14. To Rāhula （一四）罗云经

I have heard thus:

At one time, the Buddha was wandering in the city of Rājagṛha, staying in the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove.

At that time, Venerable Rāhula was also wandering in the Hot Spring Grove in Rājagṛha. Then, the World-Honored One, having passed the night, put on his robe, took his alms bowl, entered the city of Rājagṛha to beg for food, and after finishing his alms round, went to the Hot Spring Grove where Rāhula was staying. Venerable Rāhula saw the Buddha coming from afar, immediately went to greet him, took the Buddha's robe and bowl, prepared a seat, fetched water to wash the Buddha's feet, and after the Buddha washed his feet, he sat on Rāhula's seat.

Then, the World-Honored One took the water vessel, left a little water, and asked, "Rāhula, do you see me taking this water vessel and leaving a little water?"

Rāhula replied, "Yes, World-Honored One!"

The Buddha told Rāhula, "I say that path is small, and it is also like this. It means that after knowing, one still speaks falsely, without shame or regret, without conscience or shame. Rāhula! They also do no evil. Therefore, Rāhula! One should study like this, not speaking falsely even in jest."

The World-Honored One again took this small water vessel, emptied it, and asked, "Rāhula! Do you see me again taking the small water vessel and emptying it?"

Rāhula replied, "I see, World-Honored One!"

The Buddha told Rāhula, "I say that the path of abandoning is also like this. That is, knowing that one has spoken falsely, one is not ashamed, does not regret it, has no sense of shame, and has no sense of decency. Rāhula! They also do no evil. Therefore, Rāhula! One should train like this: Do not speak falsely even in jest."

The World-Honored One again took this empty water vessel, turned it upside down on the ground, and asked, "Rāhula! Do you see me again taking the empty water vessel and turning it upside down on the ground?"

Rāhula replied, "I see, World-Honored One!"

The Buddha told Rāhula, "I say that covering up that path is also like this, meaning that after knowing, one still speaks falsely, without shame or regret, without conscience or shame. Rāhula! They also do no evil. Therefore, Rāhula! One should study like this, not to speak falsely out of playfulness and laughter."

The World-Honored One again took this covered water vessel, turned it upside down, and asked, "Rāhula! Do you see me again taking the covered water vessel and turning it upside down?"

Rāhula replied, "I see, World-Honored One!"

The Buddha told Rāhula, "I say that path is also like that, meaning that knowing one has spoken falsely, one is not ashamed, does not regret, is not embarrassed, and does not feel guilty. Rāhula! They also do no evil. Therefore, Rāhula! One should train like this, not speaking falsely even in jest.

Rāhula! It is like when a king's great elephant enters the battlefield to fight, it uses its front legs, back legs, tail, hips, spine, sides, neck, forehead, ears, and tusks, all of them, but only protects its trunk. The elephant trainer, seeing this, thinks, 'This king's great elephant still values its life. Why is that? This king's great elephant, when entering the battlefield to fight, uses its front legs, back legs, tail, hips, spine, sides, neck, forehead, ears, and tusks, all of them, but only protects its trunk.' Rāhula! If the king's great elephant, when entering the battlefield to fight, uses its front legs, back legs, tail, hips, spine, sides, neck, forehead, ears, tusks, and trunk, all of them, the elephant trainer, seeing this, thinks, 'This king's great elephant no longer values its life. Why is that? This king's great elephant, when entering the battlefield to fight, uses its front legs, back legs, tail, hips, spine, sides, neck, forehead, ears, tusks, and trunk, all of them.' Rāhula! If the king's great elephant, when entering the battlefield to fight, uses its front legs, back legs, tail, hips, spine, sides, neck, forehead, ears, tusks, and trunk, all of them, Rāhula! I say that this king's great elephant, when entering the battlefield to fight, does no evil. So it is, Rāhula! Meaning that knowing one has spoken falsely, one is not ashamed, does not regret, is not embarrassed, and does not feel guilty. Rāhula! I say that they also do no evil. Therefore, Rāhula! One should train like this, not speaking falsely even in jest.

Then the World-Honored One spoke a verse, saying:

A person commits one thing, namely false speech. They do
not fear the next world and do no evil. It
is better to eat iron balls, hot like fire, than
to accept the offerings of the world with broken precepts
If one fears suffering and does not cherish it, one
should not do evil in hidden or obvious places. If
one has done or is doing unwholesome karma, one will
not escape it and there is no place to avoid it.

After the Buddha spoke the verse, he asked Rahula again, "What do you think? What is a mirror used for?"

Venerable Rahula replied, "World-Honored One! It is used to see one's face, to see if it is clean or not."

Rahula, if you are about to engage in bodily action, then contemplate that bodily action: 'The bodily action I am about to engage in, is it pure or impure, for my own benefit or for the benefit of others?' Rahula, if you contemplate, you will know that the bodily action you are about to engage in is pure, either for your own benefit or for the benefit of others, and it is unwholesome with a result of suffering, leading to a painful retribution. Rahula, you should abandon that bodily action you are about to engage in. Rahula, if you contemplate, you will know that the bodily action you are about to engage in is impure, either for your own benefit or for the benefit of others, and it is wholesome with a result of happiness, leading to a happy retribution. Rahula, you should accept that bodily action you are about to engage in.

Rahula, if you are currently engaging in bodily action, then contemplate that bodily action: 'The bodily action I am currently engaging in, is it pure or impure, for my own benefit or for the benefit of others?' Rahula, if you contemplate, you will know that the bodily action you are currently engaging in is pure, either for your own benefit or for the benefit of others, and it is unwholesome with a result of suffering, leading to a painful retribution. Rahula, you should abandon that bodily action you are currently engaging in. Rahula, if you contemplate, you will know that the bodily action you are currently engaging in is impure, either for your own benefit or for the benefit of others, and it is wholesome with a result of happiness, leading to a happy retribution. Rahula, you should accept that bodily action you are currently engaging in.

Rahula, if you have already engaged in bodily action, then contemplate that bodily action: 'The bodily action I have already engaged in, has it already passed, ceased, and changed? Is it pure or impure, for my own benefit or for the benefit of others?' Rahula, if you contemplate, you will know that the bodily action you have already engaged in has already passed, ceased, and changed, and that bodily action is pure, either for your own benefit or for the benefit of others, and it is unwholesome with a result of suffering, leading to a painful retribution. Rahula, you should go to a good friend, a person of pure conduct, and with a sincere mind confess and repent of that bodily action, be cautious and do not conceal it, and uphold it well. Rahula, if you contemplate, you will know that the bodily action you have already engaged in has already passed, ceased, and changed, and that bodily action is impure, either for your own benefit or for the benefit of others, and it is wholesome with a result of happiness, leading to a happy retribution. Rahula, you should joyfully abide in right mindfulness and right knowledge day and night, and the same is true for verbal action.

Rahula, because of past actions, you have already engaged in mental action. Then contemplate that mental action: 'Because of past actions, the mental action I have already engaged in, is it pure or impure, for my own benefit or for the benefit of others?' Rahula, if you contemplate, you will know that the mental action you have already engaged in because of past actions has already passed, ceased, and changed, and that mental action is pure, either for your own benefit or for the benefit of others, and it is unwholesome with a result of suffering, leading to a painful retribution. Rahula, you should abandon that mental action you have already engaged in because of past actions. Rahula, if you contemplate, you will know that the mental action you have already engaged in because of past actions has already passed, ceased, and changed, and that mental action is impure, either for your own benefit or for the benefit of others, and it is wholesome with a result of happiness, leading to a happy retribution. Rahula, you should accept that mental action you have already engaged in because of past actions.

Rahula, because of future actions, you will engage in mental action. Then contemplate that mental action: 'Because of future actions, the mental action I will engage in, is it pure or impure, for my own benefit or for the benefit of others?' Rahula, if you contemplate, you will know that the mental action you will engage in because of future actions will be pure, either for your own benefit or for the benefit of others, and it is unwholesome with a result of suffering, leading to a painful retribution. Rahula, you should abandon that mental action you will engage in because of future actions. Rahula, if you contemplate, you will know that the mental action you will engage in because of future actions will be impure, either for your own benefit or for the benefit of others, and it is wholesome with a result of happiness, leading to a happy retribution. Rahula, you should accept that mental action you will engage in because of future actions.

Rahula, because of present actions, you are engaging in mental action. Then contemplate that mental action: 'Because of present actions, the mental action I am engaging in, is it pure or impure, for my own benefit or for the benefit of others?' Rahula, if you contemplate, you will know that the mental action you are engaging in because of present actions will be pure, either for your own benefit or for the benefit of others, and it is unwholesome with a result of suffering, leading to a painful retribution. Rahula, you should abandon that mental action you are engaging in because of present actions. Rahula, if you contemplate, you will know that the mental action you are engaging in because of present actions will be impure, either for your own benefit or for the benefit of others, and it is wholesome with a result of happiness, leading to a happy retribution. Rahula, you should accept that mental action you are engaging in because of present actions.

Rahula, if there were past śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who contemplated and purified their bodily, verbal, and mental actions, all of them contemplated and purified their bodily, verbal, and mental actions in this way. Rahula, if there will be future śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who will contemplate and purify their bodily, verbal, and mental actions, all of them will contemplate and purify their bodily, verbal, and mental actions in this way. Rahula, if there are present śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who are contemplating and purifying their bodily, verbal, and mental actions, all of them are contemplating and purifying their bodily, verbal, and mental actions in this way. Rahula, you should train thus: I am also contemplating and purifying my bodily, verbal, and mental actions in this way.

Then the World-Honored One spoke a verse, saying:

Rahula, you should always contemplate the good and
bad dharmas of bodily, verbal, and mental actions
Having known, Rahula, do not speak falsely. How
can one who lives off others speak falsely?
Covering the Dharma of the śramaṇas, empty and
without reality, means speaking falsely and not guarding
one's mouth. Therefore, not speaking falsely is the
Dharma of the sons of the Perfectly Enlightened
One. Rahula, you should learn this. In the
prosperous and peaceful places, free from fear, Rahula
should go there, not harming others.

The Buddha spoke thus. Venerable Rahula and the bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and received them with respect.