With AjitaAjitasutta

Then the wanderer Ajita went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.Atha kho ajito paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha,Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho ajito paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Worthy Gotama, we have a spiritual companion called ‘Astute’.“Amhākaṁ, bho gotama, paṇḍito nāma sabrahmacārī. He has worked out around five hundred arguments by which followers of other religions will know when they’ve been refuted.”Tena pañcamattāni cittaṭṭhānasatāni cintitāni, yehi aññatitthiyā upāraddhāva jānanti upāraddhasmā”ti.

Then the Buddha said to the mendicants,Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “Mendicants, do you remember this Astute’s points?”“dhāretha no tumhe, bhikkhave, paṇḍitavatthūnī”ti?

“Now is the time, Blessed One! Now is the time, Holy One!“Etassa, bhagavā, kālo etassa, sugata, kālo Let the Buddha speak and the mendicants will remember it.”yaṁ bhagavā bhāseyya, bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.

“Well then, mendicants, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”“Tena hi, bhikkhave, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Yes, sir,” they replied.“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. The Buddha said this:Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Mendicants, take a certain someone who rebuts and quashes unprincipled statements with unprincipled statements. This delights an unprincipled assembly,“Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco adhammikena vādena adhammikaṁ vādaṁ abhiniggaṇhāti abhinippīḷeti, tena ca adhammikaṁ parisaṁ rañjeti. who make a colossal racket:Tena sā adhammikā parisā uccāsaddamahāsaddā hoti: ‘He is truly astute! He is truly astute!’‘paṇḍito vata bho, paṇḍito vata bho’ti.

Someone else rebuts and quashes principled statements with unprincipled statements. This delights an unprincipled assembly,Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco adhammikena vādena dhammikaṁ vādaṁ abhiniggaṇhāti abhinippīḷeti, tena ca adhammikaṁ parisaṁ rañjeti. who make a colossal racket:Tena sā adhammikā parisā uccāsaddamahāsaddā hoti: ‘He is truly astute! He is truly astute!’‘paṇḍito vata bho, paṇḍito vata bho’ti.

Someone else rebuts and quashes principled and unprincipled statements with unprincipled statements. This delights an unprincipled assembly,Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco adhammikena vādena dhammikañca vādaṁ adhammikañca vādaṁ abhiniggaṇhāti abhinippīḷeti, tena ca adhammikaṁ parisaṁ rañjeti. who make a colossal racket:Tena sā adhammikā parisā uccāsaddamahāsaddā hoti: ‘He is truly astute! He is truly astute!’‘paṇḍito vata bho, paṇḍito vata bho’ti.

Mendicants, you should know bad principles and good principles.Adhammo ca, bhikkhave, veditabbo dhammo ca; And you should know bad results and good results.anattho ca veditabbo attho ca. Knowing these things, your practice should follow the good principles with good results.Adhammañca viditvā dhammañca, anatthañca viditvā atthañca yathā dhammo yathā attho tathā paṭipajjitabbaṁ.

So what are bad principles? What are good principles? What are bad results? And what are good results?Katamo ca, bhikkhave, adhammo, katamo ca dhammo, katamo ca anattho, katamo ca attho? Wrong view is a bad principle.Micchādiṭṭhi, bhikkhave, adhammo; Right view is a good principle.sammādiṭṭhi dhammo; And the many bad, unskillful qualities produced by wrong view are bad results.ye ca micchādiṭṭhipaccayā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti, ayaṁ anattho; And the many skillful qualities fully developed because of right view are good results.sammādiṭṭhipaccayā ca aneke kusalā dhammā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti, ayaṁ attho.

Wrong purpose is a bad principle.Micchāsaṅkappo, bhikkhave, adhammo; Right purpose is a good principle. …sammāsaṅkappo dhammo … Wrong speech is a bad principle.micchāvācā, bhikkhave, adhammo; Right speech is a good principle. …sammāvācā dhammo … Wrong action is a bad principle.micchākammanto, bhikkhave, adhammo; Right action is a good principle. …sammākammanto dhammo … Wrong livelihood is a bad principle.micchāājīvo, bhikkhave, adhammo; Right livelihood is a good principle. …sammāājīvo dhammo … Wrong effort is a bad principle.micchāvāyāmo, bhikkhave, adhammo; Right effort is a good principle. …sammāvāyāmo dhammo … Wrong mindfulness is a bad principle.micchāsati, bhikkhave, adhammo; Right mindfulness is a good principle. …sammāsati dhammo … Wrong immersion is a bad principle.micchāsamādhi, bhikkhave adhammo; Right immersion is a good principle. …sammāsamādhi dhammo … Wrong knowledge is a bad principle.micchāñāṇaṁ, bhikkhave, adhammo; Right knowledge is a good principle. …sammāñāṇaṁ dhammo.

Wrong freedom is a bad principle.Micchāvimutti, bhikkhave, adhammo; Right freedom is a good principle.sammāvimutti dhammo; And the many bad, unskillful qualities produced by wrong freedom are bad results.ye ca micchāvimuttipaccayā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti, ayaṁ anattho; And the many skillful qualities fully developed because of right freedom are good results.sammāvimuttipaccayā ca aneke kusalā dhammā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti, ayaṁ attho.

‘You should know bad principles and good principles.‘Adhammo ca, bhikkhave, veditabbo dhammo ca; And you should know bad results and good results.anattho ca veditabbo attho ca. Knowing these things, your practice should follow the good principles with good results.’Adhammañca viditvā dhammañca, anatthañca viditvā atthañca yathā dhammo yathā attho tathā paṭipajjitabban’ti, That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.”iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ, idametaṁ paṭicca vuttan”ti.