21. Karajakāyavagga
21. The Body Born of Deeds
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“Saṁsappanīyapariyāyaṁ vo, bhikkhave, dhammapariyāyaṁ desessāmi.
“Mendicants, I will teach you an exposition of the teaching on creepy creatures.
Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”
“Katamo ca, bhikkhave, saṁsappanīyapariyāyo dhammapariyāyo?
“What is the exposition of the teaching on creepy creatures?
Kammassakā, bhikkhave, sattā kammadāyādā kammayonī kammabandhū kammapaṭisaraṇā, yaṁ kammaṁ karonti—
Sentient beings are the owners of their deeds and heir to their deeds. Deeds are their womb, their relative, and their refuge.
kalyāṇaṁ vā pāpakaṁ vā—tassa dāyādā bhavanti.
They shall be the heir of whatever deeds they do, whether good or bad.
Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pāṇātipātī hoti luddo lohitapāṇi hatapahate niviṭṭho, adayāpanno sabbapāṇabhūtesu.
Take a certain someone who kills living creatures. They’re violent, bloody-handed, a hardened killer, merciless to living beings.
So saṁsappati kāyena, saṁsappati vācāya, saṁsappati manasā.
They’re creepy in body, speech, and mind.
Tassa jimhaṁ kāyakammaṁ hoti, jimhaṁ vacīkammaṁ, jimhaṁ manokammaṁ, jimhā gati, jimhupapatti.
Doing crooked deeds by way of body, speech, and mind, their destiny and rebirth are crooked.
Jimhagatikassa kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, jimhupapattikassa dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññataraṁ gatiṁ vadāmi—
Someone whose destiny and rebirth is crooked is reborn in one of two places, I say:
ye vā ekantadukkhā nirayā yā vā saṁsappajātikā tiracchānayoni.
in an exclusively painful hell, or among the species of creepy animals.
Katamā ca sā, bhikkhave, saṁsappajātikā tiracchānayoni?
And what are the species of creepy animals?
Ahi vicchikā satapadī nakulā biḷārā mūsikā ulūkā, ye vā panaññepi keci tiracchānayonikā sattā manusse disvā saṁsappanti.
Snakes, scorpions, centipedes, mongooses, cats, mice, owls, or whatever other species of animal that creep away when they see humans.
Evamahaṁ, bhikkhave, ‘kammadāyādā sattā’ti vadāmi.
This is why I say that sentient beings are heirs to their deeds.
‘natthi dinnaṁ …pe…
sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedentī’ti.
So saṁsappati kāyena, saṁsappati vācāya, saṁsappati manasā.
They’re creepy in body, speech, and mind.
Tassa jimhaṁ kāyakammaṁ hoti, jimhaṁ vacīkammaṁ, jimhaṁ manokammaṁ, jimhā gati, jimhupapatti.
Doing crooked deeds by way of body, speech, and mind, their destiny and rebirth are crooked.
Jimhagatikassa kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, jimhupapattikassa dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññataraṁ gatiṁ vadāmi—
Someone whose destiny and rebirth is crooked is reborn in one of two places, I say:
ye vā ekantadukkhā nirayā yā vā saṁsappajātikā tiracchānayoni.
in an exclusively painful hell, or among the species of creepy animals.
Katamā ca sā, bhikkhave, saṁsappajātikā tiracchānayoni?
And what are the species of creepy animals?
Ahi vicchikā satapadī nakulā biḷārā mūsikā ulūkā, ye vā panaññepi keci tiracchānayonikā sattā manusse disvā saṁsappanti.
Snakes, scorpions, centipedes, mongooses, cats, mice, owls, or whatever other species of animal that creep away when they see humans.
Evamahaṁ, bhikkhave, ‘kammadāyādā sattā’ti vadāmi.
This is why I say that sentient beings are heirs to their deeds.
Kammassakā, bhikkhave, sattā kammadāyādā kammayonī kammabandhū kammapaṭisaraṇā, yaṁ kammaṁ karonti—
Sentient beings are the owners of their deeds and heir to their deeds. Deeds are their womb, their relative, and their refuge.
kalyāṇaṁ vā pāpakaṁ vā—tassa dāyādā bhavanti.
They shall be the heir of whatever deeds they do, whether good or bad.
Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pāṇātipātaṁ pahāya pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti nihitadaṇḍo nihitasattho, lajjī dayāpanno sabbapāṇabhūtahitānukampī viharati.
Take a certain someone who gives up killing living creatures. They renounce the rod and the sword. They’re scrupulous and kind, living full of sympathy for all living beings.
So na saṁsappati kāyena, na saṁsappati vācāya, na saṁsappati manasā.
They’re not creepy in body, speech, and mind.
Tassa uju kāyakammaṁ hoti, uju vacīkammaṁ, uju manokammaṁ, uju gati, ujupapatti.
Doing virtuous deeds by way of body, speech, and mind, their destiny and rebirth is virtuous.
Ujugatikassa kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ujupapattikassa dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññataraṁ gatiṁ vadāmi—
Someone whose destiny and rebirth is virtuous is reborn in one of two places, I say:
ye vā ekantasukhā saggā yāni vā pana tāni uccākulāni khattiyamahāsālakulāni vā brāhmaṇamahāsālakulāni vā gahapatimahāsālakulāni vā aḍḍhāni mahaddhanāni mahābhogāni pahūtajātarūparajatāni pahūtavittūpakaraṇāni pahūtadhanadhaññāni.
in a heaven of perfect happiness, or in an eminent well-to-do family of aristocrats, brahmins, or householders—rich, affluent, and wealthy, with lots of gold and silver, lots of property and assets, and lots of money and grain.
Evamahaṁ, bhikkhave, ‘kammadāyādā sattā’ti vadāmi.
This is why I say that sentient beings are heirs to their deeds.
Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco adinnādānaṁ pahāya adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti …pe…
Take someone else who gives up stealing …
‘atthi dinnaṁ …pe…
ye imañca lokaṁ parañca lokaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedentī’ti.
So na saṁsappati kāyena, na saṁsappati vācāya, na saṁsappati manasā.
They’re not creepy in body, speech, and mind.
Tassa uju kāyakammaṁ hoti, uju vacīkammaṁ, uju manokammaṁ, uju gati, ujupapatti.
Doing virtuous deeds by way of body, speech, and mind, their destiny and rebirth is virtuous.
Ujugatikassa kho pana ahaṁ, bhikkhave, ujupapattikassa dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññataraṁ gatiṁ vadāmi—
Someone whose destiny and rebirth is virtuous is reborn in one of two places, I say:
ye vā ekantasukhā saggā yāni vā pana tāni uccākulāni khattiyamahāsālakulāni vā brāhmaṇamahāsālakulāni vā gahapatimahāsālakulāni vā aḍḍhāni mahaddhanāni mahābhogāni pahūtajātarūparajatāni pahūtavittūpakaraṇāni pahūtadhanadhaññāni.
in a heaven of perfect happiness, or in an eminent well-to-do family of aristocrats, brahmins, or householders—rich, affluent, and wealthy, with lots of gold and silver, lots of property and assets, and lots of money and grain.
Evamahaṁ, bhikkhave, ‘kammadāyādā sattā’ti vadāmi.
This is why I say that sentient beings are heirs to their deeds.
Kammassakā, bhikkhave, sattā kammadāyādā kammayonī kammabandhū kammapaṭisaraṇā, yaṁ kammaṁ karonti—
Sentient beings are the owners of their deeds and heir to their deeds. Deeds are their womb, their relative, and their refuge.
kalyāṇaṁ vā pāpakaṁ vā—tassa dāyādā bhavanti.
They shall be the heir of whatever deeds they do, whether good or bad.
Ayaṁ kho so, bhikkhave, saṁsappanīyapariyāyo dhammapariyāyo”ti.
This is the exposition of the teaching on creepy creatures.”
Chaṭṭhaṁ.