Aṇguttara Nikāya
VIII. Aṭṭhaka Nipāta
IV. Dāna Vagga
The Book of Eights
Sutta 40
Apāya-Saṇvattanika Suttaṃ
Landing One's Self in the Pay-up
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
[1][pts][than][bodh] I Hear Tell:
Once upon a time The Lucky Man, Bhaggaland, Crocodile Hill, Bhesakala Forest Deer Park revisiting.[1]
"The destruction of life,[2] beggars, practiced,
developed,
made a big thing of,
lands one's self in hell[3],
lands one's self in the womb of annals,
lands one's self in the garb of ghosts.
What is an altogether trivial[4] result
of the destruction of life
for a being that is human
is having landed one's self a short life.
Taking the ungiven[5] beggars, practiced,
developed,
made a big thing of,
lands one's self in hell,
lands one's self in the womb of annals,
lands one's self in the garb of ghosts.
What is an altogether trivial result
of taking the ungiven
for a being that is human
is having landed one's self bad luck with money.[6]
Misbehavior in lusts[7] beggars, practiced,
developed,
made a big thing of,
lands one's self in hell,
lands one's self in the womb of annals,
lands one's self in the garb of ghosts.
What is an altogether trivial result
of misbehavior in lusts
for a being that is human
is having landed one's self hatred and enmity.[8]
Deceptive speech[9] beggars, practiced,
developed,
made a big thing of,
lands one's self in hell,
lands one's self in the womb of annals,
lands one's self in the garb of ghosts.
What is an altogether trivial result
of deceptive speech
for a being that is human
is having landed one's self untrue information.[10]
Malicious gossip[11] beggars, practiced,
developed,
made a big thing of,
lands one's self in hell,
lands one's self in the womb of annals,
lands one's self in the garb of ghosts.
What is an altogether trivial result
of malicious gossip
for a being that is human
is having landed one's self friendship breaking enmity.[12]
Cutting speech[13] beggars, practiced,
developed,
made a big thing of,
lands one's self in hell,
lands one's self in the womb of annals,
lands one's self in the garb of ghosts.
What is an altogether trivial result
of cutting speech
for a being that is human
is having landed one's self unpleasant words.[14]
Idle lip-flapping[15] beggars, practiced,
developed,
made a big thing of,
lands one's self in hell,
lands one's self in the womb of annals,
lands one's self in the garb of ghosts.
What is an altogether trivial result
of idle lip-flapping
for a being that is human
is having landed one's self mindless yakking.[16]
Drinking alcoholic drinks[17] beggars, practiced,
developed,
made a big thing of,
lands one's self in hell,
lands one's self in the womb of annals,
lands one's self in the garb of ghosts.
What is an altogether trivial result
of drinking alcoholic drinks
for a being that is human
is having landed one's self in madness."[18]
[1] There is no Nidana for this specific sutta. The nearest previous Nidana is for sutta 30 which is used here. It is likely this sutta was originally delivered with all those previous to this point as one sutta.
[2]Pāṇ-ā-tipāta. Pāṇa-a-tipāta. pāṇa: PED: [from pa + an, cp. Vedic prāṇa breath of life; Pāli apāna, etc.] living being, life, creature; tipāta: not in PED. ?> PED: Tippa (adj.) [a variant of tibba = Sanskrit tīvra, presumably from tij (cp. tikhiṇa), but by Bdhgh connected w. tap (tapati, burn) ... piercing, sharp, acute, fierce; always and only with reference to pains, esp. pains suffered in Niraya; or PED: Pātana (nt.) [from pāteti] bringing to fall, destroying, killing, only in gabbha- destroying the foetus, abortion (q.v.) DhA I.47 and passim.
[3] Niraya-saṃvattaniko. Hell-one-(serves, delivers)-down to.
[4]Sabba-lahuso. All-lightly. Very light. Insignificant. Here 'comparatively'.
[5] Adinn-ā-dānaṃ. Adinn'ādāna. Not-gift-un-giving. Not-gift-taking. Taking what is not given.
[6] Bhoga-vyasana. Bhoga: wealth; vyasana: misfortune.
[7] Kāmesu micchā-cāro. Pleasure's mis-behavior. Micchā > piss- mis- mictorate, low, contrary. Contrasted with 'Sammā' High. Usually mistranslated Wrong vs. Right. Misbehavior in pleasures usually means having sexual intercourse with protected women: another man's wife, a child, a young girl still living with her parents, a girl that is engaged to be married, a girl 'belonging' to a powerful individual or protected by the state. Cara: carry on > car, cart, cargo.
[8] Verasapatta. Vera: hatred; Sapatta: enmity.
[9] Musāvādo. Lying speech. Telling lies. PED: Musati: to betray, beguile, bewilder, dazzle; Vada: speech. This includes the practice we see today in representatives of the CIA and other government representatives where what is said is technically true but intended to mislead. e.g., setting up two programs both of which are identical and then disbanding one. When the program is exposed as illegal the representative states that 'Yes, we had such a program, but it was disbanded.' Why 'deception' is used here as opposed to 'lying'.
[10] Abhūta-byākkhāna. Akkhāna: telling stories, tales; Akkhāti: to tell, declare, announce; Abhūta: 'not is' a: not; (under Bhūta) a being, natural, real, PED: that which is, i.e. natural, genuine, true; nt. truth; negative abhūta falsehood, lie; Bya: via, by way of.
[11] Pisuṇā—vācā. PED: backbiting, calumnious, malicious speech. PED: [cp. Sanskrit pishāca and Vedic pishāci; to same root as pisuna = Vedic pishuna, and Latin piget, Ohg. fehida enmity = Ags. faehp ("feud"), connected with root of Goth. fijan to hate; thus pisāca = fiend]
[12] Mittehi bhedana. The making into enemies of friends alienated from each other by the malicious gossip. PED points to Mithu > Miccha: contrary, low, wrong and the compound *-bheda [evidently in meaning of mitta-bheda "break of friendship," although mithu means "adversary," thus perhaps "breaking, so as to cause opposition"] breaking of alliance, enmity D II.76; J IV.184 (here with v. l. mitta-); Kvu 314. *friendship; bhedana: breaking.
[13] Pharusā — vācā. > Pharasu: hatchet. Harsh, unkind, rough speech. Here on this site the interpretation is being bounded by the idea of 'hurtful' — intended to hurt — and its interpretation as 'distasteful to some ears' is being rejected. A great deal of the literal Pāḷi would be found distasteful to the so-called cultured member of the modern U.S. This is just false modesty.
[14] Amanāpasadda. a: un/not; Manāpa: pleasing; Sadda: words, sounds.
[15] Sampha-p-palāpo. Sampha: PED: frivolity, foolishness; only in connection with expressions of talking; Palāpa: chaff of corn to "chaff as frivolous talk" prattling, prattle, nonsense; adj. talking idly, chaffing, idle, void.
[16] Anādeyya vācā Anādara [an + ādara] Dis- respect disrespectful speech.
[17] Surā-meraya-pānaṃ PED: Surā (f.) [Vedic surā] spirituous (intoxicating) liquor ("drink"); *-meraya (-pāna) (drinking) rum and spirits. This is further defined as spirits that have been fermented or distilled. Alcohol is intended. The use of alcohol was not originally dis-allowed to the bhikkhus and was not originally one of the precepts for laymen, and in and of itself it is not considered bad kamma. Alcohol was dis-allowed after an insident where a bhikkhu who otherwise had great magic powers lost control of his body which then assumed a disrespectful position towards Gotama. The idea is to avoid loss of control of one's behavior such that one creates bad kamma Psychadelic drugs should not be considered as included in a blanket way under this heading. Individuals who use psychadelic drugs that find themselves losing control of their behavior should abstain from their use as they should abstain from doing anything else that caused them to lose control of their behavior and perform badly conceived deeds. Alcohol is the exception because 'there is no controlling the mind by a person intoxicated with alcohol.' [Gotama] Further, there is a long tradition of use of 'ambrosias' drinks that transport one to the gods. i.e., psychadelics.
[18] Ummattaka. Ummatta (adj.) [ud + matta of mad] out of one's mind, mad
