Soṇakāyanasutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.234

Numbered Discourses 4.234

24. Kammavagga

24. Deeds

Soṇakāyanasutta

About Soṇakāyana

Atha kho sikhāmoggallāno brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.

Then Sikhāmoggallāna the brahmin went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho sikhāmoggallāno brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, Sikhāmoggallāna sat down to one side, and said to the Buddha:

“Purimāni, bho gotama, divasāni purimatarāni soṇakāyano māṇavo yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ etadavoca:

“Worthy Gotama, a few days ago the student Soṇakāyana came to me and said:

‘samaṇo gotamo sabbakammānaṁ akiriyaṁ paññapeti, sabbakammānaṁ kho pana akiriyaṁ paññapento ucchedaṁ āha lokassa’—

‘The ascetic Gotama advocates not doing any deeds. So he teaches the annihilation of the world!’

kammasaccāyaṁ, bho, loko kammasamārambhaṭṭhāyī”ti.

The world exists through deeds, and it remains because deeds are undertaken.”

“Dassanampi kho ahaṁ, brāhmaṇa, soṇakāyanassa māṇavassa nābhijānāmi;

“Brahmin, I can’t recall even seeing the student Soṇakāyana,

kuto panevarūpo kathāsallāpo.

so how could we possibly have had such a discussion?

Cattārimāni, brāhmaṇa, kammāni mayā sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā paveditāni.

I declare these four kinds of deeds, having realized them with my own insight.

Katamāni cattāri?

What four?

Atthi, brāhmaṇa, kammaṁ kaṇhaṁ kaṇhavipākaṁ;

There are dark deeds with dark results;

atthi, brāhmaṇa, kammaṁ sukkaṁ sukkavipākaṁ;

bright deeds with bright results;

atthi, brāhmaṇa, kammaṁ kaṇhasukkaṁ kaṇhasukkavipākaṁ;

dark and bright deeds with dark and bright results; and

atthi, brāhmaṇa, kammaṁ akaṇhaasukkaṁ akaṇhaasukkavipākaṁ kammakkhayāya saṁvattati.

neither dark nor bright deeds with neither dark nor bright results, which lead to the ending of deeds.

Katamañca, brāhmaṇa, kammaṁ kaṇhaṁ kaṇhavipākaṁ?

And what are dark deeds with dark results?

Idha, brāhmaṇa, ekacco sabyābajjhaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti, sabyābajjhaṁ vacīsaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti, sabyābajjhaṁ manosaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti.

It’s when someone makes hurtful choices by way of body, speech, and mind. …

So sabyābajjhaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharitvā, sabyābajjhaṁ vacīsaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharitvā, sabyābajjhaṁ manosaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharitvā sabyābajjhaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati.

Tamenaṁ sabyābajjhaṁ lokaṁ upapannaṁ samānaṁ sabyābajjhā phassā phusanti.

So sabyābajjhehi phassehi phuṭṭho samāno sabyābajjhaṁ vedanaṁ vediyati ekantadukkhaṁ, seyyathāpi sattā nerayikā.

Touched by hurtful contacts, they experience hurtful feelings that are absolutely painful—like the beings in hell.

Idaṁ vuccati, brāhmaṇa, kammaṁ kaṇhaṁ kaṇhavipākaṁ.

These are called dark deeds with dark results.

Katamañca, brāhmaṇa, kammaṁ sukkaṁ sukkavipākaṁ?

And what are bright deeds with bright results?

Idha, brāhmaṇa, ekacco abyābajjhaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti, abyābajjhaṁ vacīsaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti, abyābajjhaṁ manosaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti.

It’s when someone makes pleasing choices by way of body, speech, and mind. …

So abyābajjhaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharitvā, abyābajjhaṁ vacīsaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharitvā, abyābajjhaṁ manosaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharitvā abyābajjhaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati.

Tamenaṁ abyābajjhaṁ lokaṁ upapannaṁ samānaṁ abyābajjhā phassā phusanti.

So abyābajjhehi phassehi phuṭṭho samāno abyābajjhaṁ vedanaṁ vediyati ekantasukhaṁ, seyyathāpi devā subhakiṇhā.

Touched by pleasing contacts, they experience pleasing feelings of absolute happiness—like the gods of universal beauty.

Idaṁ vuccati, brāhmaṇa, kammaṁ sukkaṁ sukkavipākaṁ.

These are called bright deeds with bright results.

Katamañca, brāhmaṇa, kammaṁ kaṇhasukkaṁ kaṇhasukkavipākaṁ?

And what are dark and bright deeds with dark and bright results?

Idha, brāhmaṇa, ekacco sabyābajjhampi abyābajjhampi kāyasaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti, sabyābajjhampi abyābajjhampi vacīsaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti, sabyābajjhampi abyābajjhampi manosaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti.

It’s when someone makes both hurtful and pleasing choices by way of body, speech, and mind. …

So sabyābajjhampi abyābajjhampi kāyasaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharitvā, sabyābajjhampi abyābajjhampi vacīsaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharitvā, sabyābajjhampi abyābajjhampi manosaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharitvā sabyābajjhampi abyābajjhampi lokaṁ upapajjati.

Tamenaṁ sabyābajjhampi abyābajjhampi lokaṁ upapannaṁ samānaṁ sabyābajjhāpi abyābajjhāpi phassā phusanti.

So sabyābajjhehipi abyābajjhehipi phassehi phuṭṭho samāno sabyābajjhampi abyābajjhampi vedanaṁ vediyati vokiṇṇasukhadukkhaṁ, seyyathāpi manussā ekacce ca devā ekacce ca vinipātikā.

Touched by both hurtful and pleasing contacts, they experience both hurtful and pleasing feelings that are a mixture of pleasure and pain—like humans, some gods, and some beings in the underworld.

Idaṁ vuccati, brāhmaṇa, kammaṁ kaṇhasukkaṁ kaṇhasukkavipākaṁ.

These are called dark and bright deeds with dark and bright results.

Katamañca, brāhmaṇa, kammaṁ akaṇhaasukkaṁ akaṇhaasukkavipākaṁ kammakkhayāya saṁvattati?

And what are neither dark nor bright deeds with neither dark nor bright results, which lead to the ending of deeds?

Tatra, brāhmaṇa, yamidaṁ kammaṁ kaṇhaṁ kaṇhavipākaṁ tassa pahānāya yā cetanā, yamidaṁ kammaṁ sukkaṁ sukkavipākaṁ tassa pahānāya yā cetanā, yamidaṁ kammaṁ kaṇhasukkaṁ kaṇhasukkavipākaṁ tassa pahānāya yā cetanā—

It’s the intention to give up dark deeds with dark results, bright deeds with bright results, and both dark and bright deeds with both dark and bright results.

idaṁ vuccati, brāhmaṇa, kammaṁ akaṇhaasukkaṁ akaṇhaasukkavipākaṁ kammakkhayāya saṁvattati.

These are called neither dark nor bright deeds with neither dark nor bright results, which lead to the ending of deeds.

Imāni kho, brāhmaṇa, cattāri kammāni mayā sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā paveditānī”ti.

These are the four kinds of deeds that I declare, having realized them with my own insight.”

Tatiyaṁ.