance of great wealth.

■

What think you, monks,
have you either seen or heard
of a butcher slaughtering and selling beasts of the forest^[4];
and as a result of such deeds,
of that way of living,
going about on an elephant
or on horseback
or in a chariot
or carriage
or feasting at feasts
or living in the abundance of great wealth?

'No, indeed, lord.'

'Well, monks, neither have I
either seen or heard
of a butcher slaughtering and selling beasts of the forest
and as a result of such deeds,
of that way of living,
going about on an elephant
or on horseback
or in a chariot
or carriage
or feasting at feasts
or living in the abundance of great wealth.

And why is that?

Verily, monks, evilly minded
he gloats on beasts of the forest being slaughtered,
being brought to the slaughter;
and because of that
he goes not about on an elephant
nor on horseback
nor in a chariot
nor carriage
nor feasts at feasts
nor lives in the abundance of great wealth.

■

But what shall be said
of him who gloats evilly on human beings being slaughtered,
being brought to the slaughter?

Verily, monks,
it shall be to his harm and hurt for many a day;
for, on the breaking up of the body after death,
he shall arise in the wayward way,
the ill way,
the abyss,
hell.'

 

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^[1] This and the following suttas are omitted in Nyāṇatiloka's translation.

^[2] Hatthi-yāyī. Comy. hatthinā yānī. The higher estate is in each case presumably that of an after-life.

^[3] Bhogabkogī

^[4] For this set see M. i, 342; A. ii, 207; J. v, 270; below, § 57.