Yathābhata Sutta
(yathā-bhata — as-brought / as-carried)
Concerning the person who, being endowed with ten qualities,
is “left thrown into hell” or “invited to be placed in heaven.”
[189] “Bhikkhus, a person who is endowed with ten dhammas
is one who is ‘left, abandoned in hell,’
like an object that they have brought and thrown away.
What are the ten dhammas?
Bhikkhus, here in this world, some person is:
A killer of living beings,
harsh,
with hands soaked in blood,
steadfast in killing and striking,
without pity for all living beings.
This is (pāṇātipāta — killing-living-beings).
A taker of what is not given,
taking as his own the item that is a basis for another’s wealth-delight,
belonging to another person,
whether in a house or in a forest,
not given by the owner,
with a mind of stealing.
This is (adinnādāna — taking-not-given).
One who misconducts in sensuality,
that is, one who commits transgression with a woman
protected by her mother,
protected by her father,
protected by her brother,
protected by her sister,
protected by relatives,
protected by Dhamma,
a woman with a husband,
a woman surrounded by punishment,
and even a woman who has already been garlanded by a man.
This is (kāmesu micchācāra — wrong-conduct-in-sensuality).
One who speaks falsehood — (musāvāda — false speech) —
namely: when he is in an assembly,
in a group,
among relatives,
among soldiers,
or in the royal family,
and others bring him forward as a witness and question him:
“Come, good man, say what you know.”
He, not knowing, says “I know,”
or knowing, says “I do not know”;
not seeing, says “I see,”
or seeing, says “I do not see.”
He speaks falsehood deliberately —
for the sake of himself,
for the sake of another,
or for the sake of a trifling material gain.
This is (musāvāda — false speech).
One who speaks slander — (pisuṇā-vācā — slanderous speech) —
namely:
he hears something here and goes there to tell it,
to break this group apart;
or he hears something there and comes here to tell it,
to break that group apart.
He is one who stirs up division among those in harmony,
or supports those already divided;
he likes division,
delights in division,
rejoices in division,
speaks only words that create division.
One who speaks harsh speech — (pharusā vācā — harsh speech) —
namely:
he speaks coarse speech,
violent,
painful to others,
cutting to others,
close to anger,
not conducive to concentration.
One who speaks idle chatter — (samphappalāpa — frivolous talk) —
namely:
speech spoken at the wrong time,
not factual,
not connected with Dhamma,
not connected with Discipline (vinaya),
speech without basis,
without reference,
without reach to the goal,
not connected with benefit,
spoken at a wrong time.
One who is covetous — (abhijjhā — covetousness) —
namely:
he desires the item that is a basis for another person’s wealth-delight,
belonging to another,
thinking:
“Ah, may that object which is a basis for another’s wealth-delight become mine.”
One who has a mind of ill-will — (byāpāda — ill-will) —
namely:
he has an evil intention in his mind, thinking:
“May these beings be killed,
may they be destroyed,
may they be annihilated,
may they perish,
or may they not exist.”
One who has wrong view — (micchā-diṭṭhi — wrong view) —
namely:
he holds the distorted view:
“There is no result of giving (dāna);
no result of sacrifice (yañña);
no result of offering (huta / pūjā);
no fruit or result of good and bad actions (kamma);
this world does not exist;
the next world does not exist;
there is no mother;
no father;
no spontaneously-born beings (opapātika — spontaneously-arisen);
no ascetics or brahmins who are well-gone,
who practice rightly,
who realize this world and the next by their own higher wisdom
and teach it to others.”
Bhikkhus, a person endowed with these ten dhammas
is one who is left, abandoned, in hell —
like an object that they bring and throw away.
Now the Buddha describes the second type:
“Bhikkhus, a person who is endowed with ten dhammas
is one who is invited and established in heaven —
like an object that they bring and respectfully set down.
What are the ten dhammas?
Bhikkhus, here in this world, some person:
Abstains from killing living beings — (pāṇātipātā veramaṇī — abstinence from killing) —
namely:
he refrains from killing living beings,
lays down the rod,
lays down the weapon,
is modest,
has pity,
has compassion,
seeking the welfare of all living beings.
Abstains from taking what is not given — (adinnādānā veramaṇī — abstinence from taking-not-given) —
namely:
he refrains from taking as his own the item that is a basis for another’s wealth-delight,
belonging to another person,
whether in a house or in a forest,
not given by the owner,
with a mind free from stealing.
Abstains from misconduct in sensuality — (kāmesu micchācārā veramaṇī — abstinence from wrong-conduct-in-sensuality) —
namely:
he does not commit transgression with a woman protected by her mother,
protected by her father,
protected by her brother,
protected by her sister,
protected by relatives,
protected by Dhamma,
with a husband,
surrounded by punishment,
and even a woman who has already been garlanded by a man.
Abstains from false speech — (musāvādā veramaṇī — abstinence from false speech) —
namely:
when he is in an assembly,
in a group,
among relatives,
among soldiers,
or in the royal household;
and others bring him forward as a witness and question him:
“Come, good man, say what you know,”
he, not knowing, says “I do not know,”
and knowing, says “I know”;
not seeing, says “I do not see,”
and seeing, says “I see”;
he does not speak falsehood deliberately —
not for the sake of himself,
not for the sake of another,
not even for the sake of some trifling material gain.
He abstains from slander — (pisuṇāya vācāya veramaṇī — abstinence from slanderous speech) —
namely:
having heard something here, he does not go there to tell it
in order to break up this group;
having heard something there, he does not come here to tell it
in order to break up that group.
Instead, he reunites those who are divided,
supports those who are harmonious,
likes harmony,
delights in harmony,
rejoices in harmony,
speaks words that create harmony.
He abstains from harsh speech — (pharusāya vācāya veramaṇī — abstinence from harsh speech) —
namely:
he speaks words that are blameless,
pleasant to the ear,
lovable,
going to the heart,
polite,
pleasing to the people,
liked by the many.
He abstains from idle chatter — (samphappalāpā veramaṇī — abstinence from futile talk) —
namely:
he speaks at the right time,
speaks what is factual,
speaks what is connected with meaning (attha),
speaks what is connected with Dhamma (dhamma),
speaks what is connected with Discipline (vinaya);
speech that has foundation,
has a reference,
has a conclusion,
is connected with benefit,
spoken at the right time.
He is not covetous — (anabhijjhā — non-covetousness) —
namely:
he does not desire the item that is a basis for another person’s wealth-delight,
belonging to another person,
thinking:
“Ah, may that object which is a basis for another’s wealth-delight become mine.”
He is one without ill-will — (abyāpāda — non-ill-will) —
namely:
he has a mind free of evil intention, thinking:
“May these beings be free from hostility,
free from ill-will toward one another,
free from affliction,
may they possess happiness,
may they guard one another with care.”
He is one with right view — (sammā-diṭṭhi — right view) —
namely:
he holds the undistorted view:
“Giving (dāna) has result;
sacrifice (yañña) has result;
offering (pūjā) has result;
there is fruit and result of good and bad actions (kamma);
this world exists;
the next world exists;
a mother exists;
a father exists;
beings who are spontaneously-born (opapātikā — spontaneously-arisen) exist;
there are ascetics and brahmins who are rightly practising,
rightly conduct themselves,
who realize this world and the next with higher wisdom through their own direct knowledge,
and teach that realization to others.”
“Bhikkhus, a person endowed with these ten dhammas
is one who is invited and established in heaven,
like an object that they bring and respectfully set down.”
Summary of the Ten Dhammas (Heaven-leading side):
A person endowed with:
- (pāṇātipātā veramaṇī — abstinence from killing)
- (adinnādānā veramaṇī — abstinence from taking-not-given)
- (kāmesu micchācārā veramaṇī — abstinence from wrong sensual conduct)
- (musāvādā veramaṇī — abstinence from false speech)
- (pisuṇāya vācāya veramaṇī — abstinence from slanderous speech)
- (pharusāya vācāya veramaṇī — abstinence from harsh speech)
- (samphappalāpā veramaṇī — abstinence from idle chatter)
- (anabhijjhā — non-covetousness)
- (abyāpāda — non-ill-will)
- (sammā-diṭṭhi — right view)
is described as “invited and established in heaven.”
The sutta’s closing affirmation:
“Bhikkhus, a person endowed with these ten dhammas
is one who is invited to be placed in heaven,
just as an item they bring and respectfully set in place.”
This closes the positive set.
The sutta then concludes:
“Thus ends the Yathābhata Sutta (No. 1).”
Thus the Blessed One concludes:
“Bhikkhus, a person endowed with these ten dhammas
is one who is invited to be established in heaven,
just as an item that they bring and respectfully set in place.”
End of the Yathābhata Sutta (No. 1).
GLOSSARY
pāṇātipāta — killing living beings; destroying life.
pāṇātipātā veramaṇī — abstinence from killing living beings.
adinnādāna — taking what is not given; theft.
adinnādānā veramaṇī — abstinence from taking what is not given.
kāmesu micchācāra — wrong conduct in sensuality; sexual misconduct.
kāmesu micchācārā veramaṇī — abstinence from sexual misconduct.
musāvāda — false speech; deliberate lying.
musāvādā veramaṇī — abstinence from false speech.
pisuṇā vācā — slanderous speech; divisive talk.
pisuṇāya vācāya veramaṇī — abstinence from slander.
pharusā vācā — harsh, abusive, violent speech.
pharusāya vācāya veramaṇī — abstinence from harsh speech.
samphappalāpa — idle chatter; frivolous, pointless talk.
samphappalāpā veramaṇī — abstinence from idle chatter.
abhijjhā — covetousness; desire for another’s possessions.
anabhijjhā — non-covetousness; freedom from craving another’s belongings.
byāpāda — ill-will; hatred; destructive intention.
abyāpāda — non-ill-will; benevolence; absence of harmful intention.
micchā-diṭṭhi — wrong view; distorted view.
sammā-diṭṭhi — right view; correct seeing of kamma and its results.
dāna — giving; generosity.
yañña — sacrifice; ceremonial offering.
pūjā / huta — veneration; reverential offering.
kamma — intentional action of body, speech, mind.
vipāka — resultant effect of kamma; fruition.
ayaṃ loko / para-loko — this world / the next world.
mātā / pitā — mother / father.
opapātika — spontaneously arisen beings; beings born without womb.
samaṇa-brāhmaṇa — ascetics and brahmins; contemplatives.
paññā — wisdom; discriminative understanding.
uttari-manussa-dhamma — higher-than-human knowledge.
saddhamma — true Dhamma.
vinaya — the Discipline.
āmis — material gain; tangible benefit.
saṅgha — community of noble disciples (contextual).