Login

u/FieryResuscitation

▲ 10 r/thaiforest

“… what drawbacks can one expect when doing what should not be done?”

Categorically
Ekaṁsena Sutta  (AN 2:18) (excerpt)

“Given that I have declared, Ānanda, that bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, & mental misconduct should not be done, these are the drawbacks one can expect when doing what should not be done: One can fault oneself; observant people, on close examination, criticize one; one’s bad reputation gets spread about; one dies confused; and—on the break-up of the body, after death—one reappears in a plane of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell…

“…Given that I have declared, Ānanda, that good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, & good mental conduct should be done, these are the rewards one can expect when doing what should be done: One doesn’t fault oneself; observant people, on close examination, praise one; one’s good reputation gets spread about; one dies unconfused; and—on the break-up of the body, after death—one reappears in a good destination, a heavenly world. Given that I have declared, Ānanda, that good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, & good mental conduct should be done, these are the rewards one can expect when doing what should be done.”

dhammatalks.org
u/FieryResuscitation — 1 day ago
▲ 27 r/theravada

A sutta I would like to share that I think showcased the Buddha’s talent in recognizing when speech is true, kind, and gentle, but withheld because it wouldn’t be beneficial.

>Then the wanderer Vacchagotta 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:

>“Worthy Gotama, does the self survive?” But when he said this, the Buddha kept silent.

>“Then does the self not survive?” But for a second time the Buddha kept silent. Then the wanderer Vacchagotta got up from his seat and left.

>And then, not long after Vacchagotta had left, Venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha:
“Sir, why didn’t you answer Vacchagotta’s question?”

>“Ānanda, when Vacchagotta asked me whether the self survives, if I had answered that ‘the self survives’ I would have been siding with the ascetics and brahmins who are eternalists.

>When Vacchagotta asked me whether the self does not survive, if I had answered that ‘the self does not survive’ I would have been siding with the ascetics and brahmins who are annihilationists.

>When Vacchagotta asked me whether the self survives, if I had answered that ‘the self survives’, would that have facilitated the arising of the knowledge that all things are not-self?”

>“No, sir.”

>“When Vacchagotta asked me whether the self does not survive, if I had answered that ‘the self does not survive’, Vacchagotta—who is already confused—would have got even more confused, thinking: ‘It seems that the self that I once had no longer survives.’”

https://suttacentral.net/sn44.10/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=plain&reference=none&notes=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latin

u/FieryResuscitation — 8 days ago
▲ 13 r/theravada

From AN4.102

“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of clouds. What four?

  1. One thunders but doesn’t rain,
  2. one rains but doesn’t thunder,
  3. one neither thunders nor rains, and
  4. one both rains and thunders.

These are the four kinds of clouds. In the same way, these four individuals similar to clouds are found in the world. What four?

  1. One thunders but doesn’t rain,
  2. one rains but doesn’t thunder,
  3. one neither thunders nor rains, and
  4. one both rains and thunders.

And how does an individual thunder but not rain? It’s when an individual memorizes the teaching—statements, mixed prose and verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations. But they don’t truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’. That’s how an individual thunders but doesn’t rain. That individual is like a cloud that thunders but doesn’t rain, I say.

And how does an individual rain but not thunder? It’s when an individual doesn’t memorize the teaching … But they truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ …

And how does an individual neither thunder nor rain? It’s when an individual doesn’t memorize the teaching … Nor do they truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ …

And how does an individual both thunder and rain? It’s when an individual memorizes the teaching … And they truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ …

These four individuals similar to clouds are found in the world.”

u/FieryResuscitation — 10 days ago