LovedPiyasutta

At Sāvatthī.Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha,Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Just now, sir, as I was in private retreat this thought came to mind.“idha mayhaṁ, bhante, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: ‘Who are those who love themselves? And who are those who don’t love themselves?’‘kesaṁ nu kho piyo attā, kesaṁ appiyo attā’ti?

Then it occurred to me:Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi: ‘Those who do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind‘ye ca kho keci kāyena duccaritaṁ caranti, vācāya duccaritaṁ caranti, manasā duccaritaṁ caranti; don’t love themselves.tesaṁ appiyo attā. Even though they may say:Kiñcāpi te evaṁ vadeyyuṁ: “I love myself”, they don’t really.“piyo no attā”ti, atha kho tesaṁ appiyo attā’. Why is that?Taṁ kissa hetu? It’s because they treat themselves like an enemy.Yañhi appiyo appiyassa kareyya, taṁ te attanāva attano karonti; That’s why they don’t love themselves.tasmā tesaṁ appiyo attā.

Those who do good things by way of body, speech, and mindYe ca kho keci kāyena sucaritaṁ caranti, vācāya sucaritaṁ caranti, manasā sucaritaṁ caranti; do love themselves.tesaṁ piyo attā. Even though they may say:Kiñcāpi te evaṁ vadeyyuṁ: “I don’t love myself”, they do really.‘appiyo no attā’ti; atha kho tesaṁ piyo attā. Why is that?Taṁ kissa hetu? It’s because they treat themselves like a loved one.Yañhi piyo piyassa kareyya, taṁ te attanāva attano karonti; That’s why they do love themselves.’”tasmā tesaṁ piyo attā”ti.

“That’s so true, Great King! That’s so true!” said the Buddha. And he repeated the king’s statement, adding:“Evametaṁ, mahārāja, evametaṁ, mahārāja.

“If you knew your self as beloved,“Attānañce piyaṁ jaññā, you’d not yoke yourself to wickedness.na naṁ pāpena saṁyuje; For happiness is not easy to findNa hi taṁ sulabhaṁ hoti, by someone who does bad deeds.sukhaṁ dukkaṭakārinā.

When you’re seized by the terminatorAntakenādhipannassa, as you give up your human life,jahato mānusaṁ bhavaṁ; what can you call your own?Kiñhi tassa sakaṁ hoti, What do you take when you go?kiñca ādāya gacchati; What goes with you,Kiñcassa anugaṁ hoti, like a shadow that never leaves?chāyāva anapāyinī.

Both the good and the badUbho puññañca pāpañca, that a mortal does in this lifeyaṁ macco kurute idha; is what they can call their own.Tañhi tassa sakaṁ hoti, That’s what they take when they go.taṁva ādāya gacchati; That’s what goes with them,Taṁvassa anugaṁ hoti, like a shadow that never leaves.chāyāva anapāyinī.

That’s why you should do good,Tasmā kareyya kalyāṇaṁ, investing in the future life.nicayaṁ samparāyikaṁ; The good deeds of sentient beingsPuññāni paralokasmiṁ, support them in the next world.”patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan”ti.