MN61 — The Discourse on the Advice to Rāhula at Ambalaṭṭhikā
Thus have I heard:
At one time the Blessed One was staying in Rājagaha at the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary.
At that time, Venerable Rāhula was staying at Ambalaṭṭhikā.
Then the Blessed One, having emerged from seclusion in the evening, went to Ambalaṭṭhikā where Venerable Rāhula was.
Venerable Rāhula saw the Blessed One coming from afar.
Having seen him, he prepared a seat and water for washing the feet.
The Blessed One sat down on the prepared seat.
Having sat down, he washed his feet.
Venerable Rāhula also paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side.
Then the Blessed One, having left a small amount of water in the water vessel, addressed Venerable Rāhula:
Do you see, Rāhula, this small amount of water left in the water vessel?
Yes, venerable sir.
Thus small, Rāhula, is the spiritual achievement of those who have no shame in intentional lying.
Then the Blessed One poured out the small amount of water and addressed Venerable Rāhula:
Do you see, Rāhula, the small amount of water poured out?
Yes, venerable sir.
Thus discarded, Rāhula, is the spiritual achievement of those who have no shame in intentional lying.
Then the Blessed One turned the water vessel upside down and addressed Venerable Rāhula:
Do you see, Rāhula, this water vessel turned upside down?
Yes, venerable sir.
Thus overturned, Rāhula, is the spiritual achievement of those who have no shame in intentional lying.
Then the Blessed One set the water vessel upright and addressed Venerable Rāhula:
Do you see, Rāhula, this water vessel empty and void?
Yes, venerable sir.
Thus empty and void, Rāhula, is the spiritual achievement of those who have no shame in intentional lying.
Just as, Rāhula, a royal elephant with tusks like spears, with massive limbs, noble, trained for battle, when in battle, acts with its front feet, acts with its hind feet, acts with its front body, acts with its hind body, acts with its head, acts with its ears, acts with its tusks, acts with its tail; yet it protects its trunk.
There the elephant trainer thinks:
This royal elephant with tusks like spears, with massive limbs, noble, trained for battle, when in battle, acts with its front feet, acts with its hind feet... acts with its tail; yet it protects its trunk.
The king's elephant's life is at risk.
When, Rāhula, the king's elephant with tusks like spears, strong thighs, noble, trained for battle, and in battle, works with its front legs, works with its hind legs, works with its tail, works with its trunk, then the rider thinks, This king's elephant with tusks like spears, strong thighs, noble, trained for battle, and in battle, works with its front legs, works with its hind legs, works with its front body, works with its hind body, works with its head, works with its ears, works with its tusks, works with its tail, works with its trunk.
The king's elephant's life is at risk.
There is nothing the king's elephant cannot do.
In the same way, Rāhula, for anyone who has no shame in lying knowingly, I say there is no evil they cannot do.
Therefore, Rāhula, you should train yourself, I will not speak falsehood even in jest.
This is how you should train, Rāhula.
What do you think, Rāhula, what is the purpose of a mirror?
For reflection, venerable sir.
In the same way, Rāhula, you should reflect and reflect before acting with the body, reflect and reflect before speaking with speech, reflect and reflect before thinking with the mind.
Whatever action you intend to do with the body, you should reflect on that bodily action, Will this action I intend to do with the body lead to my own harm, to the harm of others, or to the harm of both? Is it an unwholesome bodily action with painful consequences, painful results?
If, Rāhula, while reflecting you know, This action I intend to do with the body will lead to my own harm, to the harm of others, or to the harm of both; it is an unwholesome bodily action with painful consequences, painful results, then, Rāhula, you should not do such an action with the body.
But if, Rāhula, while reflecting you know, This action I intend to do with the body will not lead to my own harm, nor to the harm of others, nor to the harm of both; it is a wholesome bodily action with pleasant consequences, pleasant results, then you may do such an action with the body.
This bodily action is skillful, leading to happiness and resulting in happiness; such bodily action should be done by you, Rāhula.
Even while doing bodily action, Rāhula, you should reflect on that bodily action: Does this bodily action I am doing lead to my own affliction, to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both? Is this bodily action unskillful, with painful consequences, with painful results?
If, Rāhula, while reflecting you know, This bodily action I am doing leads to my own affliction, to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both; it is an unskillful bodily action with painful consequences, with painful results, you should desist from such a bodily action.
If, Rāhula, while reflecting you know, This bodily action I am doing does not lead to my own affliction, to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both; it is a skillful bodily action with pleasant consequences, with pleasant results, you should continue with such a bodily action.
Even after doing a bodily action, Rāhula, you should reflect on that bodily action: Did this bodily action I did lead to my own affliction, to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both? Was this bodily action unskillful, with painful consequences, with painful results?
If, Rāhula, while reflecting you know, This bodily action I did led to my own affliction, to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both; it was an unskillful bodily action with painful consequences, with painful results, such a bodily action should be confessed, revealed, and made open to the Teacher or to wise fellow practitioners; having confessed, revealed, and made it open, you should undertake restraint in the future.
If, Rāhula, while reflecting you know, This bodily action I did did not lead to my own affliction, to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both; it was a skillful bodily action with pleasant consequences, with pleasant results, you should dwell in happiness and joy, training day and night in skillful qualities.
Rahula, whatever verbal action you intend to perform, you should reflect on that very verbal action: Would this verbal action I intend to perform lead to my own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both? Is it an unwholesome verbal action with painful consequences, painful results?
If, upon reflection, you know: This verbal action I intend to perform would lead to my own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both. It is an unwholesome verbal action with painful consequences, painful results, then, Rahula, you definitely should not perform such a verbal action.
But if, upon reflection, you know: This verbal action I intend to perform would not lead to my own affliction, or to the affliction of others. It is a wholesome verbal action with pleasant consequences, pleasant results, then, Rahula, you should perform such a verbal action.
While you are performing a verbal action, you should reflect on that very verbal action: Does this verbal action I am doing lead to my own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both? Is it an unwholesome verbal action with painful consequences, painful results?
If, upon reflection, you know: This verbal action I am doing leads to my own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both. It is an unwholesome verbal action with painful consequences, painful results, then, Rahula, you should cease such a verbal action.
But if, upon reflection, you know: This verbal action I am doing does not lead to my own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both. It is a wholesome verbal action with pleasant consequences, pleasant results, then, Rahula, you should continue such a verbal action.
Having performed a verbal action, you should reflect on that very verbal action: Did this verbal action I performed lead to my own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both?
Is this verbal action unwholesome, leading to suffering and resulting in suffering?
If, Rāhula, upon reflection you know thus: This verbal action I have done leads to harm for myself, harm for others, and harm for both:
this verbal action is unwholesome, leading to suffering and resulting in suffering, such a verbal action, Rāhula, should be confessed, revealed, and made open to the Teacher or to wise fellow practitioners;
having confessed, revealed, and made it open, you should undertake restraint in the future.
But if, Rāhula, upon reflection you know thus: This verbal action I have done does not lead to harm for myself, harm for others, or harm for both:
this verbal action is wholesome, leading to happiness and resulting in happiness, then you should dwell in joy and delight, training day and night in wholesome states.
Whatever mental action you intend to do, that mental action should be reflected upon by you:
Does this mental action I intend to do lead to harm for myself, harm for others, or harm for both:
is this mental action unwholesome, leading to suffering and resulting in suffering?
If, Rāhula, upon reflection you know thus: This mental action I intend to do leads to harm for myself, harm for others, and harm for both:
this mental action is unwholesome, leading to suffering and resulting in suffering, such a mental action should not be done by you.
But if, Rāhula, upon reflection you know thus: This mental action I intend to do does not lead to harm for myself, harm for others, or harm for both:
this mental action is wholesome, leading to happiness and resulting in happiness, such a mental action should be done by you.
Even while doing a mental action, Rāhula, that mental action should be reflected upon by you:
Does this mental action I am doing lead to harm for myself, harm for others, or harm for both:
This unwholesome mental action has suffering as its outcome, resulting in suffering.
However, Rāhula, if upon reflection you know thus:
This mental action I am doing leads to my own affliction, to the affliction of others, and to the affliction of both;
this unwholesome mental action has suffering as its outcome, resulting in suffering, you should abandon such a mental action, Rāhula.
However, Rāhula, if upon reflection you know thus:
This mental action I am doing does not lead to my own affliction, nor to the affliction of others, nor to the affliction of both;
this wholesome mental action has happiness as its outcome, resulting in happiness, you should pursue such a mental action, Rāhula.
Even after you have done a mental action, Rāhula, you should reflect on that same mental action:
This mental action I have done leads to my own affliction, to the affliction of others, and to the affliction of both;
this unwholesome mental action has suffering as its outcome, resulting in suffering.
If upon reflection you know thus:
This mental action I have done leads to my own affliction, to the affliction of others, and to the affliction of both;
this unwholesome mental action has suffering as its outcome, resulting in suffering, you should be distressed, ashamed, and disgusted with such a mental action, Rāhula;
having been distressed, ashamed, and disgusted, you should undertake restraint in the future.
However, if upon reflection you know thus:
This mental action I have done does not lead to my own affliction, nor to the affliction of others, nor to the affliction of both;
this wholesome mental action has happiness as its outcome, resulting in happiness, you should dwell in joy and delight, Rāhula, training day and night in wholesome states.
For whatever ascetics or brahmins in the past purified their bodily actions, purified their verbal actions, purified their mental actions, they all did so by repeatedly reflecting, repeatedly reflecting, purifying their bodily actions, repeatedly reflecting, purifying their verbal actions, repeatedly reflecting, purifying their mental actions.
Indeed, Rāhula, in the future, whether ascetics or brahmins, they will purify their bodily actions, purify their verbal actions, purify their mental actions. All of them, reflecting again and again, will purify their bodily actions, reflecting again and again, will purify their verbal actions, reflecting again and again, will purify their mental actions.
Indeed, Rāhula, even now, whether ascetics or brahmins, they purify their bodily actions, purify their verbal actions, purify their mental actions. All of them, reflecting again and again, purify their bodily actions, reflecting again and again, purify their verbal actions, reflecting again and again, purify their mental actions.
Therefore, Rāhula, you should train yourself thus: Reflecting again and again, I will purify my bodily actions, reflecting again and again, I will purify my verbal actions, reflecting again and again, I will purify my mental actions.
Thus, Rāhula, you should train yourself.
The Blessed One said this. Delighted, the Venerable Rāhula rejoiced in the Blessed One's words.
The Discourse on the Advice to Rāhula at Ambalaṭṭhikā is finished.