Sāḷha Sutta
(On Not Accepting Teachings on the Basis of Ten Kinds of Authority — Sāḷha Sutta) (A discourse delivered by Venerable Nandaka to Sāḷha and Rohana)
At one time Venerable Nandaka (Nandaka — a senior monk) was staying at the mansion of Visākhā (Visākhā — a prominent female lay supporter) in Pubbarāma (Pubbarāma — the Garden of the East), near the city of Sāvatthī (Sāvatthī — principal town in Kosala).
On that occasion Sāḷha (Sāḷha — the youth Sāḷha, nephew of the householder Mikkara) and Rohana (Rohana — nephew of the householder Pechuniya) came together and went to the place where Venerable Nandaka was. Having saluted, they sat down respectfully to one side. Then Venerable Nandaka said:
“Come here, Sāḷha and Rohana. Do not hold fast to things merely because you have heard them said… Do not hold to a teaching because you revere that ascetic as your teacher. When, Sāḷha and Rohana, you know for yourselves that these things are unwholesome (akusala — morally unskillful), that these things are blameworthy (āhuneyya — deserving of rejection), that these things are censured by the wise (anavajja — criticized by the wise), that these things, when fully undertaken, lead to harm and suffering — then you should abandon those things. Now tell me, Sāḷha and Rohana, do you recognize that greed (lobha — excessive desire) exists?”
They replied: “Yes, venerable sir, we do.”
Venerable Nandaka said: “Sāḷha and Rohana, we say that a person possessed by greed (abhijjhā-puggala — a greedy person) — abundant in craving — will kill living beings, will steal, will commit sexual misconduct, will speak falsehoods. Whatever is done for the sake of that which is not beneficial and brings suffering to others — for a long time — a greedy person will incite others toward such conduct. Is this true?”
They answered: “It is true, venerable sir.”
Nandaka: “Now, Sāḷha and Rohana, do you recognize that anger/hatred (dosa — aversion, ill will) exists?”
They: “Yes, venerable sir.”
Nandaka: “We say that one overcome by anger (kodha — enraged person), one in whom ill will has dominion, will kill living beings, will steal, will commit sexual misconduct, will tell lies. Whatever is done for what is not beneficial and brings suffering to others — for a long time — one given to anger will incite others in that direction. Is that true?”
They: “It is true, venerable sir.”
Nandaka: “Now, Sāḷha and Rohana, do you recognize that delusion/ignorance (moha / avijjā — confusion/ignorance) exists?”
They: “Yes, venerable sir.”
Nandaka: “We say that one bewitched by ignorance (avijjita-puggala — a deluded person), under the sway of ignorance, will kill living beings, will steal, will commit sexual misconduct, will tell lies. Whatever is done for what is not beneficial and brings suffering to others — for a long time — that deluded person will incite others in the same way. Is that true?”
They: “It is true, venerable sir.”
Nandaka: “Sāḷha and Rohana, are these things wholesome (kusala) or unwholesome (akusala)?”
They: “They are unwholesome, venerable sir.”
Nandaka: “Do they have blame (akusalaphala) or not?”
They: “They have blame, venerable sir.”
Nandaka: “Are they censured by the wise (anavajja) or praised by the wise?”
They: “They are censured by the wise, venerable sir.”
Nandaka: “If anyone were to practice these things to the full, would that result in harm and suffering or not? What is your view?”
They: “If anyone were to practice them to the full, it would result in harm and suffering, venerable sir — this is our view.”
Nandaka: “I have told you: ‘Do not accept merely because you have heard it said… Do not accept merely because an ascetic is called our teacher.’ When you yourselves know that these things are unwholesome, blameworthy, censured by the wise, and, when carried out to completion, result in harm and suffering — then, you should abandon them.” Because of those words already said, therefore I repeat: “Come now, you should not accept merely on the authority of what you have heard or because an ascetic is called your teacher. When you know for yourselves that these things are unwholesome, blameworthy, censured by the wise, and that anyone who adopts them fully will thereby act to cause no benefit but rather suffering, then you should abandon them.”
Then, continuing by way of teaching the opposites, Nandaka asked: “Sāḷha and Rohana, do you recognize non-greed (alobha — absence of covetousness) as existing?”
They: “Yes, venerable sir.”
Nandaka: “We say that a person not given to greed (anabhijjhā-puggala — a non-covetous person), lacking strong desire, will not kill living beings, will not steal, will not commit sexual misconduct, will not speak falsehoods. Whatever is done for the sake of benefit and welfare of others — enduringly — a person not given to greed will encourage others toward such conduct. Is that true?”
They: “It is true, venerable sir.”
Nandaka: “Do you recognize non-anger (adosa — absence of ill will)?”
They: “Yes, venerable sir.”
Nandaka: “One free of anger, one whose heart is not hostile, will refrain from killing, refrain from stealing, refrain from sexual misconduct, refrain from falsehood; whatever is beneficial and leads to welfare for others — enduringly — one free of anger will encourage others to such conduct. Is that true?”
They: “It is true, venerable sir.”
Nandaka: “Do you recognize non-delusion (amoha — absence of delusion; wisdom) as existing?”
They: “Yes, venerable sir.”
Nandaka: “One free from delusion (wise in knowledge, vijjā) will refrain from killing, refrain from stealing, refrain from sexual misconduct, refrain from falsehood; whatever is beneficial and brings welfare to others — enduringly — a person free from delusion will encourage others toward it. Is that true?”
They: “It is true, venerable sir.”
Nandaka: “Sāḷha and Rohana, are these things wholesome (kusala) or unwholesome (akusala)?”
They: “They are wholesome, venerable sir.”
Nandaka: “Do they have blame or not?”
They: “They have no blame, venerable sir.”
Nandaka: “Are they praised by the wise or criticized?”
They: “They are praised by the wise, venerable sir.”
Nandaka: “If anyone were to practice these qualities to the full, would that result in benefit and welfare or not? What is your view?”
They: “If anyone were to practice them to the full, it would result in benefit and welfare, venerable sir — this is our view.”
Nandaka said: “Again I tell you: Do not accept on the ground of hearsay, tradition, report, scripture, inference, speculative reasoning, mere plausibility, apparent signs, because it agrees with one’s own views, because the speaker is reputable, or because an ascetic is called our teacher. When you yourselves know by direct seeing that these things are wholesome, harmless, praised by the wise, and that anyone who practices them to the full will attain benefit and welfare, then you should realize and undertake those things. Because of the words already spoken I have said this.”
Nandaka then describes the fruits that accrue to the noble follower who practices such qualities. He said: an ariya-sāvaka (ariyasāvaka — noble disciple) is free from greed (alobha), free from ill will (adosa), free from delusion (amoha); endowed with clear comprehension (sampajañña), steady mindfulness (sati), a heart suffused with loving-kindness (mettā), compassion (karuṇā), sympathetic joy (muditā), and equanimity (upekkhā), spread boundlessly (appamāṇa) in all four directions — above, below, around, and throughout the world — toward all beings everywhere. Such a noble disciple has an immeasurable mind full of boundless brahmavihāras (mettā, karuṇā, muditā, upekkhā), having no hostility, no oppression; his mind is free from distress, purified. Such one realizes clearly that the five aggregates (pañcakkhandhā — form, feeling, perception, formations, consciousness) have a low and a high nature; that there exists an attainment by which formations (saṅkhārā) can be utterly abandoned of suffering; that when one sees this clearly the mind is liberated even from becoming (bhava), from ignorance (avijjā), etc. On liberation one knows: “I am liberated; birth is ended; the holy life has been lived; the task is accomplished; there is nothing further for this person to do.” One perceives: “Formerly I had greed — that was unwholesome; now greed is not present — its absence is wholesome. Formerly I had anger… formerly I had delusion — those were unwholesome; now they are not present — their absence is wholesome.” One’s craving is completely quenched; one is cool, enjoys well-being, and is as if a brahmā in this life (i.e., endowed with sublime states).
Thus ends the Sāḷha Sutta (sutta no. 6 in this chapter).
Compact Pāli glossary (intensive)
- akusala — unwholesome; morally unskillful, leads to suffering.
- kusala — wholesome; morally skillful, leads to welfare and happiness.
- lobha / alobha — greed / non-greed (covetousness / absence of covetousness).
- dosa / adosa — hatred/ill will / non-hatred (absence of ill will; goodwill).
- moha / amoha / avijjā / vijjā — delusion/ignorance / non-delusion / ignorance / knowledge/wisdom.
- anavajja — censured by the wise; blameworthy in the view of the enlightened.
- sampajañña — clear comprehension (situational awareness).
- sati — mindfulness, present awareness.
- mettā / karuṇā / muditā / upekkhā — loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity (the four brahmavihāras).
- appamāṇa — boundless, immeasurable (quality of the brahmavihāras when fully developed).
- pañcakkhandhā — the five aggregates (form, feeling, perception, mental formations, consciousness).
- ariyasāvaka — noble disciple; one who follows and practices the noble Dhamma.