1"Bhikkhus, wanderers of other sects may ask you: ‘Friends, there are these three things. What three? Greed, hatred, and delusion. These are the three. What, friends, is the distinction, the disparity, the difference between them?’ If you are asked this, how would you answer?.

"Bhante, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One, guided by the Blessed One, take recourse in the Blessed One. It would be good if the Blessed One would clear up the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from him, the bhikkhus will retain it in mind..

"Then listen, bhikkhus, and attend closely. I will speak..

"Yes, Bhante," those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

2"Bhikkhus, if wanderers of other sects should ask you such a question, you should answer them as follows: ‘Lust, friends, is slightly blameworthy but slow to fade away; hatred is very blameworthy but quick to fade away; delusion is very blameworthy and slow to fade away.’ [n.471] Mp illustrates how lust is "less blameworthy" with the example of marriage, which, though rooted in sexual desire, is socially accepted and thus less blameworthy in regard to its kammic consequences. But since lust is connected with pleasure, it is hard to remove. Hatred and delusion are both regarded as blamable in society and have serious kammic consequences. Hatred, however, is connected with displeasure, and since beings naturally desire happiness they want to be rid of it. Delusive ideas, if deeply rooted in craving, wrong views, or conceit, will be as hard to remove as lust.

3(1) "(Suppose they ask:) ‘But, friends, what is the reason unarisen lust arises and arisen lust increases and expands?’ You should answer: ‘An attractive object. For one who attends carelessly to an attractive object, unarisen lust arises and arisen lust increases and expands. This, friends, is the reason unarisen lust arises and arisen lust increases and expands.’

4(2) "(Suppose they ask:) ‘But what, friends, is the reason unarisen hatred arises and arisen hatred increases and expands?’ You should answer: ‘A repulsive object. For one who attends carelessly to a repulsive object, unarisen hatred arises and arisen hatred increases and expands. This, friends, is the reason unarisen hatred arises and arisen hatred increases and expands.’

5(3) "(Suppose they ask:) ‘But what, friends, is the reason unarisen delusion arises and arisen delusion increases and expands?’ You should answer: ‘Careless attention. For one who attends carelessly, unarisen delusion arises and arisen delusion increases and expands. This, friends, is the reason unarisen delusion arises and arisen delusion increases and expands.’

6(1) "(Suppose they ask:) ‘But what, friends, is the reason unarisen lust does not arise and arisen lust is abandoned?’ You should answer: ‘An unattractive object. For one who attends carefully to an unattractive object, unarisen lust does not arise and arisen lust is abandoned. This, friends, is the reason unarisen lust does not arise and arisen lust is abandoned.’

7(2) "(Suppose they ask:) ‘But what, friends, is the reason unarisen hatred does not arise and arisen hatred is abandoned?’ You should answer: ‘The liberation of the mind by loving-kindness. For one who attends carefully to the liberation of the mind by loving-kindness, unarisen hatred does not arise and arisen hatred is abandoned. This, friends, is the reason unarisen hatred does not arise and arisen hatred is abandoned.’

8(3) "(Suppose they ask:) ‘But what, friends, is the reason unarisen delusion does not arise and arisen delusion is abandoned?’ You should answer: ‘Careful attention. For one who attends carefully, unarisen delusion does not arise and arisen delusion is abandoned. This, friends, is the reason unarisen delusion does not arise and arisen delusion is abandoned.’"

1"Sace, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘tayome, āvuso, dhammā. Katame tayo? Rāgo, doso, moho – ime kho, āvuso, tayo dhammā. Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ dhammānaṁ ko viseso ko adhippayāso kiṁ nānākaraṇan’ti? Evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ kinti byākareyyāthā"ti.

"Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā bhagavaṁnettikā bhagavaṁpaṭisaraṇā. Sādhu vata, bhante, bhagavantaṁyeva paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī"ti.

"Tena hi, bhikkhave, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī"ti.

"Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

2"Sace, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘tayome, āvuso, dhammā. Katame tayo? Rāgo, doso, moho – ime kho, āvuso, tayo dhammā; imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ dhammānaṁ ko viseso ko adhippayāso kiṁ nānākaraṇan’ti? Evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha: ‘rāgo kho, āvuso, appasāvajjo dandhavirāgī, doso mahāsāvajjo khippavirāgī, moho mahāsāvajjo dandhavirāgī’ti.

3‘Ko panāvuso, hetu ko paccayo yena anuppanno vā rāgo uppajjati uppanno vā rāgo bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattatī’ti? ‘"Subhanimittan"tissa vacanīyaṁ. Tassa subhanimittaṁ ayoniso manasi karoto anuppanno vā rāgo uppajjati uppanno vā rāgo bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattati. Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yena anuppanno vā rāgo uppajjati uppanno vā rāgo bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattatī’ti.

4‘Ko panāvuso, hetu ko paccayo yena anuppanno vā doso uppajjati uppanno vā doso bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattatī’ti? ‘"Paṭighanimittan"tissa vacanīyaṁ. Tassa paṭighanimittaṁ ayoniso manasi karoto anuppanno vā doso uppajjati uppanno vā doso bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattati. Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yena anuppanno vā doso uppajjati uppanno vā doso bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattatī’ti.

5‘Ko panāvuso, hetu ko paccayo yena anuppanno vā moho uppajjati uppanno vā moho bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattatī’ti? ‘"Ayoniso manasikāro"tissa vacanīyaṁ. Tassa ayoniso manasi karoto anuppanno vā moho uppajjati uppanno vā moho bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattati. Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yena anuppanno vā moho uppajjati uppanno vā moho bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattatī’ti.

6‘Ko panāvuso, hetu ko paccayo yena anuppanno ceva rāgo nuppajjati uppanno ca rāgo pahīyatī’ti? ‘"Asubhanimittan"tissa vacanīyaṁ. Tassa asubhanimittaṁ yoniso manasi karoto anuppanno ceva rāgo nuppajjati uppanno ca rāgo pahīyati. Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yena anuppanno ceva rāgo nuppajjati uppanno ca rāgo pahīyatī’ti.

7‘Ko panāvuso, hetu ko paccayo yena anuppanno ceva doso nuppajjati uppanno ca doso pahīyatī’ti? ‘"Mettā cetovimuttī"tissa vacanīyaṁ. Tassa mettaṁ cetovimuttiṁ yoniso manasi karoto anuppanno ceva doso nuppajjati uppanno ca doso pahīyati. Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yena anuppanno ceva doso nuppajjati uppanno ca doso pahīyatī’ti.

8‘Ko panāvuso, hetu ko paccayo yena anuppanno ceva moho nuppajjati uppanno ca moho pahīyatī’ti? ‘"Yonisomanasikāro"tissa vacanīyaṁ. Tassa yoniso manasi karoto anuppanno ceva moho nuppajjati uppanno ca moho pahīyati. Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yena anuppanno vā moho nuppajjati uppanno ca moho pahīyatī’"ti.

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Aṭṭhamaṁ.