Saṁsappanīyasutta

“Saṁsappanīyapariyāyaṁ vo, bhikkhave, dhammapariyāyaṁ desessāmi. Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Mendicants, I will teach you an exposition of the teaching on creepy creatures. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Katamo ca, bhikkhave, saṁsappanīyapariyāyo dhammapariyāyo? Kammassakā, bhikkhave, sattā kammadāyādā kammayonī kammabandhū kammapaṭisaraṇā, yaṁ kammaṁ karonti— kalyāṇaṁ vā pāpakaṁ vā—tassa dāyādā bhavanti.

“What is the exposition of the teaching on creepy creatures? Sentient beings are the owners of their deeds and heir to their deeds. Deeds are their womb, their relative, and their refuge. 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. So saṁsappati kāyena, saṁsappati vācāya, saṁsappati manasā. Tassa jimhaṁ kāyakammaṁ hoti, jimhaṁ vacīkammaṁ, jimhaṁ manokammaṁ, jimhā gati, jimhupapatti.

Take a certain someone who kills living creatures. They’re violent, bloody-handed, a hardened killer, merciless to all living beings. They’re creepy in body, speech, and mind. 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— ye vā ekantadukkhā nirayā yā vā saṁsappajātikā tiracchānayoni. Katamā ca sā, bhikkhave, saṁsappajātikā tiracchānayoni? Ahi vicchikā satapadī nakulā biḷārā mūsikā ulūkā, ye vā panaññepi keci tiracchānayonikā sattā manusse disvā saṁsappanti. Iti kho, bhikkhave, bhūtā bhūtassa upapatti hoti. Yaṁ karoti tena upapajjati. Upapannamenaṁ phassā phusanti. Evamahaṁ, bhikkhave, ‘kammadāyādā sattā’ti vadāmi.

Someone whose destiny and rebirth is crooked is reborn in one of two places, I say: in an absolutely painful hell, or among the species of creepy animals. And what are the species of creepy animals? Snakes, scorpions, centipedes, mongooses, cats, mice, owls, or whatever other species of animal that creep away when they see humans. This is how a being is born from a being. For your deeds determine your rebirth, and when you’re reborn contacts strike you. This is why I say that sentient beings are heirs to their deeds.

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco adinnādāyī hoti …pe… kāmesumicchācārī hoti … musāvādī hoti … pisuṇavāco hoti … pharusavāco hoti … samphappalāpī hoti … abhijjhālu hoti … byāpannacitto hoti … micchādiṭṭhiko hoti viparītadassano: ‘natthi dinnaṁ …pe… sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedentī’ti. So saṁsappati kāyena, saṁsappati vācāya, saṁsappati manasā. Tassa jimhaṁ kāyakammaṁ hoti, jimhaṁ vacīkammaṁ, jimhaṁ manokammaṁ, jimhā gati, jimhupapatti.

Take someone else who steals … commits sexual misconduct … lies … backbites … speaks harshly … indulges in talking nonsense … is covetous … has cruel intentions … has wrong view … They’re creepy in body, speech, and mind. 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— ye vā ekantadukkhā nirayā yā vā saṁsappajātikā tiracchānayoni. Katamā ca sā, bhikkhave, saṁsappajātikā tiracchānayoni? Ahi vicchikā satapadī nakulā biḷārā mūsikā ulūkā, ye vā panaññepi keci tiracchānayonikā sattā manusse disvā saṁsappanti. Iti kho, bhikkhave, bhūtā bhūtassa upapatti hoti, yaṁ karoti tena upapajjati. Upapannamenaṁ phassā phusanti. Evamahaṁ, bhikkhave, ‘kammadāyādā sattā’ti vadāmi. Kammassakā, bhikkhave, sattā kammadāyādā kammayonī kammabandhū kammapaṭisaraṇā, yaṁ kammaṁ karonti— kalyāṇaṁ vā pāpakaṁ vā—tassa dāyādā bhavanti.

Someone whose destiny and rebirth is crooked is reborn in one of two places, I say: in an absolutely painful hell, or among the species of creepy animals. And what are the species of creepy animals? Snakes, scorpions, centipedes, mongooses, cats, mice, owls, or whatever other species of animal that creep away when they see humans. This is how a being is born from a being. For your deeds determine your rebirth, and when you’re reborn contacts strike you. This is why I say that sentient beings are heirs to their deeds. Sentient beings are the owners of their deeds and heir to their deeds. Deeds are their womb, their relative, and their refuge. 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. So na saṁsappati kāyena, na saṁsappati vācāya, na saṁsappati manasā. Tassa uju kāyakammaṁ hoti, uju vacīkammaṁ, uju manokammaṁ, uju gati, ujupapatti.

Take a certain someone who gives up killing living creatures, renouncing the rod and the sword. They’re scrupulous and kind, living full of sympathy for all living beings. They’re not creepy in body, speech, and mind. 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— ye vā ekantasukhā saggā yāni vā pana tāni uccākulāni khattiyamahāsālakulāni vā brāhmaṇamahāsālakulāni vā gahapatimahāsālakulāni vā aḍḍhāni mahaddhanāni mahābhogāni pahūtajātarūparajatāni pahūtavittūpakaraṇāni pahūtadhanadhaññāni. Iti kho, bhikkhave, bhūtā bhūtassa upapatti hoti. Yaṁ karoti tena upapajjati. Upapannamenaṁ phassā phusanti. Evamahaṁ, bhikkhave, ‘kammadāyādā sattā’ti vadāmi.

Someone whose destiny and rebirth is virtuous is reborn in one of two places, I say: in a heaven of absolute 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. This is how a being is born from a being. For your deeds determine your rebirth, and when you’re reborn contacts strike you. This is why I say that sentient beings are heirs to their deeds.

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco adinnādānaṁ pahāya adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti …pe… kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato hoti … musāvādaṁ pahāya musāvādā paṭivirato hoti … pisuṇaṁ vācaṁ pahāya pisuṇāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti … pharusaṁ vācaṁ pahāya pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti … samphappalāpaṁ pahāya samphappalāpā paṭivirato hoti … anabhijjhālu hoti … abyāpannacitto hoti … sammādiṭṭhiko hoti aviparītadassano: ‘atthi dinnaṁ …pe… ye imañca lokaṁ parañca lokaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedentī’ti. So na saṁsappati kāyena, na saṁsappati vācāya, na saṁsappati manasā. Tassa uju kāyakammaṁ hoti, uju vacīkammaṁ, uju manokammaṁ, uju gati, ujupapatti.

Take someone else who gives up stealing … sexual misconduct … lying … backbiting … harsh speech … talking nonsense … They’re content … kind hearted … they have right view … They’re not creepy in body, speech, and mind. 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— ye vā ekantasukhā saggā yāni vā pana tāni uccākulāni khattiyamahāsālakulāni vā brāhmaṇamahāsālakulāni vā gahapatimahāsālakulāni vā aḍḍhāni mahaddhanāni mahābhogāni pahūtajātarūparajatāni pahūtavittūpakaraṇāni pahūtadhanadhaññāni. Iti kho, bhikkhave, bhūtā bhūtassa upapatti hoti. Yaṁ karoti tena upapajjati. Upapannamenaṁ phassā phusanti. Evamahaṁ, bhikkhave, ‘kammadāyādā sattā’ti vadāmi.

Someone whose destiny and rebirth is virtuous is reborn in one of two places, I say: in a heaven of absolute 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. This is how a being is born from a being. For your deeds determine your rebirth, and when you’re reborn contacts strike you. This is why I say that sentient beings are heirs to their deeds.

Kammassakā, bhikkhave, sattā kammadāyādā kammayonī kammabandhū kammapaṭisaraṇā, yaṁ kammaṁ karonti— kalyāṇaṁ vā pāpakaṁ vā—tassa dāyādā bhavanti. Ayaṁ kho so, bhikkhave, saṁsappanīyapariyāyo dhammapariyāyo”ti. Chaṭṭhaṁ.

Sentient beings are the owners of their deeds and heir to their deeds. Deeds are their womb, their relative, and their refuge. They shall be the heir of whatever deeds they do, whether good or bad. This is the exposition of the teaching on creepy creatures.”