                                           
                                           
                                           
                                           
                           Majjhima Nikaya 41
                                           
                          THE BRAHMINS OF SALA
                         (//Saleyyaka Sutta//)
                                           
                                           
                                           
                                           
                              Introduction
                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~
   
   The brahmins of this discourse, intelligent people, asked a question 
   about the causality of rebirth -- why is one reborn in the states of 
   deprivation (the hells, animals, and ghosts) while others make it to 
   the heaven worlds?
     
     The Buddha then analyzes what kind of kamma will take one to a low 
   rebirth. You see any of your own actions here? Then you know what to 
   do about it, for if one makes any of these ten courses of 
   unwholesome kamma strong in oneself, a result can be expected at 
   least "on the dissolution of the body, after death," if not in this 
   life.
     
     The ten courses of wholesome kamma follow. They should be 
   strengthened in oneself, repeated frequently so that they become 
   habitual. If one recognizes any of one's own actions among them, 
   then just guard against the conceit: "I am good."
     
     The last part of the sutta deals with the aspirations which one 
   may have for rebirth at the time of death. Of course, one's 
   previously made kamma must be such that it will support such 
   aspirations. A miser might aspire to riches but his kamma will give 
   him poverty. If a person has kept the Uposatha and generally all the 
   precepts and been generous and truthful as well, this is the 
   passport to heavenly birth (from the gods of the Four Kings up to 
   the gods that Wield Power over others' Creations). Beyond this, it 
   is necessary also to be proficient in jhana and one will gain 
   rebirth among the Brahmas (from the Divinity's Retinue to the Very 
   Fruitful gods) according to proficiency in this. For the next five 
   Brahma-planes, the state of non-returning is required, while for the 
   last four one must have gained the formless attainments. Finally, 
   one may aspire to no rebirth: to Arahantship, but of course the 
   aspiration alone is not sufficient -- practice and sufficient 
   insight-wisdom are needed.
     
                                 * * *
     
     
     
                          The Brahmins of Sala
                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   
   1. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was wandering 
   in the Kosalan country with a large Sangha of bhikkhus, and 
   eventually he arrived at a Kosalan brahmin village called Sala.
   
   
     2. The brahmin householders of Sala heard: "A monk called Gotama, 
   it seems, a son of the Sakyans who went forth from a Sakyan clan, 
   has been wandering in the Kosalan country with a large Sangha of 
   bhikkhus and has come to Sala. Now a good report of Master Gotama 
   has been spread to this effect: 'That Blessed One is such since he 
   is Arahant and Fully Enlightened, perfect in true knowledge and 
   conduct, sublime, knower of worlds, incomparable teacher of men to 
   be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, enlightened, blessed. He 
   describes this world with its gods, its Maras, and its (Brahma) 
   Divinities, this generation with its monks and brahmins, with its 
   kings and its people, which he has himself realized through direct 
   knowledge. He teaches a Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good 
   in the middle and good in the end with (the right) meaning and 
   phrasing, he affirms a holy life that is utterly perfect and pure.' 
   Now it is good to see such Arahants."
     
     
     3. The brahmin householders of Sala went to the Blessed One; and 
   some paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down at one side; some 
   exchanged greetings with him, and when the courteous and amiable 
   talk was finished, sat down at one side; some raised hands palms 
   together in salutation to the Blessed One and sat down at one side; 
   some pronounced their name and clan in the Blessed One's presence 
   and sat down at one side; some kept silence and sat down at one 
   side.
     
     
     4. When they were seated, they said to the Blessed One: "Master 
   Gotama, what is the reason, what is the condition, why some beings 
   here, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in 
   states of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, even 
   in hell; and what is the reason, what is the condition, why some 
   beings here, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear 
   in a happy destination, even in the heavenly world?"
     
     
     5. "Householders, it is by reason of conduct not in accordance 
   with the Dhamma, by reason of unrighteous conduct, that beings here 
   on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in states of 
   deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, even in hell. 
   It is by reason of conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, by reason 
   of righteous conduct, that some beings here on the dissolution of 
   the body, after death, reappear in a happy destination, even in the 
   heavenly world."
     
     
     6. "We do not understand the detailed meaning of this utterance of 
   Master Gotama's spoken in brief without expounding the detailed 
   meaning. It would be good if Master Gotama taught us the Dhamma so 
   that we might understand the detailed meaning of Master Gotama's 
   utterance spoken in brief without expounding the detailed meaning."
     
     "Then, householders, listen and heed well what I shall say."
     
     "Yes, venerable sir," they replied. The Blessed One said this:
     
   
     7. "Householders, there are three kinds of bodily conduct not in 
   accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct. There are four 
   kinds of verbal conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma, 
   unrighteous conduct. There are three kinds of mental conduct not in 
   accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct.
     
     
     8. "And how are there three kinds of bodily conduct not in 
   accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct? Here someone is a 
   killer of living beings: he is murderous, bloody-handed, given to 
   blows and violence, and merciless to all living beings. He is a 
   taker of what is not given: he takes as a thief another's chattels 
   and property in the village or in the forest. He is given over to 
   misconduct in sexual desires: he has intercourse with such (women) 
   as are protected by the mother, father, (mother and father), 
   brother, sister, relatives, as have a husband, as entail a penalty, 
   and also with those that are garlanded in token of betrothal. That 
   is how there are three kinds of bodily conduct not in accordance 
   with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct.
     
     
     9. "And how are there four kinds of verbal conduct not in 
   accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct? Here someone speaks 
   falsehood: when summoned to a court or to a meeting, or to his 
   relatives' presence, or to his guild, or to the royal family's 
   presence, and questioned as a witness thus, 'So, good man, tell what 
   you know,' then, not knowing, he says 'I know,' or knowing, he says 
   'I do not know,' not seeing, he says 'I see,' or seeing, he says 'I 
   do not see'; in full awareness he speaks falsehood for his own ends 
   or for another's ends or for some trifling worldly end. He speaks 
   maliciously: he is a repeater elsewhere of what is heard here for 
   the purpose of causing division from these, or he is a repeater to 
   these of what is heard elsewhere for the purpose of causing division 
   from those, and he is thus a divider of the united, a creator of 
   divisions, who enjoys discord, rejoices in discord, delights in 
   discord, he is a speaker of words that create discord. He speaks 
   harshly: he utters  such words as are rough, hard, hurtful to 
   others, censorious of others, bordering on anger and unconducive to 
   concentration. He is a gossip: as one who tells that which is 
   unseasonable, that which is not fact, that which is not good, that 
   which is not the Dhamma, that which is not the Discipline, and he 
   speaks out of season speech not worth recording, which is 
   unreasoned, indefinite, and unconnected with good. That is how there 
   are four kinds of verbal conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma, 
   unrighteous conduct.
     
     
     10. "And how are there three kinds of mental conduct not in 
   accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct? Here someone is 
   covetous: he is a coveter of another's chattels and property thus: 
   'Oh, that what is another's were mine!' Or he has a mind of 
   ill-will, with the intention of a mind affected by hate thus: 'May 
   these beings be slain and slaughtered, may they be cut off, perish, 
   or be annihilated!' Or he has wrong view, distorted vision, thus: 
   'There is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed, no 
   fruit and ripening of good and bad kammas, no this world, no other 
   world, no mother, no father, no spontaneously (born) beings,[1] no 
   good and virtuous monks and brahmins that have themselves realized 
   by direct knowledge and declare this world and the other world.'[2] 
   That is how there are three kinds of mental conduct not in 
   accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct.
   
     "So, householders, it is by reason of conduct not in accordance 
   with the Dhamma, by reason of unrighteous conduct, that some beings 
   here, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in 
   states of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, even 
   in hell.
   
   
     11. "Householders, there are three kinds of bodily conduct in 
   accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct. There are four kinds 
   of verbal conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct. 
   There are three kinds of mental conduct in accordance with the 
   Dhamma, righteous conduct.
     
     
     12. "And how are there three kinds of bodily conduct in accordance 
   with the Dhamma, righteous conduct? Here someone, abandoning the 
   killing of living beings, becomes one who abstains from killing 
   living beings; with rod and weapon laid aside, gentle and kindly, he 
   abides compassionate to all living beings. Abandoning the taking of 
   what is not given, he becomes one who abstains from taking what is 
   not given; he does not take as a thief another's chattels and 
   property in the village or in the forest. Abandoning misconduct in 
   sexual desires, he becomes one who abstains from misconduct in 
   sexual desires: he does not have intercourse with such women as are 
   protected by mother, father, (father and mother), brother, sister, 
   relatives, as have a husband, as entail a penalty, and also those 
   that are garlanded in token of betrothal. That is how there are 
   three kinds of bodily conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, 
   righteous conduct.
     
     
     13. "And how are there four of verbal conduct in accordance with 
   the Dhamma, righteous conduct? Here someone, abandoning false 
   speech, becomes one who abstains from false speech: when summoned to 
   a court or to a meeting or to his relatives' presence or to his 
   guild or to the royal family's presence, and questioned as a witness 
   thus, 'So, good man, tell what you know,' not knowing, he says 'I do 
   not know,' or knowing, he says 'I know,' not seeing he says 'I do 
   not see,' or seeing, he says 'I see'; he does not in full awareness 
   speak falsehood for his own ends or for another's ends or for some 
   trifling worldly end. Abandoning malicious speech, he becomes one 
   who abstains from malicious speech: as one who is neither a repeater 
   elsewhere of what is heard here for the purpose of causing division 
   from these, nor a repeater to these of what is heard elsewhere for 
   the purpose of causing division from those, who is thus a reuniter 
   of  the divided, a promoter of friendships, enjoying concord, 
   rejoicing in concord, delighting in concord, he becomes a speaker of 
   words that promote concord. Abandoning harsh speech, he becomes one 
   who abstains from harsh speech: he becomes a speaker of such words 
   as are innocent, pleasing to the ear and lovable, as go to the 
   heart, are civil, desired of many and dear to many. Abandoning 
   gossip, he becomes one who abstains from gossip: as one who tells 
   that which is seasonable, that which is factual, that which is good, 
   that which is the Dhamma, that which is the Discipline, he speaks in 
   season speech worth recording, which is reasoned, definite and 
   connected with good. That is how there are four kinds of verbal 
   conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct.
     
     
     14. "And how are there three kinds of mental conduct in accordance 
   with the Dhamma, righteous conduct? Here someone is not covetous: he 
   is not a coveter of another's chattels and property thus: 'Oh, that 
   what is another's were mine!' He has no mind of ill-will, with the 
   intention of a mind unaffected by hate thus: 'May these beings be 
   free from enmity, affliction and anxiety, may they live happily!' He 
   has right view, undistorted vision, thus: 'There is what is given 
   and what is offered and what is sacrificed, and there is fruit and 
   ripening of good and bad kammas, and there is this world and the 
   other world and mother and father and spontaneously (born) beings, 
   and good and virtuous monks and brahmins that have themselves 
   realized by direct knowledge and declared this world and the other 
   world.' That is how there are three kinds of mental conduct in 
   accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct.
     
     "So, householders, it is by reason of conduct in accordance with 
   the Dhamma, by reason of righteous conduct, that some beings here, 
   on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in a happy 
   destination, even in the heavenly world.
     
     
     15. "If a householder who observes conduct in accordance with the 
   Dhamma, righteous conduct, should wish: 'Oh, that on the dissolution 
   of the body, after death, I might reappear in the company of the 
   warrior-nobles of great property!' it is possible that on the 
   dissolution of the body, after death, he may do so. Why is that? 
   Because he observes conduct that is in accordance with the Dhamma, 
   righteous conduct.
     
     
     16. "If a householder who observes conduct is accordance with the 
   Dhamma, righteous conduct, should wish: 'Oh, that on the dissolution 
   of the body, after death, I might reappear in the company of the 
   brahmins of great property!' it is possible ...
   
   
     17. "If a householder who observes conduct in accordance with the 
   Dhamma, ... ' ... I might reappear in the company of householders of 
   great property!' it is possible ...
     
     
     18. "If a householder who observes conduct in accordance with the 
   Dhamma, righteous conduct, should wish: 'Oh, that on the dissolution 
   of the body, after death, I might reappear in the company of the 
   gods of the Four Kings!' it is possible that on the dissolution of 
   the body, after death, he may do so. Why is that? Because he 
   observes conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct.
     
     19. ... of the gods of the Realm of the Thirty-three ...[3]
     
     20. ... of the gods that have Gone to Bliss ...
     
     21. ... of the Contented gods ...
     
     22. ... of the gods that Delight in Creating ...
     
     23. ... of the gods that Wield Power over others' Creations ...
     
     24. ... of the gods of Brahma's Retinue ...
     
     25 ... of the Radiant gods ...
     
     26 ... of the gods of Limited Radiance ...
     
     27 ... of the gods of Measureless Radiance ...
     
     28 ... of the gods of Streaming Radiance ...
     
     29 ... of the Glorious gods ...
     
     30. ... of the gods of Limited Glory ...
     
     31. ... of the gods of Measureless Glory ...
     
     32. ... of the gods of Refulgent Glory ...
     
     33. ... of the Very Fruitful gods ...
     
     34. ... of the gods Bathed in their own Prosperity ...
     
     35. ... of the Untormenting gods ...
     
     36. ... of the Fair-to-see gods ...
     
     37. ... of the Fair-seeing gods ...
     
     38. ... of the gods who are Junior to None ...
     
     39. ... of the gods of the base consisting of the infinity of 
   space...
     
     40. ... of the gods of the base consisting of the infinity of 
   consciousness ...
     
     41. ... of the gods of the base consisting of nothingness ...
     
     42. "If a householder who observes conduct in accordance with the 
   Dhamma, righteous conduct, should wish: 'Oh, that on the dissolution 
   of the body, after death, I might reappear in the company of the 
   gods of the base consisting of 
   neither-perception-nor-non-perception!' it is possible that, on the 
   dissolution of the body, after death, he may do so. Why is that? 
   Because he observes conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous 
   conduct.
     
     
     43. "If a householder who observes conduct in accordance with the 
   Dhamma, righteous conduct, should wish: 'Oh, that by realization 
   myself with direct knowledge, I may here and now enter upon and 
   abide in the deliverance of the heart and the deliverance by wisdom 
   that are taint-free with exhaustion of taints!' it is possible that, 
   by realization himself with direct knowledge, he may here and now 
   enter upon and abide in the deliverance of the heart and the 
   deliverance by wisdom that are taint-free with exhaustion of taints. 
   Why is that? Because he observes conduct in accordance with the 
   Dhamma, righteous conduct."
     
     
     44. When this was said, the brahmin householders of Sala said to 
   the Blessed One:
     
     "Magnificent, Master Gotama! Magnificent, Master Gotama! The 
   Dhamma has been made clear in many ways by Master Gotama, as though 
   he were turning upright what had been overthrown, revealing the 
   hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, holding up a lamp in 
   the darkness for those with eyes to see forms.
     
     
     45. "We go to Master Gotama for refuge, and to the Dhamma, and to 
   the Sangha of bhikkhus. From today let Master Gotama accept us as 
   followers who have gone to him for refuge for life."
   
   
                                 * * *
                                           
                                           
                                 Notes
                                 ~~~~~
   
   1. Beings who appear due to the force of past action (kamma) in some 
      states of birth: all gods and divinities, ghosts, inhabitants of 
      hells; see Majjhima Nikaya Sutta 12 (Mahasihanada Sutta).
   
   2. For an explanation of these views held by some teachers in the 
      Buddhist time, and which were a rejection of all moral values, see 
      Ledi Sayadaw, //The Eightfold and its Factors Explained// (BPS 
      Wheel No. 245/247).
   
   3. The rendering of the various gods' names are based on the 
      commentary to the Hadayavibhanga (in the //Vibhanga//, second book 
      of the Abhidhamma: see //The Book of Analysis//, P.T.S. 
      Translation Series).
   
   
                            * * * * * * * *
