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#### Aṅguttara-Nikāya
III. Tika Nipāta
IV. Deva-Dūta Vagga

#### The Book of the Gradual Sayings
or
More-Numbered Suttas
III. The Book of the Threes
IV. Messengers of the Devas

#### Sutta 33

#### Nidāna Suttaṁ

# Causes[1]

Translated from the Pali by
F.L. Woodward, M.A.

Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
For details see Terms of Use.

[117]

(a)

[1][wrrn][than][olds][bodh] "Monks, there are these three originating causes of action.

What three?

Lust,
malice and
delusion.

§

An act performed in lust,
born of lust,
originating in lust,
arising from lust,
has its fruit
wherever one's personal self is reborn.

Wherever that act comes to fruition,
there one ex- [118] periences the fruit thereof,
whether it come into bearing in this very life
or in some other phase[2] (of existence).

■

An act performed in malice born of malice,
originating in malice,
arising from malice,
has its fruit
wherever one's personal self is reborn.

Wherever that act comes to fruition,
there one experiences the fruit thereof,
whether it come into bearing in this very life
or in some other phase (of existence).

■

An act performed under delusion born of delusion,
originating in delusion,
arising from delusion,
has its fruit
wherever one's personal self is reborn.

Wherever that act comes to fruition,
there one experiences the fruit thereof,
whether it come into bearing in this very life
or in some other phase (of existence).

§

Just as seeds that are unbroken,
not rotten,
unspoiled by wind and heat,[3]
capable of sprouoting,
and well embedded in a good field,
planted in properly prepared soil,
— if the sky rain down steadily
those seeds come to growth,
increase,
abundance.

Even so, monks,
whatsoever act is performed in lust born of lust,
originating in lust,
arising from lust,
has its fruit
wherever one's personal self is reborn.

Wherever that act comes to fruition,
there one experiences the fruit thereof,
whether it come into bearing in this very life
or in some other phase (of existence).

■

An act performed in malice born of malice,
originating in malice,
arising from malice,
has its fruit
wherever one's personal self is reborn.

Wherever that act comes to fruition,
there one experiences the fruit thereof,
whether it come into bearing in this very life
or in some other phase (of existence).

■

An act performed under delusion born of delusion,
originating in delusion,
arising from delusion,
has its fruit
wherever one's personal self is reborn.

Wherever that act comes to fruition,
there one experiences the fruit thereof,
whether it come into bearing in this very life."

(b)

"Monks, there are these three originating causes of action.

What three?

Freedom from lust,
malice and
delusion.

§

An act not performed in lust,
not born of lust,
not originating in lust,
not arising from lust,
— since lust has vanished,
that act is abandoned,
cut off at the root,
made like a palm-tree stump,
made unable to come again,
of a nature not to arise again in future time.

■

An act not performed in malice
not born of malice,
not originating in malice,
not arising from malice,
— since malice has vanished,
that act is abandoned,
cut off at the root,
made like a palm-tree stump,
made unable to come again,
of a nature not to arise again in future time.

■

An act not performed under delusion
not born of delusion,
not originating in delusion,
not arising from delusion,
— since delusion has vanished,
that act is abandoned,
cut off at the root,
made like a palm-tree stump,
made unable to come again,
of a nature not to arise again in future time.

§

Suppose seeds that are unbroken,
not rotten,
unspoiled by wind and heat,
capable of sprouting,
well embedded,
and a man burns them with fire,[4]
and having done so
reduces them to ashes.
Having done that
he winnows the ashes in a strong wind
or lets them be carried off by a swiftly flowing stream,
— those seeds, monks,
would be cut off at the root,
made like a palm-three stump,
made unable to become again,
of a nature not to arise again in future time ...

■

[119] Just so, monks,
an act not performed in lust,
not born of lust,
not originating in lust,
not arising from lust,
— since lust has vanished,
that act is abandoned,
cut off at the root,
made like a palm-tree stump,
made unable to come again,
of a nature not to arise again in future time.

■

An act not performed in malice
not born of malice,
not originating in malice,
not arising from malice,
— since malice has vanished,
that act is abandoned,
cut off at the root,
made like a palm-tree stump,
made unable to come again,
of a nature not to arise again in future time.

■

An act not performed under delusion
not born of delusion,
not originating in delusion,
not arising from delusion,
— since delusion has vanished,
that act is abandoned,
cut off at the root,
made like a palm-tree stump,
made unable to come again,
of a nature not to arise again in future time.

These indeed, monks, are the originating causes of actions."

From lust or malice or delusion born,
A deed, or great or small, performed by fools[5]
Just here is felt: no other ground is seen[6]
For its fulfilment. Wise monks should eschew
Lust, malice and delusion for this cause,
Get knowledge[7] and forsake all ways of woe.'

[1] Nidāni. Cf. Warren, Buddhism in Translations, 315. [ed.: not found. 215? Warren's translation of this sutta.

[2] Pariyāye.

[3] Cf. K.S. iii, 46; v, 329. Sāradāni = gahita-sārāni, sāravantāni no nissārā. Comy.

[4] Cf. K.S., ii, 62.

[5] Text has wrongly cāpi viddasu for cāp'aviddasu of Comy. (yaṇ so avidu andha-bālo ... karoti). Aviddasu = avidvā.

[6] Vatthuṇ = khettaṇ, as at A. ii, 158. Comy. 'There is no other ground to ripen the fruit of it. The deed done by one does not ripen in the personal existence of another.'

[7] Vijjaṇ uppādayaṇ = arahatta-magga-vijjaṇ uppādetvā. Comy.

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