Ajitasutta

Atha kho ajito paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho ajito paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then the wanderer Ajita went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha,

“Amhākaṁ, bho gotama, paṇḍito nāma sabrahmacārī. Tena pañcamattāni cittaṭṭhānasatāni cintitāni, yehi aññatitthiyā upāraddhāva jānanti upāraddhasmā”ti.

“Worthy Gotama, we have a spiritual companion called ‘Astute’. He has worked out around five hundred arguments by which followers of other religions will know when they’ve been refuted.”

Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “dhāretha no tumhe, bhikkhave, paṇḍitavatthūnī”ti? “Etassa, bhagavā, kālo etassa, sugata, kālo yaṁ bhagavā bhāseyya, bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.

Then the Buddha said to the mendicants, “Mendicants, do you remember this Astute’s points?” “Now is the time, Blessed One! Now is the time, Holy One! Let the Buddha speak and the mendicants will remember it.”

“Tena hi, bhikkhave, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Well then, mendicants, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco adhammikena vādena adhammikaṁ vādaṁ abhiniggaṇhāti abhinippīḷeti, tena ca adhammikaṁ parisaṁ rañjeti. Tena sā adhammikā parisā uccāsaddamahāsaddā hoti: ‘paṇḍito vata bho, paṇḍito vata bho’ti.

“Mendicants, take a certain someone who rebuts and quashes unprincipled statements with unprincipled statements. This delights an unprincipled assembly, who make a colossal racket: ‘He is truly astute! He is truly astute!’

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco adhammikena vādena dhammikaṁ vādaṁ abhiniggaṇhāti abhinippīḷeti, tena ca adhammikaṁ parisaṁ rañjeti. Tena sā adhammikā parisā uccāsaddamahāsaddā hoti: ‘paṇḍito vata bho, paṇḍito vata bho’ti.

Someone else rebuts and quashes principled statements with unprincipled statements. This delights an unprincipled assembly, who make a colossal racket: ‘He is truly astute! He is truly astute!’

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco adhammikena vādena dhammikañca vādaṁ adhammikañca vādaṁ abhiniggaṇhāti abhinippīḷeti, tena ca adhammikaṁ parisaṁ rañjeti. Tena sā adhammikā parisā uccāsaddamahāsaddā hoti: ‘paṇḍito vata bho, paṇḍito vata bho’ti.

Someone else rebuts and quashes principled and unprincipled statements with unprincipled statements. This delights an unprincipled assembly, who make a colossal racket: ‘He is truly astute! He is truly astute!’

Adhammo ca, bhikkhave, veditabbo dhammo ca; anattho ca veditabbo attho ca. Adhammañca viditvā dhammañca, anatthañca viditvā atthañca yathā dhammo yathā attho tathā paṭipajjitabbaṁ.

Mendicants, you should know bad principles and good principles. And you should know bad results and good results. Knowing these things, your practice should follow the good principles with good results.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, adhammo, katamo ca dhammo, katamo ca anattho, katamo ca attho? Micchādiṭṭhi, bhikkhave, adhammo; sammādiṭṭhi dhammo; ye ca micchādiṭṭhipaccayā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti, ayaṁ anattho; sammādiṭṭhipaccayā ca aneke kusalā dhammā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti, ayaṁ attho.

So what are bad principles? What are good principles? What are bad results? And what are good results? Wrong view is a bad principle. Right view is a good principle. And the many bad, unskillful qualities produced by wrong view are bad results. And the many skillful qualities fully developed because of right view are good results.

Micchāsaṅkappo, bhikkhave, adhammo; sammāsaṅkappo dhammo … micchāvācā, bhikkhave, adhammo; sammāvācā dhammo … micchākammanto, bhikkhave, adhammo; sammākammanto dhammo … micchāājīvo, bhikkhave, adhammo; sammāājīvo dhammo … micchāvāyāmo, bhikkhave, adhammo; sammāvāyāmo dhammo … micchāsati, bhikkhave, adhammo; sammāsati dhammo … micchāsamādhi, bhikkhave adhammo; sammāsamādhi dhammo … micchāñāṇaṁ, bhikkhave, adhammo; sammāñāṇaṁ dhammo.

Wrong purpose is a bad principle. Right purpose is a good principle. … Wrong speech is a bad principle. Right speech is a good principle. … Wrong action is a bad principle. Right action is a good principle. … Wrong livelihood is a bad principle. Right livelihood is a good principle. … Wrong effort is a bad principle. Right effort is a good principle. … Wrong mindfulness is a bad principle. Right mindfulness is a good principle. … Wrong immersion is a bad principle. Right immersion is a good principle. … Wrong knowledge is a bad principle. Right knowledge is a good principle. …

Micchāvimutti, bhikkhave, adhammo; sammāvimutti dhammo; ye ca micchāvimuttipaccayā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti, ayaṁ anattho; sammāvimuttipaccayā ca aneke kusalā dhammā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti, ayaṁ attho.

Wrong freedom is a bad principle. Right freedom is a good principle. And the many bad, unskillful qualities produced by wrong freedom are bad results. And the many skillful qualities fully developed because of right freedom are good results.

‘Adhammo ca, bhikkhave, veditabbo dhammo ca; anattho ca veditabbo attho ca. Adhammañca viditvā dhammañca, anatthañca viditvā atthañca yathā dhammo yathā attho tathā paṭipajjitabban’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ, idametaṁ paṭicca vuttan”ti. Catutthaṁ.

‘You should know bad principles and good principles. And you should know bad results and good results. Knowing these things, your practice should follow the good principles with good results.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.”