- Numbered Discourses 3.69Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.69
- 7. The Great Chapter7. Mahāvagga
Unskillful RootsAkusalamūlasutta
“Mendicants, there are these three unskillful roots.“Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, akusalamūlāni. What three?Katamāni tīṇi? Greed, hate, and delusion.Lobho akusalamūlaṁ, doso akusalamūlaṁ, moho akusalamūlaṁ.
Greed is a root of the unskillful.Yadapi, bhikkhave, lobho tadapi akusalamūlaṁ; When a greedy person chooses to act by way of body, speech, or mind, that too is unskillful.yadapi luddho abhisaṅkharoti kāyena vācāya manasā tadapi akusalaṁ; When a greedy person, overcome by greed, causes another to suffer under a false pretext—by execution or imprisonment or confiscation or condemnation or banishment—thinking ‘I’m powerful, I want power’, that too is unskillful.yadapi luddho lobhena abhibhūto pariyādinnacitto parassa asatā dukkhaṁ uppādayati vadhena vā bandhanena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā pabbājanāya vā balavamhi balattho itipi tadapi akusalaṁ. And so these many bad, unskillful things are produced in them, born, sourced, originated, and conditioned by greed.Itissame lobhajā lobhanidānā lobhasamudayā lobhapaccayā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti.
Hate is a root of the unskillful.Yadapi, bhikkhave, doso tadapi akusalamūlaṁ; When a hateful person chooses to act by way of body, speech, or mind, that too is unskillful.yadapi duṭṭho abhisaṅkharoti kāyena vācāya manasā tadapi akusalaṁ; When a hateful person, overcome by hate, causes another to suffer under a false pretext—by execution or imprisonment or confiscation or condemnation or banishment—thinking ‘I’m powerful, I want power’, that too is unskillful.yadapi duṭṭho dosena abhibhūto pariyādinnacitto parassa asatā dukkhaṁ uppādayati vadhena vā bandhanena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā pabbājanāya vā balavamhi balattho itipi tadapi akusalaṁ. And so these many bad, unskillful things are produced in them, born, sourced, originated, and conditioned by hate.Itissame dosajā dosanidānā dosasamudayā dosapaccayā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti.
Delusion is a root of the unskillful.Yadapi, bhikkhave, moho tadapi akusalamūlaṁ; When a deluded person chooses to act by way of body, speech, or mind, that too is unskillful.yadapi mūḷho abhisaṅkharoti kāyena vācāya manasā tadapi akusalaṁ; When a deluded person, overcome by delusion, causes another to suffer under a false pretext—by execution or imprisonment or confiscation or condemnation or banishment—thinking ‘I’m powerful, I want power’, that too is unskillful.yadapi mūḷho mohena abhibhūto pariyādinnacitto parassa asatā dukkhaṁ uppādayati vadhena vā bandhanena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā pabbājanāya vā balavamhi balattho itipi tadapi akusalaṁ. And so these many bad, unskillful things are produced in them, born, sourced, originated, and conditioned by delusion.Itissame mohajā mohanidānā mohasamudayā mohapaccayā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti. Such an individual is said to have speech that’s ill-timed, false, meaningless, not in line with the teaching and training.Evarūpo cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, puggalo vuccati akālavādītipi, abhūtavādītipi, anatthavādītipi, adhammavādītipi, avinayavādītipi.
Why is this?Kasmā cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, evarūpo puggalo vuccati akālavādītipi, abhūtavādītipi, anatthavādītipi, adhammavādītipi, avinayavādītipi? This individual causes another to suffer under a false pretext—by execution or imprisonment or confiscation or condemnation or banishment—thinking ‘I’m powerful, I want power’.Tathāhāyaṁ, bhikkhave, puggalo parassa asatā dukkhaṁ uppādayati vadhena vā bandhanena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā pabbājanāya vā balavamhi balattho itipi. So when someone makes a valid criticism, they’re scornful and admit nothing.Bhūtena kho pana vuccamāno avajānāti, no paṭijānāti; When someone makes a baseless criticism, they make no effort to explain, ‘This is why that’s untrue, this is why that’s false.’abhūtena vuccamāno na ātappaṁ karoti, tassa nibbeṭhanāya itipetaṁ atacchaṁ itipetaṁ abhūtanti. That’s why such an individual is said to have speech that’s ill-timed, false, meaningless, not in line with the teaching and training.Tasmā evarūpo puggalo vuccati akālavādītipi, abhūtavādītipi, anatthavādītipi, adhammavādītipi, avinayavādītipi.
Such an individual—overcome with bad, unskillful qualities born of greed, hate, and delusion—suffers in this very life, with distress, anguish, and fever.Evarūpo, bhikkhave, puggalo lobhajehi pāpakehi akusalehi dhammehi abhibhūto pariyādinnacitto diṭṭhe ceva dhamme dukkhaṁ viharati, savighātaṁ saupāyāsaṁ sapariḷāhaṁ. And when the body breaks up, after death, they can expect to be reborn in a bad place.Kāyassa ca bhedā paraṁ maraṇā duggati pāṭikaṅkhā.
Suppose a sal, axlewood, or boxwood tree was choked and enveloped by three camel’s foot creepers. It would fall to ruin and disaster.Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sālo vā dhavo vā phandano vā tīhi māluvālatāhi uddhasto pariyonaddho anayaṁ āpajjati, byasanaṁ āpajjati, anayabyasanaṁ āpajjati; In the same way, such an individual—overcome with bad, unskillful qualities born of greed, hate, and delusion—suffers in this very life, with distress, anguish, and fever.evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, evarūpo puggalo lobhajehi pāpakehi akusalehi dhammehi abhibhūto pariyādinnacitto diṭṭhe ceva dhamme dukkhaṁ viharati, savighātaṁ saupāyāsaṁ sapariḷāhaṁ. And when the body breaks up, after death, they can expect to be reborn in a bad place.Kāyassa ca bhedā paraṁ maraṇā duggati pāṭikaṅkhā. These are the three unskillful roots.Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi akusalamūlānīti.There are these three skillful roots.Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, kusalamūlāni. What three?Katamāni tīṇi? Contentment, love, and understanding.Alobho kusalamūlaṁ, adoso kusalamūlaṁ, amoho kusalamūlaṁ.
Contentment is a root of the skillful.Yadapi, bhikkhave, alobho tadapi kusalamūlaṁ; When a contented person chooses to act by way of body, speech, or mind, that too is skillful.yadapi aluddho abhisaṅkharoti kāyena vācāya manasā tadapi kusalaṁ; When a contented person, not overcome by greed, doesn’t cause another to suffer under a false pretext—by execution or imprisonment or confiscation or condemnation or banishment—thinking ‘I’m powerful, I want power’, that too is skillful.yadapi aluddho lobhena anabhibhūto apariyādinnacitto na parassa asatā dukkhaṁ uppādayati vadhena vā bandhanena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā pabbājanāya vā balavamhi balattho itipi tadapi kusalaṁ. And so these many skillful things are produced in them, born, sourced, originated, and conditioned by contentment.Itissame alobhajā alobhanidānā alobhasamudayā alobhapaccayā aneke kusalā dhammā sambhavanti.
Love is a root of the skillful.Yadapi, bhikkhave, adoso tadapi kusalamūlaṁ; When a loving person chooses to act by way of body, speech, or mind, that too is skillful.yadapi aduṭṭho abhisaṅkharoti kāyena vācāya manasā tadapi kusalaṁ; When a loving person, not overcome by hate, doesn’t cause another to suffer under a false pretext—by execution or imprisonment or confiscation or condemnation or banishment—thinking ‘I’m powerful, I want power’, that too is skillful.yadapi aduṭṭho dosena anabhibhūto apariyādinnacitto na parassa asatā dukkhaṁ uppādayati vadhena vā bandhanena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā pabbājanāya vā balavamhi balattho itipi tadapi kusalaṁ. And so these many skillful things are produced in them, born, sourced, originated, and conditioned by love.Itissame adosajā adosanidānā adosasamudayā adosapaccayā aneke kusalā dhammā sambhavanti.
Understanding is a root of the skillful.Yadapi, bhikkhave, amoho tadapi kusalamūlaṁ; When an understanding person chooses to act by way of body, speech, or mind, that too is skillful.yadapi amūḷho abhisaṅkharoti kāyena vācāya manasā tadapi kusalaṁ; When an understanding person, not overcome by delusion, doesn’t cause another to suffer under a false pretext—by execution or imprisonment or confiscation or condemnation or banishment—thinking ‘I’m powerful, I want power’, that too is skillful.yadapi amūḷho mohena anabhibhūto apariyādinnacitto na parassa asatā dukkhaṁ uppādayati vadhena vā bandhanena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā pabbājanāya vā balavamhi balattho itipi tadapi kusalaṁ. And so these many skillful things are produced in them, born, sourced, originated, and conditioned by understanding.Itissame amohajā amohanidānā amohasamudayā amohapaccayā aneke kusalā dhammā sambhavanti. Such an individual is said to have speech that’s well-timed, true, meaningful, in line with the teaching and training.Evarūpo cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, puggalo vuccati kālavādītipi, bhūtavādītipi, atthavādītipi, dhammavādītipi, vinayavādītipi.
Why is this?Kasmā cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, evarūpo puggalo vuccati kālavādītipi, bhūtavādītipi, atthavādītipi, dhammavādītipi, vinayavādītipi? This individual doesn’t cause another to suffer under a false pretext—by execution or imprisonment or confiscation or condemnation or banishment—thinking ‘I’m powerful, I want power’.Tathāhāyaṁ, bhikkhave, puggalo na parassa asatā dukkhaṁ uppādayati vadhena vā bandhanena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā pabbājanāya vā balavamhi balattho itipi. So when someone makes a valid criticism, they admit it and aren’t scornful.Bhūtena kho pana vuccamāno paṭijānāti no avajānāti; When someone makes a baseless criticism, they make an effort to explain,abhūtena vuccamāno ātappaṁ karoti tassa nibbeṭhanāya: ‘This is why that’s untrue, this is why that’s false.’‘itipetaṁ atacchaṁ, itipetaṁ abhūtan’ti. That’s why such an individual is said to have speech that’s well-timed, true, meaningful, in line with the teaching and training.Tasmā evarūpo puggalo vuccati kālavādītipi, atthavādītipi, dhammavādītipi, vinayavādītipi.
For such an individual, bad unskillful qualities born of greed, hate, and delusion are cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future.Evarūpassa, bhikkhave, puggalassa lobhajā pāpakā akusalā dhammā pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā. In this very life they’re happy, free of distress, anguish, and fever,Diṭṭheva dhamme sukhaṁ viharati avighātaṁ anupāyāsaṁ apariḷāhaṁ. and they’re also extinguished in this very life.Diṭṭheva dhamme parinibbāyati.
Suppose a sal, axlewood, or boxwood tree was choked and enveloped by three camel’s foot creepers.Seyyathāpi bhikkhave, sālo vā dhavo vā phandano vā tīhi māluvālatāhi uddhasto pariyonaddho. Then along comes a person with a spade and basket.Atha puriso āgaccheyya kudālapiṭakaṁ ādāya. They’d cut the creeper out by the roots, dig them up, and pull them out, down to the fibers and stems.So taṁ māluvālataṁ mūle chindeyya, mūle chetvā palikhaṇeyya, palikhaṇitvā mūlāni uddhareyya, antamaso usīranāḷimattānipi. Then they’d split the creeper apart, cut up the parts, and chop it into splinters. They’d dry the splinters in the wind and sun, burn them with fire, and reduce them to ashes. Then they’d whisk away the ashes in a strong wind, or glide them down a swift stream.So taṁ māluvālataṁ khaṇḍākhaṇḍikaṁ chindeyya, khaṇḍākhaṇḍikaṁ chetvā phāleyya, phāletvā sakalikaṁ sakalikaṁ kareyya, sakalikaṁ sakalikaṁ karitvā vātātape visoseyya, vātātape visosetvā agginā ḍaheyya, agginā ḍahitvā masiṁ kareyya, masiṁ karitvā mahāvāte vā ophuṇeyya nadiyā vā sīghasotāya pavāheyya. So those camel’s foot creepers would be cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, and obliterated, unable to arise in the future.Evamassa tā, bhikkhave, māluvālatā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā. In the same way, for such an individual, bad unskillful qualities born of greed, hate, and delusion are cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future.Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, evarūpassa puggalassa lobhajā pāpakā akusalā dhammā pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā. In this very life they’re happy, free of distress, anguish, and fever,Diṭṭheva dhamme sukhaṁ viharati avighātaṁ anupāyāsaṁ apariḷāhaṁ. and they’re also extinguished in this very life.Diṭṭheva dhamme parinibbāyati. These are the three skillful roots.”Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi kusalamūlānī”ti.