Sakka’s Questions 2.4: 2.3. Pātimokkhasaṃvara

2.4.1

Itiha sakko devānamindo bhagavato bhāsitaṃ abhinanditvā anumoditvā bhagavantaṃ uttari pañhaṃ apucchi:

And then Sakka asked another question:

2.4.2

“Kathaṃ paṭipanno pana, mārisa, bhikkhu pātimokkhasaṃvarāya paṭipanno hotī”ti?

“But good fellow, how does a mendicant practice for restraint in the monastic code?”

2.4.3

“Kāyasamācārampāhaṃ, devānaminda, duvidhena vadāmi—

“Lord of gods, I say that there are two kinds of bodily behavior:

2.4.4

sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi.

that which you should cultivate, and that which you should not cultivate.

2.4.5

Vacīsamācārampāhaṃ, devānaminda, duvidhena vadāmi—

I say that there are two kinds of verbal behavior:

2.4.6

sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi.

that which you should cultivate, and that which you should not cultivate.

2.4.7

Pariyesanaṃpāhaṃ, devānaminda, duvidhena vadāmi—

There are two kinds of search, I say:

2.4.8

sevitabbampi, asevitabbampi.

that which you should cultivate, and that which you should not cultivate.

2.4.9

Kāyasamācārampāhaṃ, devānaminda, duvidhena vadāmi sevitabbampi asevitabbampīti iti kho panetaṃ vuttaṃ, kiñcetaṃ paṭicca vuttaṃ?

Why did I say that there are two kinds of bodily behavior?

2.4.10

Tattha yaṃ jaññā kāyasamācāraṃ

Well, should you know of a bodily behavior:

2.4.11

‘imaṃ kho me kāyasamācāraṃ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyantī’ti, evarūpo kāyasamācāro na sevitabbo.

‘When I cultivate this kind of bodily behavior, unskillful qualities grow, and skillful qualities decline.’ You should not cultivate that kind of bodily conduct.

2.4.12

Tattha yaṃ jaññā kāyasamācāraṃ

Whereas, should you know of a bodily behavior:

2.4.13

‘imaṃ kho me kāyasamācāraṃ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhantī’ti, evarūpo kāyasamācāro sevitabbo.

‘When I cultivate this kind of bodily behavior, unskillful qualities decline, and skillful qualities grow.’ You should cultivate that kind of bodily conduct.

2.4.14

Kāyasamācārampāhaṃ, devānaminda, duvidhena vadāmi—

That’s why I said there are two kinds of bodily behavior.

2.4.15

sevitabbampi, asevitabbampīti

2.4.16

iti yaṃ taṃ vuttaṃ, idametaṃ paṭicca vuttaṃ.

2.4.17

Vacīsamācārampāhaṃ, devānaminda, duvidhena vadāmi—

Why did I say that there are two kinds of verbal behavior?

2.4.18

sevitabbampi, asevitabbampīti iti kho panetaṃ vuttaṃ, kiñcetaṃ paṭicca vuttaṃ?

2.4.19

Tattha yaṃ jaññā vacīsamācāraṃ ‘imaṃ kho me vacīsamācāraṃ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyantī’ti, evarūpo vacīsamācāro na sevitabbo.

Well, should you know of a kind of verbal behavior that it causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline, you should not cultivate it.

2.4.20

Tattha yaṃ jaññā vacīsamācāraṃ ‘imaṃ kho me vacīsamācāraṃ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhantī’ti, evarūpo vacīsamācāro sevitabbo.

Whereas, should you know of a kind of verbal behavior that it causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow, you should cultivate it.

2.4.21

Vacīsamācārampāhaṃ, devānaminda, duvidhena vadāmi—

That’s why I said there are two kinds of verbal behavior.

2.4.22

sevitabbampi, asevitabbampīti

2.4.23

iti yaṃ taṃ vuttaṃ, idametaṃ paṭicca vuttaṃ.

2.4.24

Pariyesanaṃpāhaṃ, devānaminda, duvidhena vadāmi—

Why did I say that there are two kinds of search?

2.4.25

sevitabbampi, asevitabbampīti iti kho panetaṃ vuttaṃ, kiñcetaṃ paṭicca vuttaṃ?

2.4.26

Tattha yaṃ jaññā pariyesanaṃ ‘imaṃ kho me pariyesanaṃ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyantī’ti, evarūpā pariyesanā na sevitabbā.

Well, should you know of a kind of search that it causes unskillful qualities to grow while skillful qualities decline, you should not cultivate it.

2.4.27

Tattha yaṃ jaññā pariyesanaṃ ‘imaṃ kho me pariyesanaṃ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhantī’ti, evarūpā pariyesanā sevitabbā.

Whereas, should you know of a kind of search that it causes unskillful qualities to decline while skillful qualities grow, you should cultivate it.

2.4.28

Pariyesanaṃpāhaṃ, devānaminda, duvidhena vadāmi—

That’s why I said there are two kinds of search.

2.4.29

sevitabbampi, asevitabbampīti

2.4.30

iti yaṃ taṃ vuttaṃ, idametaṃ paṭicca vuttaṃ.

2.4.31

Evaṃ paṭipanno kho, devānaminda, bhikkhu pātimokkhasaṃvarāya paṭipanno hotī”ti.

That’s how a mendicant practices for restraint in the monastic code.”

2.4.32

Itthaṃ bhagavā sakkassa devānamindassa pañhaṃ puṭṭho byākāsi.

Such was the Buddha’s answer to Sakka.

2.4.33

Attamano sakko devānamindo bhagavato bhāsitaṃ abhinandi anumodi:

Delighted, Sakka approved and agreed with what the Buddha said, saying,

2.4.34

“evametaṃ, bhagavā, evametaṃ, sugata.

“That’s so true, Blessed One! That’s so true, Holy One!

2.4.35

Tiṇṇā mettha kaṅkhā vigatā kathaṅkathā bhagavato pañhaveyyākaraṇaṃ sutvā”ti.

Hearing the Buddha’s answer, I’ve gone beyond doubt and got rid of indecision.”