Aṅguttara-Nikāya
III. Tika Nipāta
XII. Āpāyika Vagga

III. The Book of the Threes

XII. The Downfall

Sutta 111

Āpāyika Suttaṃ

Doomed to the Downfall

 

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[244]

Thus have I heard:

Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī.

There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:

"Monks."

"Yes, lord," they replied,
and the Exalted One said:

"Monks, these three persons
are doomed to the Downfall,
to Purgatory,
unless they abandon this (habit).¹

Which three?

He who, living impurely,
claims to live the holy life.

He who falsely charges with immorality
one who is living the pure holy life,
the utterly pure holy life.

He who, preaching and holding the view
that there is no fault in sensuality,
comes to be intoxicated² with his lusts.

These are the three
who are doomed to the Downfall,
to Purgatory,
unless they abandon this habit."

 

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¹ Idam appahāya, 'unless they give up their pretence of leading the holy life.' Comy.

² Pātavyataṃ (fr. pāteti), 'ruin' acc. to Pali Dict.; but Comy. appears to derive it from √piv., intoxication. So also does UdA. 351, 365, where sammattaka-jātā (drunk) is explained as kāmesu pātabyataṃ āpajjanti, as here. Pātukāmo = bibendi cupidus, cf. UdA. 379. The passage originates from M. i, 305, where Lord Chalmers trans. 'indulgence.'