Aṇguttara Nikāya
Catukka Nipāta
XXIV: Kamma Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fours
Chapter XXIV: The Deed
Sutta 232
Dutiya Kamma Suttaṃ
In Detail
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[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, these four deeds I have myself comprehended,
realized
and made known.
What four?
There is a dark deed
with a dark result;
a bright deed
with a bright result;
a deed that is both dark and bright,
with a dark and bright result;
and the deed that is neither dark nor bright,
with a result neither dark nor bright,
which being itself a deed
conduces to the waning of deeds.
§
And of what sort, monks,
is the deed that is dark,
with a dark result?
In this case, monks, a certain one
plans planned bodily action[1]
joined with harm
plans planned action of speech,
joined with harm,
plans planned action of thought,
joined with harm.
He thus planning harmful action of body,
planning harmful action of speech
planning harmful action of thought,
is born into a world that is harmful.
Thus born into a harmful world,
harmful contacts contact him.
Thus touched by harmful contacts
he feels feeling that is harmful,
that is sheer pain,
just as do beings in purgatory.
This, monks, is called
"the dark deed with a dark result."
■
And of what sort, monks,
is the bright deed
with the bright result?
In this case, monks, a certain one
plans planned bodily action
that is not joined with harm
plans planned action of speech,
that is not joined with harm,
plans planned action of thought,
that is not joined with harm.
He thus planning harmless action of body,
planning harmless action of speech
planning harmless action of thought,
is born into a world that is harmless.
So born into a harmless world
harmless contacts touch him.
He, thus touched by [239] harmless contacts,
experiences feeling that is harmless,
utter bliss,
such as do the Ever-radiant devas.[2]
This, monks, is called
"the bright deed with a bright result."
■
And of what sort, monks,
is the deed that is both dark and bright,
with a result that is both dark and bright?
In this case, monks, a certain one
plans planned bodily action
that is joined with harm and harmlessness,
plans planned action of speech,
that is joined with harm and harmlessness,
plans planned action of thought,
that is joined with harm and harmlessness.
He thus planning action of body,
that is both harmful and harmless
planning harmless action of speech
that is both harmful and harmless
planning harmless action of thought,
that is both harmful and harmless
is born into a world
that is both harmful and harmless.
Touched by contacts
both harmful and harmless
he experiences feeling
that is both harmful and harmless,
a mixture of pleasure and pain,[3]
such as for instance some humans,
some devas,[4]
and some dwellers in purgatory[5] feel.
This, monks, is called
"the deed that is both dark and bright,
with a result that is both dark and bright."
■
And of what sort, monks,
is the deed that is neither dark nor bright,
with a result that is neither dark nor bright,
which, itself a deed,
conduces to the waning of deeds?
In this case, monks,
the intention to abandon this dark deed
with its dark result,
the intention to abandon this bright deed
with its bright result,
the intention to abandon this deed both dark and bright
with a its result both dark and bright, -
this intention is called
"the deed that is neither dark nor bright,
with a result that is neither dark nor bright,
which, itself a deed,
conduces to the waning of deeds."
These four deeds I have myself comprehended,
realized
and made known."
[1] Kāya-saṇkhāraṃ abhisankharoti savyāpajjhaṃ. cf. A. i, 123, where Comy. has rāsiṃ karoti; but here āyūhati, sampiṇḍeti. At G.S. i, 105 I translated savyāpajjhaṃ by 'discordant,' which is not quite accurate. Cf. S. ii, 40 (K.S. ii, 31, 65, 82); supra, § 171.
[3] Text vokiṇṇaṃ sankiṇṇaṃ sukha-dukkhaṃ, but as at A. i, 123, Sinh. text and Comy. read only vokiṇṇa-sukha-d.
[4] Comy. 'The Kāmāvacaras, who are happy in their own sphere, but unhappy when they observe the still greater happiness of higher Devas.'
[5] Comy. 'Petas with vimāṇas, also Nāgas, Supannṇṇas, elephants, horses, etc., who are sometimes happy, sometimes wretched.'
