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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

3: The Book of the Threes

117. Failures and Accomplishments

1"Bhikkhus, there are these three failures. What three? Failure in virtuous behavior, failure in mind, and failure in view.

1"Tisso imā, bhikkhave, vipattiyo. Katamā tisso? Sīlavipatti, cittavipatti, diṭṭhivipatti.

(1) "And what is failure in virtuous behavior? Here, someone destroys life, takes what is not given, engages in sexual misconduct, speaks falsehood, speaks divisively, speaks harshly, and indulges in idle chatter. This is called failure in virtuous behavior.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sīlavipatti? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pāṇātipātī hoti, adinnādāyī hoti, kāmesumicchācārī hoti, musāvādī hoti, pisuṇavāco hoti, pharusavāco hoti, samphappalāpī hoti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sīlavipatti.

2(2) "And what is failure in mind? Here, someone is full of longing and has a mind of ill will. This is called failure in mind.

2Katamā ca, bhikkhave, cittavipatti? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco abhijjhālu hoti byāpannacitto. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, cittavipatti.

3(3) "And what is failure in view? Here, someone holds wrong view and has an incorrect perspective thus: ‘There is nothing given, nothing sacrificed, nothing offered; there is no fruit or result of good and bad actions; there is no this world, no other world; there is no mother, no father; there are no beings spontaneously reborn; there are in the world no ascetics and brahmins of right conduct and right practice who, having realized this world and the other world for themselves by direct knowledge, make them known to others.’ This is called failure in view.

3Katamā ca, bhikkhave, diṭṭhivipatti? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco micchādiṭṭhiko hoti viparītadassano:  ‘Natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ, natthi hutaṁ, natthi sukatadukkaṭānaṁ, kammānaṁ phalaṁ vipāko, natthi ayaṁ loko, natthi paro loko, natthi mātā, natthi pitā, natthi sattā opapātikā, natthi loke samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammaggatā sammāpaṭipannā ye imañca lokaṁ parañca lokaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedentī’ti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, diṭṭhivipatti.

"Because of failure in virtuous behavior, with the breakup of the body, after death, beings are reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the lower world, in hell. Because of failure in mind … Because of failure in view, with the breakup of the body, after death, beings are reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the lower world, in hell.

Sīlavipattihetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjanti; cittavipattihetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjanti; diṭṭhivipattihetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjanti.

"These, bhikkhus, are the three failures.

Imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso vipattiyoti.

4"There are, bhikkhus, these three accomplishments. What three? Accomplishment in virtuous behavior, accomplishment in mind, and accomplishment in view.

4Tisso imā, bhikkhave, sampadā. Katamā tisso? Sīlasampadā, cittasampadā, diṭṭhisampadā.

5(1) "And what is accomplishment in virtuous behavior? Here, someone abstains from the destruction of life, from taking what is not given, from sexual misconduct, from false speech, from divisive speech, from harsh speech, and from idle chatter. This is called accomplishment in virtuous behavior.

5Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sīlasampadā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato hoti, musāvādā paṭivirato hoti, pisuṇāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, samphappalāpā paṭivirato hoti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sīlasampadā.

6(2) "And what is accomplishment in mind? Here, someone is without longing and has a mind free of ill will. This is called accomplishment in mind.

6Katamā ca, bhikkhave, cittasampadā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco anabhijjhālu hoti abyāpannacitto. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, cittasampadā.

7(3) "And what is accomplishment in view? Here, someone holds right view and has a correct perspective thus: ‘There is what is given, sacrificed, and offered; there is fruit and result of good and bad actions; there is this world and the other world; there is mother and father; there are beings spontaneously reborn; there are in the world ascetics and brahmins of right conduct and right practice who, having realized this world and the other world for themselves by direct knowledge, make them known to others.’ This is called accomplishment in view.

7Katamā ca, bhikkhave, diṭṭhisampadā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco sammādiṭṭhiko hoti aviparītadassano:  ‘atthi dinnaṁ, atthi yiṭṭhaṁ, atthi hutaṁ, atthi sukatadukkaṭānaṁ kammānaṁ phalaṁ vipāko, atthi ayaṁ loko, atthi paro loko, atthi mātā, atthi pitā, atthi sattā opapātikā, atthi loke samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammaggatā sammāpaṭipannā ye imañca lokaṁ parañca lokaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedentī’ti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, diṭṭhisampadā.

"Because of accomplishment in virtuous behavior, with the breakup of the body, after death, beings are reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world. Because of accomplishment in mind … Because of accomplishment in view, with the breakup of the body, after death, beings are reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world.

Sīlasampadāhetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti; cittasampadāhetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti; diṭṭhisampadāhetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti.

"These, bhikkhus, are the three accomplishments."

Imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso sampadā"ti.

Pañcamaṁ.