Saṃyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
24. Diṭṭhi Saṃyutta
1. Sotāpatti Vagga
The Constituent Aspects of Individuality
Sutta 6
Karoto Suttaṃ
Making
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time, The Lucky man,
Sāvatthi-town revisiting,
Jeta Grove,
Anathapiṇḍika's Sporting Grounds.
There then The Lucky Man addressed the beggars, saying:
"Beggars!"
And the beggars responding "Bhante!"
The Lucky Man said this to them:
"There being what, beggars,
bound to what
adhering to what
does this view arise:
'To harm,
to have harm;
to break apart,
to have break apart;
to kill,
to have kill;
to grieve,
to make grieve;
to tire,
to make tire;
to agitate,
to have agitate ...
destruction of breathing things,
taking what is not given,
breaking and entering,
plundering,
stealing
making like a thief,
to have "stand and deliver"[1]
going to another's wife,
saying what is not true —
thereby nothing bad is done.
If, indeed, he were to take
a razor-sharp discus and
turn earth's breathing things into
one mass of flesh,
one heap of flesh,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the right bank of Gangha
he went
injuring,
slaughtering,
cutting down,
having cut down,
tormenting,
having torment,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the left side of Gangha
he went
giving,
having give,
sacrificing,
having sacrifice,
nothing at all meritorious would result,
nothing meritorious would come of that.
By giving,
by taming,
by self-control,
by truthfulness,
nothing at all meritorious results,
nothing meritorious comes of that.'?"
"For us Bhante,
things are best resorted to
rooted in The Lucky Man,
channeled through The Lucky Man.
It would be good, Bhante,
if further explanation of this point
were given by The Lucky Man.
That which is said
by the Lucky Man
will be held in memory
by the beggars."
"Then give ear, beggars,
pay good attention!
I will speak!"
Then, the beggars saying
"Even so, Bhante!"
in response,
the Lucky Man said this to them:
"There being form, beggars,
bound to form,
adhering to form,
even thus does this view arise:
'To harm,
to have harm;
to break apart,
to have break apart;
to kill,
to have kill;
to grieve,
to make grieve;
to tire,
to make tire;
to agitate,
to have agitate ...
destruction of breathing things,
taking what is not given,
breaking and entering,
plundering,
stealing
making like a thief,
to have "stand and deliver"
going to another's wife,
saying what is not true —
thereby nothing bad is done.
If, indeed, he were to take
a razor-sharp discus and
turn earth's breathing things into
one mass of flesh,
one heap of flesh,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the right bank of Gangha
he went
injuring,
slaughtering,
cutting down,
having cut down,
tormenting,
having torment,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the left side of Gangha
he went
giving,
having give,
sacrificing,
having sacrifice,
nothing at all meritorious would result,
nothing meritorious would come of that.
By giving,
by taming,
by self-control,
by truthfulness,
nothing at all meritorious results,
nothing meritorious comes of that.'
There being sense-experience, beggars,
bound to sense-experience,
adhering to sense-experience,
even thus does this view arise:
'To harm,
to have harm;
to break apart,
to have break apart;
to kill,
to have kill;
to grieve,
to make grieve;
to tire,
to make tire;
to agitate,
to have agitate ...
destruction of breathing things,
taking what is not given,
breaking and entering,
plundering,
stealing
making like a thief,
to have "stand and deliver"
going to another's wife,
saying what is not true —
thereby nothing bad is done.
If, indeed, he were to take
a razor-sharp discus and
turn earth's breathing things into
one mass of flesh,
one heap of flesh,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the right bank of Gangha
he went
injuring,
slaughtering,
cutting down,
having cut down,
tormenting,
having torment,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the left side of Gangha
he went
giving,
having give,
sacrificing,
having sacrifice,
nothing at all meritorious would result,
nothing meritorious would come of that.
By giving,
by taming,
by self-control,
by truthfulness,
nothing at all meritorious results,
nothing meritorious comes of that.'
There being perception, beggars,
bound to perception,
adhering to perception,
even thus does this view arise:
'To harm,
to have harm;
to break apart,
to have break apart;
to kill,
to have kill;
to grieve,
to make grieve;
to tire,
to make tire;
to agitate,
to have agitate ...
destruction of breathing things,
taking what is not given,
breaking and entering,
plundering,
stealing
making like a thief,
to have "stand and deliver"
going to another's wife,
saying what is not true —
thereby nothing bad is done.
If, indeed, he were to take
a razor-sharp discus and
turn earth's breathing things into
one mass of flesh,
one heap of flesh,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the right bank of Gangha
he went
injuring,
slaughtering,
cutting down,
having cut down,
tormenting,
having torment,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the left side of Gangha
he went
giving,
having give,
sacrificing,
having sacrifice,
nothing at all meritorious would result,
nothing meritorious would come of that.
By giving,
by taming,
by self-control,
by truthfulness,
nothing at all meritorious results,
nothing meritorious comes of that.'
There being own-making, beggars,
bound to own-making,
adhering to own-making,
even thus does this view arise:
'To harm,
to have harm;
to break apart,
to have break apart;
to kill,
to have kill;
to grieve,
to make grieve;
to tire,
to make tire;
to agitate,
to have agitate ...
destruction of breathing things,
taking what is not given,
breaking and entering,
plundering,
stealing
making like a thief,
to have "stand and deliver"
going to another's wife,
saying what is not true —
thereby nothing bad is done.
If, indeed, he were to take
a razor-sharp discus and
turn earth's breathing things into
one mass of flesh,
one heap of flesh,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the right bank of Gangha
he went
injuring,
slaughtering,
cutting down,
having cut down,
tormenting,
having torment,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the left side of Gangha
he went
giving,
having give,
sacrificing,
having sacrifice,
nothing at all meritorious would result,
nothing meritorious would come of that.
By giving,
by taming,
by self-control,
by truthfulness,
nothing at all meritorious results,
nothing meritorious comes of that.'
There being consciousness, beggars,
bound to consciousness,
adhering to consciousness,
even thus does this view arise:
'To harm,
to have harm;
to break apart,
to have break apart;
to kill,
to have kill;
to grieve,
to make grieve;
to tire,
to make tire;
to agitate,
to have agitate ...
destruction of breathing things,
taking what is not given,
breaking and entering,
plundering,
stealing
making like a thief,
to have "stand and deliver"
going to another's wife,
saying what is not true —
thereby nothing bad is done.
If, indeed, he were to take
a razor-sharp discus and
turn earth's breathing things into
one mass of flesh,
one heap of flesh,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the right bank of Gangha
he went
injuring,
slaughtering,
cutting down,
having cut down,
tormenting,
having torment,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the left side of Gangha
he went
giving,
having give,
sacrificing,
having sacrifice,
nothing at all meritorious would result,
nothing meritorious would come of that.
By giving,
by taming,
by self-control,
by truthfulness,
nothing at all meritorious results,
nothing meritorious comes of that.'
■
What do you think, beggars?
Is form permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent —
painful or
pleasant?"
"Unpleasant, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent,
painful,
a thing subject to change —
without being bound to that —
can this view arise:
'To harm,
to have harm;
to break apart,
to have break apart;
to kill,
to have kill;
to grieve,
to make grieve;
to tire,
to make tire;
to agitate,
to have agitate ...
destruction of breathing things,
taking what is not given,
breaking and entering,
plundering,
stealing
making like a thief,
to have "stand and deliver"
going to another's wife,
saying what is not true —
thereby nothing bad is done.
If, indeed, he were to take
a razor-sharp discus and
turn earth's breathing things into
one mass of flesh,
one heap of flesh,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the right bank of Gangha
he went
injuring,
slaughtering,
cutting down,
having cut down,
tormenting,
having torment,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the left side of Gangha
he went
giving,
having give,
sacrificing,
having sacrifice,
nothing at all meritorious would result,
nothing meritorious would come of that.
By giving,
by taming,
by self-control,
by truthfulness,
nothing at all meritorious results,
nothing meritorious comes of that.'?"
"No indeed, Bhante."
■
"Is sense-experience permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent —
painful or
pleasant?"
"Unpleasant, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent,
painful,
a thing subject to change —
without being bound to that —
can this view arise:
'To harm,
to have harm;
to break apart,
to have break apart;
to kill,
to have kill;
to grieve,
to make grieve;
to tire,
to make tire;
to agitate,
to have agitate ...
destruction of breathing things,
taking what is not given,
breaking and entering,
plundering,
stealing
making like a thief,
to have "stand and deliver"
going to another's wife,
saying what is not true —
thereby nothing bad is done.
If, indeed, he were to take
a razor-sharp discus and
turn earth's breathing things into
one mass of flesh,
one heap of flesh,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the right bank of Gangha
he went
injuring,
slaughtering,
cutting down,
having cut down,
tormenting,
having torment,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the left side of Gangha
he went
giving,
having give,
sacrificing,
having sacrifice,
nothing at all meritorious would result,
nothing meritorious would come of that.
By giving,
by taming,
by self-control,
by truthfulness,
nothing at all meritorious results,
nothing meritorious comes of that.'?"
"No indeed, Bhante."
■
"Is perception permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent —
painful or
pleasant?"
"Unpleasant, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent,
painful,
a thing subject to change —
without being bound to that —
can this view arise:
'To harm,
to have harm;
to break apart,
to have break apart;
to kill,
to have kill;
to grieve,
to make grieve;
to tire,
to make tire;
to agitate,
to have agitate ...
destruction of breathing things,
taking what is not given,
breaking and entering,
plundering,
stealing
making like a thief,
to have "stand and deliver"
going to another's wife,
saying what is not true —
thereby nothing bad is done.
If, indeed, he were to take
a razor-sharp discus and
turn earth's breathing things into
one mass of flesh,
one heap of flesh,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the right bank of Gangha
he went
injuring,
slaughtering,
cutting down,
having cut down,
tormenting,
having torment,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the left side of Gangha
he went
giving,
having give,
sacrificing,
having sacrifice,
nothing at all meritorious would result,
nothing meritorious would come of that.
By giving,
by taming,
by self-control,
by truthfulness,
nothing at all meritorious results,
nothing meritorious comes of that.'?"
"No indeed, Bhante."
■
"Is own-making permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent —
painful or
pleasant?"
"Unpleasant, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent,
painful,
a thing subject to change —
without being bound to that —
can this view arise:
'To harm,
to have harm;
to break apart,
to have break apart;
to kill,
to have kill;
to grieve,
to make grieve;
to tire,
to make tire;
to agitate,
to have agitate ...
destruction of breathing things,
taking what is not given,
breaking and entering,
plundering,
stealing
making like a thief,
to have "stand and deliver"
going to another's wife,
saying what is not true —
thereby nothing bad is done.
If, indeed, he were to take
a razor-sharp discus and
turn earth's breathing things into
one mass of flesh,
one heap of flesh,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the right bank of Gangha
he went
injuring,
slaughtering,
cutting down,
having cut down,
tormenting,
having torment,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the left side of Gangha
he went
giving,
having give,
sacrificing,
having sacrifice,
nothing at all meritorious would result,
nothing meritorious would come of that.
By giving,
by taming,
by self-control,
by truthfulness,
nothing at all meritorious results,
nothing meritorious comes of that.'?"
"No indeed, Bhante."
■
"Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent —
painful or
pleasant?"
"Unpleasant, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent,
painful,
a thing subject to change —
without being bound to that —
can this view arise:
'To harm,
to have harm;
to break apart,
to have break apart;
to kill,
to have kill;
to grieve,
to make grieve;
to tire,
to make tire;
to agitate,
to have agitate ...
destruction of breathing things,
taking what is not given,
breaking and entering,
plundering,
stealing
making like a thief,
to have "stand and deliver"
going to another's wife,
saying what is not true —
thereby nothing bad is done.
If, indeed, he were to take
a razor-sharp discus and
turn earth's breathing things into
one mass of flesh,
one heap of flesh,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the right bank of Gangha
he went
injuring,
slaughtering,
cutting down,
having cut down,
tormenting,
having torment,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the left side of Gangha
he went
giving,
having give,
sacrificing,
having sacrifice,
nothing at all meritorious would result,
nothing meritorious would come of that.
By giving,
by taming,
by self-control,
by truthfulness,
nothing at all meritorious results,
nothing meritorious comes of that.'?"
"No indeed, Bhante."
■
"That which is seen,
heard,
sensed,
cognized,
attained,
yearned after,
pondered over in mind —
is that permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent —
painful or
pleasant?"
"Unpleasant, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent,
painful,
a thing subject to change —
without being bound to that —
can this view arise:
'To harm,
to have harm;
to break apart,
to have break apart;
to kill,
to have kill;
to grieve,
to make grieve;
to tire,
to make tire;
to agitate,
to have agitate ...
destruction of breathing things,
taking what is not given,
breaking and entering,
plundering,
stealing
making like a thief,
to have "stand and deliver"
going to another's wife,
saying what is not true —
thereby nothing bad is done.
If, indeed, he were to take
a razor-sharp discus and
turn earth's breathing things into
one mass of flesh,
one heap of flesh,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the right bank of Gangha
he went
injuring,
slaughtering,
cutting down,
having cut down,
tormenting,
having torment,
nothing at all bad would result,
nothing bad would come of that.
If on the left side of Gangha
he went
giving,
having give,
sacrificing,
having sacrifice,
nothing at all meritorious would result,
nothing meritorious would come of that.
By giving,
by taming,
by self-control,
by truthfulness,
nothing at all meritorious results,
nothing meritorious comes of that.'?"
"No indeed, Bhante."
§
"So then, beggars,
when in the student of the aristocrats
doubt as to these six positions has been abandoned,
doubt as to pain[2] has been abandoned,
doubt as to the arising of pain has been abandoned,
doubt as to the ending of pain has been abandoned,
doubt as to the walk-to-walk to the ending of pain has been abandoned —
this is said to be, beggars,
a student of the aristocrats
a stream-winner
one aimed at self-awakening."
[1] Paripatthe tiṭṭhato. ? To wish for standing. This must be a bad thing. Translated by Rhys Davids as "highway robbery", Woodward as "waylays travellers," by Bhikkhu Bodhi as "ambushes highways" (stick'm up up you highway!) I have no idea but in the old days a highway robber would say to his victims: "Stand and Deliver" so maybe that.
[2] For details see my translation of SN 3.24.1 footnotes. All the suttas of SN.24 should be read (slowly!) together.
