1 (1) Faults
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus!”
“Venerable sir!” those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:
“Bhikkhus, there are these two faults. What two? The fault pertaining to the present life and the fault pertaining to the future life.
“And what is the fault pertaining to the present life? Here, someone sees that when kings arrest a robber, a criminal, they subject him to various punishments: they have him flogged with whips, beaten with canes, beaten with clubs; they have his hands cut off, his feet cut off, his hands and feet cut off; his ears cut off, his nose cut off, his ears and nose cut off; they have him subjected to the ‘porridge pot,’ to the ‘polished-shell shave,’ to the ‘Rāhu’s mouth,’ to the ‘fiery wreath,’ to the ‘flaming hand,’ to the ‘blades of grass,’ [48] to the ‘bark dress,’ to the ‘antelope,’ to the ‘meat hooks,’ to the ‘coins,’ to the ‘lye pickling,’ to the ‘pivoting pin,’ to the ‘rolled-up palliasse’; and they have him splashed with boiling oil, and they have him devoured by dogs, and they have him impaled alive on stakes, and they have his head cut off with a sword.216
“It occurs to him: ‘When kings have arrested a robber, a criminal, they subject him to various punishments because of his bad deeds: they have him flogged with whips … they have his head cut off with a sword. Now if I were to commit such a bad deed, and if kings were to arrest me, they would subject me to the same punishments. They would have me flogged with whips … they would have my head cut off with a sword.’ Afraid of the fault pertaining to the present life, he does not plunder the belongings of others.217 This is called the fault pertaining to the present life.
“And what is the fault pertaining to the future life? Here, someone reflects thus: ‘Bodily misconduct has a bad, painful result218 in the future life; verbal misconduct has a bad, painful result in the future life; mental misconduct has a bad, painful result in the future life. Now if I were to engage in misconduct by body, speech, and mind, then, with the breakup of the body, after death, I would be reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the lower world, in hell!’ [49] Afraid of the fault pertaining to the future life, he abandons bodily misconduct and develops bodily good conduct; he abandons verbal misconduct and develops verbal good conduct; he abandons mental misconduct and develops mental good conduct; he maintains himself in purity. This is called the fault pertaining to the future life.
“These, bhikkhus, are the two faults. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will fear the fault pertaining to the present life; we will fear the fault pertaining to the future life. We will be fearful of faults and see peril in faults.’ It is in such a way that you should train yourselves. It is to be expected that one who is fearful of faults and sees peril in faults will be freed from all faults.”
2 (2) Striving
“Bhikkhus, there are these two strivings that are hard to achieve in the world. What two? The striving of laypeople who dwell at home for the purpose of presenting [monastics with] robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and provisions for the sick, and the striving of those who have gone forth from the household life into homelessness for the relinquishment of all acquisitions. These are the two strivings that are hard to achieve in the world.
“Of these two strivings, bhikkhus, the foremost is the striving for the relinquishment of all acquisitions.219 Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will strive for the relinquishment of all acquisitions.’ It is in such a way that you should train yourselves.”
3 (3) Causing Torment
“Bhikkhus, there are these two things that cause torment. What two? Here, someone has engaged in bodily misconduct but failed to engage in bodily good conduct; engaged in verbal misconduct but failed to engage in verbal good conduct; engaged in mental misconduct but failed to engage in mental good conduct. He is tormented, [thinking]: ‘I have engaged in bodily misconduct’; he is tormented, [thinking]: ‘I have failed to engage in bodily good conduct’; he is tormented, [thinking]: ‘I have engaged in verbal misconduct’; he is tormented, [thinking]: ‘I have failed to engage in verbal good conduct’; he is tormented, [thinking]: ‘I have engaged in mental misconduct’; he is tormented, [thinking]: ‘I have failed to engage in mental good conduct.’ These, bhikkhus, are the two things that cause torment.”220
4 (4) Not Causing Torment
“Bhikkhus, there are these two things that do not cause torment. [50] What two? Here, someone has engaged in bodily good conduct and avoided engaging in bodily misconduct; engaged in verbal good conduct and avoided engaging in verbal misconduct; engaged in mental good conduct and avoided engaging in mental misconduct. He is not tormented, [knowing]: ‘I have engaged in bodily good conduct’; he is not tormented, [knowing]: ‘I have avoided engaging in bodily misconduct’; he is not tormented, [knowing]: ‘I have engaged in verbal good conduct’; he is not tormented, [knowing]: ‘I have avoided engaging in verbal misconduct’; he is not tormented, [knowing]: ‘I have engaged in mental good conduct’; he is not tormented, [knowing]: ‘I have avoided engaging in mental misconduct.’ These, bhikkhus, are the two things that do not cause torment.”
5 (5) Known
“Bhikkhus, I have personally known two things: non-contentment in regard to wholesome qualities and indefatigability in striving.221 I strove indefatigably, [resolved]: ‘Willingly, let only my skin, sinews, and bones remain, and let the flesh and blood dry up in my body, but I will not relax my energy so long as I have not attained what can be attained by manly strength, energy, and exertion.’222 It was by heedfulness that I achieved enlightenment, bhikkhus; it was by heedfulness that I achieved the unsurpassed security from bondage.223
“If, bhikkhus, you too would strive indefatigably, [resolved]: ‘Willingly, let only my skin, sinews, and bones remain, and let the flesh and blood dry up in my body, but I will not relax my energy so long as I have not attained what can be attained by manly strength, energy, and exertion,’ you too will, in no long time, realize for yourselves with direct knowledge, in this very life, that unsurpassed consummation of the spiritual life for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from the household life into homelessness, and having entered upon it, you will dwell in it. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will strive indefatigably, [resolved]: “Willingly, let only my skin, sinews, and bones remain, and let the flesh and blood dry up in my body, but I will not relax my energy so long as I have not attained what can be attained by manly strength, energy, and exertion.”’ It is in such a way that you should train yourselves.”
6 (6) Fetter
“Bhikkhus, there are these two things. What two? Contemplation of gratification in things that can fetter and contemplation of disenchantment in things that can fetter.224 One who dwells contemplating gratification in things that can fetter does [51] not abandon lust, hatred, and delusion. Not having abandoned lust, hatred, and delusion, one is not freed from birth, from old age and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, dejection, and anguish; one is not freed from suffering, I say. One who dwells contemplating disenchantment in things that can fetter abandons lust, hatred, and delusion. Having abandoned lust, hatred, and delusion, one is freed from birth, from old age and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, dejection, and anguish; one is freed from suffering, I say. These, bhikkhus, are the two things.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these two dark qualities. What two? Moral shamelessness and moral recklessness. These are the two dark qualities.”
8 (8) Bright
“Bhikkhus, there are these two bright qualities. What two? Moral shame and moral dread.225 These are the two bright qualities.”
9 (9) Behavior
“Bhikkhus, these two bright qualities protect the world. What two? Moral shame and moral dread. If these two bright qualities did not protect the world, there would not be seen here [any restraint regarding] one’s mother, aunts, or the wives of one’s teachers and [other] respected people.226 The world would become promiscuous, like goats and sheep, chickens and pigs, dogs and jackals. But because these two bright qualities protect the world, there is seen here [restraint regarding] one’s mother, aunts, or the wives of one’s teachers and [other] respected people.”
10 (10) Entering upon the Rains
“Bhikkhus, there are these two [occasions for] entering upon the rains.227 What two? The earlier and the later. These are the two [occasions for] entering upon the rains.” [52]
216 Mp gives detailed explanations of all these punishments. I translate only the first few and leave the rest to the reader’s imagination. (1) The porridge pot (bilaṅgathālika): they crack open his skull, take up a hot iron ball with tongs, put the ball inside, and boil his brains until they overflow. (2) The polished-shell shave (saṅkhamuṇḍika): they cut the skin [in the area] bounded by his upper lip, the roots of the ears, and gullet, bind all his head hairs into a knot, tie them around a stick, and pull it up, so that his skin together with his head hairs comes off; then they rub his skull with coarse sand and wash it, until it becomes the color of a conch shell. (3) Rāhu’s mouth (rāhumukha): they force open his mouth with a spike and burn a lamp inside his mouth, or they dig into his mouth with a spade until the blood flows and fills his mouth. (4) The fiery wreath (jotimālika): they wind an oiled cloth around his entire body and ignite it. (5) The flaming hand (hatthapajjotika): they wind an oiled cloth around his hand and ignite it so that it burns like a lamp.
217 Mp: “Even if a bundle of a thousand [gold pieces] had fallen along the road, he would not steal it thinking to support himself with it, but he would turn it over with his heel and go his way, thinking: ‘What need do I have with this?’”
218 Both Ce and Be read pāpako dukkho vipāko here, as against Ee pāpako vipāko.
219 Sabbūpadhipaṭinissagga. Mp specifies three types of “acquisitions” (upadhi): the five aggregates, the defilements, and volitional activities (khandha, kilesa, abhisaṅkhārā). The relinquishment of these is a synonym for nibbāna. The striving for this is the energy arisen along with insight and the path.
220 The two things that cause torment (dhammā tapanīyā) are not expressly stated as such in the text, but it is clear that they are (1) engaging in misconduct, and (2) failing to engage in good conduct. The same applies, with appropriate changes, to the following sutta.
221 Mp: “By non-contentment in regard to wholesome qualities (asantuṭṭhitā kusalesu dhammesu) he shows: ‘Not being content merely with jhāna or the luminous mark [of concentration], I aroused the path of arahantship. Until that arose, I was not content. And being dissatisfied in striving, I strove on, standing firm without retreating.’ ‘Indefatigability’ (appaṭivānitā) means not turning back, not retreating. By I strove indefatigably, what is meant is this: ‘When I was a bodhisatta, I strove on, not retreating, aspiring for omniscience.’”
222 This determination is found elsewhere in the Nikāyas: in AN at 8:13 §8, IV 190,8–12; MN 70.27, I 481,1–5; and SN 12:22, II 28,24–28.
223 Mp: “Heedfulness (appamāda) consists in non-separation from mindfulness. Unsurpassed security from bondage (anuttara yogakkhema): by heedfulness he attained not only enlightenment but also unsurpassed security from bondage, consisting in the fruit of arahantship and nibbāna.”
224 See SN 12:53, II 86; SN 12:54, II 87; SN 12:57–59, II 89–91.
225 Moral shame (hiri) is disgust at bodily and verbal misconduct; moral dread (ottappa) is moral dread over such misconduct. Moral shame is directed inwardly. It arises from self-respect and induces one to reject wrongdoing based on the sense of one’s own inherent dignity. Moral dread has an outward direction. It arises from fear of blame and induces one to reject wrongdoing based on fear of the consequences. For more details, see CMA 86, As 124–25, and Vism 464,31–465,4, Ppn 14.142.
226 Mātucchā is one’s maternal aunt; mātulāni, the wife of one’s mother’s brother. For simplicity’s sake I refer to them jointly as “aunts.”
227 Vassūpanāyikā. The three-month rains residence is observed by monastics during the Indian rainy season. During this period, bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must remain for three months at their chosen place of residence, though they are permitted to leave for up to seven days if there is a suitable reason. The earlier three-month rains period extends from the day after the full moon of Āsāḷha (normally occurring in July or early August) to the full moon of Kattika (normally in October or early November). The later three-month rains period begins and ends one month after the earlier one.