232 (1) In Brief
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of kamma proclaimed by me after I realized them for myself with direct knowledge. What four? There is dark kamma with dark result; there is bright kamma with bright result; there is dark-and-bright kamma with dark-and-bright result; and there is kamma that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, kamma that leads to the destruction of kamma. These are the four kinds of kamma proclaimed by me after I realized them for myself with direct knowledge.”
233 (2) In Detail941
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of kamma proclaimed by me after I realized them for myself with direct knowledge. What four? There is dark kamma with dark result; there is bright kamma with bright result; there is [231] dark-and-bright kamma with dark-and-bright result; and there is kamma that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, kamma that leads to the destruction of kamma.
(1) “And what, bhikkhus, is dark kamma with dark result? Here, someone performs an afflictive bodily volitional activity, an afflictive verbal volitional activity, an afflictive mental volitional activity.942 As a consequence, he is reborn in an afflictive world. When he is reborn in such a world, afflictive contacts touch him. Being touched by afflictive contacts, he feels afflictive feelings, exclusively painful, as in the case of hell beings. This is called dark kamma with dark result.
(2) “And what is bright kamma with bright result? Here, someone performs a non-afflictive bodily volitional activity, a non-afflictive verbal volitional activity, a non-afflictive mental volitional activity.943 As a consequence he is reborn in a non-afflictive world.944 When he is reborn in such a world, non-afflictive contacts touch him. Being touched by non-afflictive contacts, he feels non-afflictive feelings, exclusively pleasant, as in the case of the devas of refulgent glory.945 This is called bright kamma with bright result.
(3) “And what is dark-and-bright kamma with dark-and-bright result? Here, someone performs a bodily volitional activity that is both afflictive and non-afflictive, a verbal volitional activity that is both afflictive and non-afflictive, a mental volitional activity that is both afflictive and non-afflictive. As a consequence he is reborn in a world that is both afflictive and non-afflictive. When he is reborn in such a world, [232] contacts that are both afflictive and non-afflictive touch him. Being touched by contacts that are both afflictive and non-afflictive, he feels feelings that are both afflictive and non-afflictive, mingled pleasure and pain, as in the case of human beings and some devas and some beings in the lower worlds. This is called dark-and-bright kamma with dark-and-bright result.
(4) “And what is kamma that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, kamma that leads to the destruction of kamma? The volition for abandoning the kind of kamma that is dark with dark result, the volition for abandoning the kind of kamma that is bright with bright result, and the volition for abandoning the kind of kamma that is dark and bright with dark-and-bright result: this is called kamma that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, kamma that leads to the destruction of kamma.946
“These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of kamma proclaimed by me after I realized them for myself with direct knowledge.”
234 (3) Soṇakāyana
Then the brahmin Sikhāmoggallāna approached the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him…. Then, sitting to one side, he said to the Blessed One:
“In earlier days, Master Gotama, a long time ago, the brahmin student Soṇakāyana approached me and said: ‘The ascetic Gotama prescribes the desistance from all kamma. But by prescribing the desistance from all kamma, he advocates the annihilation of the world. This world, sir, which has kamma as its substance, continues through the undertaking of kamma.’”
[The Blessed One:] “I do not recall even seeing the brahmin student Soṇakāyana, brahmin. How then could there have been such a discussion? There are, brahmin, these four kinds of kamma proclaimed by me after I realized them for myself with direct knowledge. What four?”
[The rest of the sutta is identical with 4:233.] [233]
235 (4) Training Rules (1)
[Opening as in 4:233.] [234]
(1) “And what, bhikkhus, is dark kamma with dark result? Here, someone destroys life, takes what is not given, engages in sexual misconduct, speaks falsely, and indulges in liquor, wine, and intoxicants, the basis for heedlessness. This is called dark kamma with dark result.
(2) “And what is bright kamma with bright result? Here, someone abstains from the destruction of life, abstains from taking what is not given, abstains from sexual misconduct, abstains from false speech, and abstains from liquor, wine, and intoxicants, the basis for heedlessness. This is called bright kamma with bright result.
(3) “And what is dark-and-bright kamma with dark-andbright result? Here, someone performs a bodily volitional activity that is both afflictive and non-afflictive, a verbal volitional activity that is both afflictive and non-afflictive, a mental volitional activity that is both afflictive and non-afflictive. As a consequence, he is reborn in a world that is both afflictive and non-afflictive. When he is reborn in such a world, contacts that are both afflictive and non-afflictive touch him. Being touched by contacts that are both afflictive and non-afflictive, he feels feelings that are both afflictive and non-afflictive, mingled pleasure and pain, as in the case of human beings and some devas and some beings in the lower worlds. This is called dark-andbright kamma with dark-and-bright result.
(4) “And what is kamma that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, kamma that leads to the destruction of kamma? The volition for abandoning the kind of kamma that is dark with dark result, the volition for abandoning the kind of kamma that is bright with bright result, and the volition for abandoning the kind of kamma that is dark and bright with dark-and-bright result: this is called kamma that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, kamma that leads to the destruction of kamma.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of kamma proclaimed by me after I realized them for myself with direct knowledge.”
236 (5) Training Rules (2)
[Opening as in 4:233.]
(1) “And what, bhikkhus, is dark kamma with dark result? Here, someone takes his mother’s life, takes his father’s life, takes an arahant’s life, with a mind of hatred sheds the Tathāgata’s blood, or creates a schism in the Saṅgha. [235] This is called dark kamma with dark result.
(2) “And what is bright kamma with bright result? Here, someone abstains from the destruction of life, abstains from taking what is not given, abstains from sexual misconduct, abstains from false speech, abstains from divisive speech, abstains from harsh speech, and abstains from idle chatter; he is without longing, of good will, and holds right view. This is called bright kamma with bright result.
(3) “And what is dark-and-bright kamma with dark-andbright result? … [as in 4:235] … This is called dark-and-bright kamma with dark-and-bright result.
(4) “And what is kamma that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, kamma that leads to the destruction of kamma? … [as in 4:235] … this is called kamma that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, kamma that leads to the destruction of kamma.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of kamma proclaimed by me after I realized them for myself with direct knowledge.”
237 (6) Noble Path
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of kamma proclaimed by me after I realized them for myself with direct knowledge. What four?
[All as in 4:233 down to:] [236]
“And what is kamma that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, kamma that leads to the destruction of kamma? Right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration: this is called kamma that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, kamma that leads to the destruction of kamma.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of kamma proclaimed by me after I realized them for myself with direct knowledge.”
238 (7) Enlightenment Factors
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of kamma proclaimed by me after I realized them for myself with direct knowledge. What four?
[All as in 4:233 down to:] [237]
“And what is kamma that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, kamma that leads to the destruction of kamma? The enlightenment factor of mindfulness, the enlightenment factor of discrimination of phenomena, the enlightenment factor of energy, the enlightenment factor of rapture, the enlightenment factor of tranquility, the enlightenment factor of concentration, and the enlightenment factor of equanimity: this is called kamma that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, kamma that leads to the destruction of kamma.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of kamma proclaimed by me after I realized them for myself with direct knowledge.”
239 (8) Blameworthy
“Bhikkhus, one possessing four qualities is deposited in hell as if brought there. What four? Blameworthy bodily action, blameworthy verbal action, blameworthy mental action, and blameworthy view. One possessing these four qualities is deposited in hell as if brought there.
“Bhikkhus, one possessing four qualities is deposited in heaven as if brought there. What four? Blameless bodily action, blameless verbal action, blameless mental action, and blameless view. One possessing these four qualities is deposited in heaven as if brought there.”
“Bhikkhus, one possessing four qualities is deposited in hell as if brought there. What four? Afflictive bodily action, afflictive verbal action, afflictive mental action, and afflictive view. One possessing these four qualities is deposited in hell as if brought there. [238]
“Bhikkhus, one possessing four qualities is deposited in heaven as if brought there. What four? Non-afflictive bodily action, non-afflictive verbal action, non-afflictive mental action, and non-afflictive view. One possessing these four qualities is deposited in heaven as if brought there.”
241 (10) Ascetics
“Bhikkhus, ‘only here is there an ascetic, a second ascetic, a third ascetic, and a fourth ascetic. The other sects are empty of ascetics.’947 It is in such a way that you should rightly roar your lion’s roar.
(1) “And what, bhikkhus, is the first ascetic? Here, with the utter destruction of three fetters, a bhikkhu is a stream-enterer, no longer subject to [rebirth in] the lower world, fixed in destiny, heading for enlightenment. This is the first ascetic.
(2) “And what is the second ascetic? Here, with the utter destruction of three fetters and with the diminishing of greed, hatred, and delusion, a bhikkhu is a once-returner who, after coming back to this world only one more time, will make an end of suffering. This is the second ascetic.
(3) “And what is the third ascetic? Here, with the utter destruction of the five lower fetters, a bhikkhu is of spontaneous birth, due to attain final nibbāna there without returning from that world. This is the third ascetic.
(4) “And what is the fourth ascetic? Here, with the destruction of the taints, a bhikkhu has realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, he dwells in it. This is the fourth ascetic.
“Bhikkhus, ‘only here is there an ascetic, a second ascetic, a third ascetic, and a fourth ascetic. The other sects are empty of ascetics.’ It is in such a way that you should rightly roar your lion’s roar.” [239]
242 (11) Benefits of a Good Person
“Bhikkhus, by relying on a good person, four benefits are to be expected. What four? One grows in noble virtuous behavior; one grows in noble concentration; one grows in noble wisdom; and one grows in noble liberation. By relying on a good person, these four benefits are to be expected.”
941 See MN 57.7–11, I 389–91.
942 Here an “afflictive bodily volitional activity” (sabyāpajjhaṃ kāyasaṅkhāraṃ) can be understood as the volition responsible for the three courses of unwholesome bodily kamma, an “afflictive verbal volitional activity” as the volition responsible for the four courses of unwholesome verbal kamma, and an “afflictive mental volitional activity” as the volition responsible for the three courses of unwholesome mental kamma.
943 The ten courses of wholesome kamma along with the volition of the jhānas.
944 The higher deva worlds.
945 Devā subhakiṇhā. These are the devas dwelling in the highest divine realm corresponding to the third jhāna.
946 Mp: “The volition of the path leading to the end of the round” (vivaṭṭagāminī maggacetanā).
947 I follow here the reading of Ce and Ee: suññā parappavādā samaṇehi aññe ti. Be reads aññehi for aññe ti. The same difference in readings between the editions occurs at MN I 63,30–64,1. In a line of verse without reference to a lion’s roar DN II 151,22, has suññā parappavādā samaṇehi aññe. Mp says that the “other sects” are the proponents of the sixty-two views, who lack twelve kinds of ascetics: the four who have attained the fruits, the four cultivating the paths, and the four practicing insight to attain the respective paths.