Aṅguttara Nikāya
Chakka Nipāta
IV. Devatā Vagga

The Book of the Sixes

IV. The Devas

Sutta 39

Kamma-Nidāna Suttaṃ

The Means¹

 

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[239]

Thus have I heard:

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:

2. 'Monks, there are these three means to heap up² deeds.

What three?

Greed is a means to heap up deeds;
hate is a means to heap up deeds;
delusion is a means to heap up deeds.

■

Monks, not from greed
does not-greed heap up,
but from greed surely greed heaps up;
not³ from hate
does not-hate heap up,
but from hate surely hate heaps up;
not from delusion
does non-delusion heap up,
but from delusion surely
delusion heaps up.

■

Monks, not of deeds,
greed-born,
hate-born,
delusion-born,
are devas,
are men,
nor they who fare along the happy way;
monks, of deeds born of greed,
hate,
delusion,
hell is,
brute-birth is,
the ghost-realm is,
and they who fare along the evil way.

Verify, monks, these are the three means
to heap up deeds.

 

§

 

Monks, there are these three means
to heap up deeds.

What three?

Not-greed is a means to heap up deeds;
not-hate is a means to heap up deeds;
non-delusion is a means to heap up deeds.

■

Monks, not from not-greed
does greed heap up,
but from not-greed surely not-greed heaps up;
not from not-hate does hate heap up,
but from not-hate surely not-hate heaps up;
not from non-delusion does delusion heap up,
but from non delusion surely non-delusion heaps up.

■

Monks, not of deeds,
born of not-greed,
not-hate,
non-delusion,
is hell,
brute-birth,
the ghost-realm,
nor they who fare along the evil way;
monks, of deeds, born of not-greed,
not-hate,
non-delusion,
devas are,
men are,
and they who fare along the happy way.

Verily, monks, these are the three means
to heap up deeds.'

 

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¹ Nidāna, binding on to, √dā, cause.

² Samudaya. Comy. piṇḍa-karaṇ' atthāya (snow)-ball-like. Cf. Ecclesiastes ii, 26.

³ Dhp. 5 of vera.