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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

3: The Book of the Threes

XVII. Courses of Deeds — AN 3.163-182:

1“Someone with three qualities is cast down to hell. What three? They themselves kill living creatures. They encourage others to kill living creatures. And they approve of killing living creatures.

Someone with these three qualities is cast down to hell.


2Someone with three qualities is raised up to heaven. What three? They don’t themselves kill living creatures. They encourage others to not kill living creatures. And they approve of not killing living creatures. …

3They themselves steal. They encourage others to steal. And they approve of stealing. …

4They don’t themselves steal. They encourage others to not steal. And they approve of not stealing. …

5They themselves commit sexual misconduct. They encourage others to commit sexual misconduct. And they approve of committing sexual misconduct. …

6They don’t themselves commit sexual misconduct. They encourage others to not commit sexual misconduct. And they approve of not committing sexual misconduct. …

7They themselves lie. They encourage others to lie. And they approve of lying. …

8They don’t themselves lie. They encourage others to not lie. And they approve of not lying. …

9They themselves speak divisively. They encourage others to speak divisively. And they approve of speaking divisively. …


10They don’t themselves speak divisively. They encourage others to not speak divisively. And they approve of not speaking divisively. …

11They themselves speak harshly. They encourage others to speak harshly. And they approve of speaking harshly. …

12They don’t themselves speak harshly. They encourage others to not speak harshly. And they approve of not speaking harshly. …

13They themselves talk nonsense. They encourage others to talk nonsense. And they approve of talking nonsense. …

14They don’t themselves talk nonsense. They encourage others to not talk nonsense. And they approve of not talking nonsense. …

15They themselves are covetous. They encourage others to be covetous. And they approve of covetousness. …

16They themselves are content. They encourage others to be contented. And they approve of being contented. …

17They themselves have ill will. They encourage others to have ill will. And they approve of having ill will. …

18They themselves are kind-hearted. They encourage others to be kind-hearted. And they approve of kind-heartedness. …

19They themselves have wrong view. They encourage others to have wrong view. And they approve of wrong view. …


20They themselves have right view. They encourage others to have right view. And they approve of right view.

Someone with these three qualities is raised up to heaven.”


1"Tīhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ niraye. Katamehi tīhi? Attanā ca pāṇātipātī hoti, parañca pāṇātipāte samādapeti, pāṇātipāte ca samanuñño hoti.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, tīhi dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ niraye.


2Tīhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ sagge. Katamehi tīhi? Attanā ca pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, parañca pāṇātipātā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, pāṇātipātā veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti … pe … . (2)

3Attanā ca adinnādāyī hoti, parañca adinnādāne samādapeti, adinnādāne ca samanuñño hoti … pe … .

4Attanā ca adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, parañca adinnādānā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, adinnādānā veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti … pe … . (4)

5Attanā ca kāmesumicchācārī hoti, parañca kāmesumicchācāre samādapeti, kāmesumicchācāre ca samanuñño hoti … pe … .

6Attanā ca kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato hoti, parañca kāmesumicchācārā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, kāmesumicchācārā veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti … pe … . (6)

7Attanā ca musāvādī hoti, parañca musāvāde samādapeti, musāvāde ca samanuñño hoti … pe … .

8Attanā ca musāvādā paṭivirato hoti, parañca musāvādā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, musāvādā veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti … pe … . (8)

9Attanā ca pisuṇavāco hoti, parañca pisuṇāya vācāya samādapeti, pisuṇāya vācāya ca samanuñño hoti … pe … .


10Attanā ca pisuṇāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, parañca pisuṇāya vācāya veramaṇiyā samādapeti, pisuṇāya vācāya veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti … pe … . (10)

11Attanā ca pharusavāco hoti, parañca pharusāya vācāya samādapeti, pharusāya vācāya ca samanuñño hoti … pe … .

12Attanā ca pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, parañca pharusāya vācāya veramaṇiyā samādapeti, pharusāya vācāya veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti … pe … . (12)

13Attanā ca samphappalāpī hoti, parañca samphappalāpe samādapeti, samphappalāpe ca samanuñño hoti … pe … .

14Attanā ca samphappalāpā paṭivirato hoti, parañca samphappalāpā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, samphappalāpā veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti … pe … . (14)

15Attanā ca abhijjhālu hoti, parañca abhijjhāya samādapeti, abhijjhāya ca samanuñño hoti … pe … .

16Attanā ca anabhijjhālu hoti, parañca anabhijjhāya samādapeti, anabhijjhāya ca samanuñño hoti … pe … . (16)

17Attanā ca byāpannacitto hoti, parañca byāpāde samādapeti, byāpāde ca samanuñño hoti … pe … .

18Attanā ca abyāpannacitto hoti, parañca abyāpāde samādapeti, abyāpāde ca samanuñño hoti … pe … . (18)

19Attanā ca micchādiṭṭhiko hoti, parañca micchādiṭṭhiyā samādapeti, micchādiṭṭhiyā ca samanuñño hoti … pe … .


20Attanā ca sammādiṭṭhiko hoti, parañca sammādiṭṭhiyā samādapeti, sammādiṭṭhiyā ca samanuñño hoti. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, tīhi dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ sagge"ti. (20)


Kammapathapeyyālaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.

21Pāṇaṁ adinnamicchā ca,
musāvādī ca pisuṇā;
Pharusā samphappalāpo ca,
abhijjhā byāpādadiṭṭhi ca;
Kammapathesu peyyālaṁ,
tikakena niyojayeti.