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- Anguttara Nikaya X.176
- Cunda Kammaraputta Sutta
- To Cunda the Silversmith
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
Translator's note: According to the Maha-Parinibbana Sutta (DN 16), Cunda the
silversmith at a later date presented the Buddha with the final meal before his (the
Buddha's) total liberation.
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Pava
in Cunda the silversmith's mango grove. Then Cunda the silversmith
went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he
was sitting there, the Blessed One said to him: "Cunda, of whose rites of
purification do you approve?"
"The brahmins of the Western lands, lord -- those who carry water pots, wear
garlands of water plants, worship fire, & purify with water: they have declared
purification rites of which I approve."
"And what kind of purification rites have they declared, those brahmins of the
Western lands who carry water pots, wear garlands of water plants, worship fire, &
purify with water?"
"There is the case where the brahmins of the Western lands...get their disciples
to undertake their practice thus: 'Come, now, my good man: Get up at the proper time from
your bed and touch the earth. If you don't touch the earth, touch wet cow dung. If you
don't touch wet cow dung, touch green grass. If you don't touch green grass, worship a
fire. If you don't worship a fire, pay homage to the sun with clasped hands. If you don't
pay homage to the sun with clasped hands, go down into the water three times by
nightfall.' These are the purification rites declared by the brahmins of the Western
lands...of which I approve."
"Cunda, the purification rites declared by the brahmins of the Western lands...are
one thing; the purification in the discipline of the noble ones is something else
entirely."
"But how is there purification in the discipline of the noble ones, venerable sir?
It would be good if the Blessed One would teach me how there is purification in the
discipline of the noble ones."
"Then in that case, Cunda, listen & pay close attention. I will speak."
"As you say, lord," Cunda the silversmith responded.
The Blessed One said: "There are three ways in which
one is made impure by bodily action, four ways in which one is made impure by verbal
action, and three ways in which one is made impure by mental action.
Unskillful Bodily Action
"And how is one made impure in three ways by bodily action? There is the case
where a certain person takes life, is a hunter, bloody-handed, devoted to killing &
slaying, showing no mercy to living beings. He takes what is not given. He takes, in the
manner of a thief, things in a village or a wilderness that belong to others and have not
been given by them. He engages in sensual misconduct. He gets sexually involved with those
who are protected by their mothers, their fathers, their brothers, their sisters, their
relatives, or their Dhamma; those with husbands, those who entail punishments, or even
those crowned with flowers by another man. This is how one is made impure in three ways by
bodily action.
Unskillful Verbal Action
"And how is one made impure in four ways by verbal action? There is the case where
a certain person engages in false speech. When he has been called to a town meeting, a
group meeting, a gathering of his relatives, his guild, or of the royalty [i.e., a royal
court proceeding], if he is asked as a witness, 'Come & tell, good man, what you
know': If he doesn't know, he says, 'I know.' If he does know, he says, 'I don't know.' If
he hasn't seen, he says, 'I have seen.' If he has seen, he says, 'I haven't seen.' Thus he
consciously tells lies for his own sake, for the sake of another, or for the sake of a
certain reward. He engages in divisive speech. What he has heard here he tells there to
break those people apart from these people here. What he has heard there he tells here to
break these people apart from those people there. Thus breaking apart those who are united
and stirring up strife between those who have broken apart, he loves factionalism,
delights in factionalism, enjoys factionalism, speaks things that create factionalism. He
engages in abusive speech. He speaks words that are harsh, cutting, bitter to others,
abusive of others, provoking anger and destroying concentration. He engages in idle
chatter. He speaks out of season, speaks what isn't factual, what isn't in accordance with
the goal, the Dhamma, & the Vinaya, words that are not worth treasuring. This is how
one is made impure in four ways by verbal action.
Unskillful Mental Action
"And how is one made impure in three ways by mental action? There is the case
where a certain person is covetous. He covets the belongings of others, thinking, 'O, that
what belongs to others would be mine!' He bears ill will, corrupt in the resolves of his
heart: 'May these beings be killed or cut apart or crushed or destroyed, or may they not
exist at all!' He has wrong view, is warped in the way he sees things: 'There is nothing
given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed. There is no fruit or result of good or bad
actions. There is no this world, no next world, no mother, no father, no spontaneously
reborn beings; no priests or contemplatives who, faring rightly & practicing rightly,
proclaim this world & the next after having directly known & realized it for
themselves.' This is how one is made impure in three ways by mental action.
"These, Cunda, are the ten courses of unskillful action. When a person is endowed
with these ten courses of unskillful action, then even if he gets up at the proper time
from his bed and touches the earth, he is still impure. If he doesn't touch the earth, he
is still impure. If he touches wet cow dung, he is still impure. If he doesn't touch wet
cow dung, he is still impure. If he touches green grass...If he doesn't touch green
grass...If he worships a fire...If he doesn't worship a fire...If he pays homage to the
sun with clasped hands...If he doesn't pay homage to the sun with clasped hands...If he
goes down into the water three times by nightfall...If he doesn't go down into the water
three times by nightfall, he is still impure. Why is that? Because these ten courses of
unskillful action are impure and cause impurity. Furthermore, as a result of being endowed
with these ten courses of unskillful action, [rebirth in] hell is declared, [rebirth in]
an animal womb is declared, [rebirth in] the realm of hungry shades is declared -- that or
any other bad destination.
"Now, Cunda, there are three ways in which one is made
pure by bodily action, four ways in which one is made pure by verbal action, and three
ways in which one is made pure by mental action.
"And how is one made pure in three ways by bodily action? There is the case where
a certain person, abandoning the taking of life, abstains from the taking of life. He
dwells with his rod laid down, his knife laid down, scrupulous, merciful, compassionate
for the welfare of all living beings. Abandoning the taking of what is not given, he
abstains from taking what is not given. He does not take, in the manner of a thief, things
in a village or a wilderness that belong to others and have not been given by them.
Abandoning sensual misconduct, he abstains from sensual misconduct. He does not get
sexually involved with those who are protected by their mothers, their fathers, their
brothers, their sisters, their relatives, or their Dhamma; those with husbands, those who
entail punishments, or even those crowned with flowers by another man. This is how one is
made pure in three ways by bodily action.
"And how is one made pure in four ways by verbal action? There is the case where a
certain person, abandoning false speech, abstains from false speech. When he has been
called to a town meeting, a group meeting, a gathering of his relatives, his guild, or of
the royalty, if he is asked as a witness, 'Come & tell, good man, what you know': If
he doesn't know, he says, 'I don't know.' If he does know, he says, 'I know.' If he hasn't
seen, he says, 'I haven't seen.' If he has seen, he says, 'I have seen.' Thus he doesn't
consciously tell a lie for his own sake, for the sake of another, or for the sake of any
reward. Abandoning false speech, he abstains from false speech. He speaks the truth, holds
to the truth, is firm, reliable, no deceiver of the world. Abandoning divisive speech he
abstains from divisive speech. What he has heard here he does not tell there to break
those people apart from these people here. What he has heard there he does not tell here
to break these people apart from those people there. Thus reconciling those who have
broken apart or cementing those who are united, he loves concord, delights in concord,
enjoys concord, speaks things that create concord. Abandoning abusive speech, he abstains
from abusive speech. He speaks words that are soothing to the ear, that are affectionate,
that go to the heart, that are polite, appealing & pleasing to people at large.
Abandoning idle chatter, he abstains from idle chatter. He speaks in season, speaks what
is factual, what is in accordance with the goal, the Dhamma, & the Vinaya. He speaks
words worth treasuring, seasonable, reasonable, circumscribed, connected with the goal.
This is how one is made pure in four ways by verbal action.
"And how is one made pure in three ways by mental action? There is the case where
a certain person is not covetous. He does not covet the belongings of others, thinking,
'O, that what belongs to others would be mine!' He bears no ill will and is not corrupt in
the resolves of his heart. [He thinks,] 'May these beings be free from animosity, free
from oppression, free from trouble, and may they look after themselves with ease!' He has
right view and is not warped in the way he sees things: 'There is what is given, what is
offered, what is sacrificed. There are fruits & results of good & bad actions.
There is this world & the next world. There is mother & father. There are
spontaneously reborn beings; there are priests & contemplatives who, faring rightly
& practicing rightly, proclaim this world & the next after having directly known
& realized it for themselves.' This is how one is made pure in three ways by mental
action.
"These, Cunda, are the ten courses of skillful action. When a person is endowed
with these ten courses of skillful action, then even if he gets up at the proper time from
his bed and touches the earth, he is still pure. If he doesn't touch the earth, he is
still pure. If he touches wet cow dung, he is still pure. If he doesn't touch wet cow
dung, he is still pure. If he touches green grass...If he doesn't touch green grass...If
he worships a fire...If he doesn't worship a fire...If he pays homage to the sun with
clasped hands...If he doesn't pay homage to the sun with clasped hands...If he goes down
into the water three times by nightfall...If he doesn't go down into the water three times
by nightfall, he is still pure. Why is that? Because these ten courses of skillful action
are pure and cause purity. Furthermore, as a result of being endowed with these ten
courses of skillful action, [rebirth among] the devas is declared, [rebirth among] human
beings is declared -- that or any other good destination."
When this was said, Cunda the silversmith said to the Blessed One: "Magnificent, venerable sir! Magnificent! Just as if he were to place
upright what had been overturned, were to reveal what was hidden, were to show the way to
one who was lost, or were to hold up a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes could see
forms, in the same way the Blessed One has -- through many lines of reasoning -- made the
Dhamma clear. I go to the Blessed One for refuge, to the Dhamma, and to the community of
monks. May the Blessed One remember me as a lay follower who has gone to him for refuge,
from this day forward, for life."
See also: AN III.2; Iti 30; Iti 31.