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,’ 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.
“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. 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 result 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!’ 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.”
“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. 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.”
“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.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these two things that do not cause torment. 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.”
“Bhikkhus, I have personally known two things: noncontentment in regard to wholesome qualities and indefatigability in striving. 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.’ It was by heedfulness that I achieved enlightenment, bhikkhus; it was by heedfulness that I achieved the unsurpassed security from bondage.
“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.”
“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. One who dwells contemplating gratification in things that can fetter does 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.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these two bright qualities. What two? Moral shame and moral dread. These are the two bright qualities.”
“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. 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. What two? The earlier and the later. These are the two [occasions for] entering upon the rains.”