Numbered Discourses 10.217

21. The Body Born of Deeds

Intentional (1st)

“Bhikkhus, I don’t say that intentional deeds that have been performed and accumulated are eliminated without being experienced. And that may be in the present life, or in the next life, or in some subsequent period. And I don’t say that suffering is ended without experiencing intentional deeds that have been performed and accumulated.

Now, there are three kinds of corruption and failure of bodily action that have unskillful intention, with suffering as their outcome and result. There are four kinds of corruption and failure of verbal action that have unskillful intention, with suffering as their outcome and result. There are three kinds of corruption and failure of mental action that have unskillful intention, with suffering as their outcome and result.

And what are the three kinds of corruption and failure of bodily action? It’s when a certain person kills living creatures. They’re violent, bloody-handed, a hardened killer, merciless to living beings.

They steal. With the intention to commit theft, they take the wealth or belongings of others from village or wilderness.

They commit sexual misconduct. They have sex with women who have their mother, father, both mother and father, brother, sister, relatives, or clan as guardian. They have sex with a woman who is protected on principle, or who has a husband, or whose violation is punishable by law, or even one who has been garlanded as a token of betrothal.

These are the three kinds of corruption and failure of bodily action.

And what are the four kinds of corruption and failure of verbal action? It’s when a certain person lies. They’re summoned to a council, an assembly, a family meeting, a guild, or to the royal court, and asked to bear witness: ‘Please, mister, say what you know.’ Not knowing, they say ‘I know.’ Knowing, they say ‘I don’t know.’ Not seeing, they say ‘I see.’ And seeing, they say ‘I don’t see.’ So they deliberately lie for the sake of themselves or another, or for some trivial worldly reason.

They speak divisively. They repeat in one place what they heard in another so as to divide people against each other. And so they divide those who are harmonious, supporting division, delighting in division, loving division, speaking words that promote division.

They speak harshly. They use the kinds of words that are cruel, nasty, hurtful, offensive, bordering on anger, not leading to samādhi.

They indulge in talking nonsense. Their speech is untimely, and is neither factual nor beneficial. It has nothing to do with the teaching or the training. Their words have no value, and are untimely, unreasonable, rambling, and pointless.

These are the four kinds of corruption and failure of verbal action.

And what are the three kinds of corruption and failure of mental action? It’s when someone is covetous. They covet the wealth and belongings of others: ‘Oh, if only their belongings were mine!’

They have ill will and malicious intentions: ‘May these sentient beings be killed, slaughtered, slain, destroyed, or annihilated!’

They have wrong view. Their perspective is distorted: ‘There’s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. There’s no fruit or result of good and bad deeds. There’s no afterlife. There’s no such thing as mother and father, or beings that are reborn spontaneously. And there’s no ascetic or brahmin who is well attained and practiced, and who describes the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.’

These are the three kinds of corruption and failure of mental action.

When their body breaks up, after death, sentient beings are reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell because of these three kinds of corruption and failure of bodily action, these four kinds of corruption and failure of verbal action, or these three kinds of corruption and failure of mental action that have unskillful intention, with suffering as their outcome and result.

It’s like throwing loaded dice: they always fall the right side up. In the same way, when their body breaks up, after death, sentient beings are reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell because of these three kinds of corruption and failure of bodily action, these four kinds of corruption and failure of verbal action, or these three kinds of corruption and failure of mental action that have unskillful intention, with suffering as their outcome and result.

I don’t say that intentional deeds that have been performed and accumulated are eliminated without being experienced. And that may be in the present life, or in the next life, or in some subsequent period. And I don’t say that suffering is ended without experiencing intentional deeds that have been performed and accumulated.

Now, there are three kinds of successful bodily action that have skillful intention, with happiness as their outcome and result. There are four kinds of successful verbal action that have skillful intention, with happiness as their outcome and result. There are three kinds of successful mental action that have skillful intention, with happiness as their outcome and result.

And what are the three kinds of successful bodily action? It’s when a certain person gives up killing living creatures. They renounce the rod and the sword. They’re scrupulous and kind, living full of compassion for all living beings.

They don’t steal. They don’t, with the intention to commit theft, take the wealth or belongings of others from village or wilderness.

They give up sexual misconduct. They don’t have sex with women who have their mother, father, both mother and father, brother, sister, relatives, or clan as guardian. They don’t have sex with a woman who is protected on principle, or who has a husband, or whose violation is punishable by law, or even one who has been garlanded as a token of betrothal.

These are the three kinds of successful bodily action.

And what are the four kinds of successful verbal action? It’s when a certain person gives up lying. They’re summoned to a council, an assembly, a family meeting, a guild, or to the royal court, and asked to bear witness: ‘Please, mister, say what you know.’ Not knowing, they say ‘I don’t know.’ Knowing, they say ‘I know.’ Not seeing, they say ‘I don’t see.’ And seeing, they say ‘I see.’ They don’t deliberately lie for the sake of themselves or another, or for some trivial worldly reason.

They give up divisive speech. They don’t repeat in one place what they heard in another so as to divide people against each other. Instead, they reconcile those who are divided, supporting unity, delighting in harmony, loving harmony, speaking words that promote harmony.

They give up harsh speech. They speak in a way that’s mellow, pleasing to the ear, lovely, going to the heart, polite, likable and agreeable to the people.

They give up talking nonsense. Their words are timely, true, and meaningful, in line with the teaching and training. They say things at the right time which are valuable, reasonable, succinct, and beneficial.

These are the four kinds of successful verbal action.

And what are the three kinds of successful mental action? It’s when someone is content. They don’t covet the wealth and belongings of others: ‘Oh, if only their belongings were mine!’

They have a kind heart and loving intentions: ‘May these sentient beings live free of enmity and ill will, untroubled and happy!’

They have right view, an undistorted perspective: ‘There is meaning in giving, sacrifice, and offerings. There are fruits and results of good and bad deeds. There is an afterlife. There are such things as mother and father, and beings that are reborn spontaneously. And there are ascetics and brahmins who are well attained and practiced, and who describe the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.’

These are the three kinds of successful mental action.

When their body breaks up, after death, sentient beings are reborn in a good place, in heaven because of these three kinds of successful bodily action, these four kinds of successful verbal action, or these three kinds of successful mental action that have skillful intention, with happiness as their outcome and result.

It’s like throwing loaded dice: they always fall the right side up. In the same way, when their body breaks up, after death, sentient beings are reborn in a good place, in heaven because of these three kinds of successful bodily action, these four kinds of successful verbal action, or these three kinds of successful mental action that have skillful intention, with happiness as their outcome and result. I don’t say that intentional deeds that have been performed and accumulated are eliminated without being experienced. And that may be in the present life, or in the next life, or in some subsequent period. And I don’t say that suffering is ended without experiencing intentional deeds that have been performed and accumulated.”