AN 3 The Book of the Threes – Tikanipāta > AN 3.117 Failures and Accomplishments

Numbered Discourses 3.117 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.117

12. Bound for Loss – 12. Āpāyikavagga

AN 3.117 Failures and Accomplishments – Vipattisampadāsutta

1.1

“Bhikkhū, there are three failures.

“Tisso imā, bhikkhave, vipattiyo.

1.2

What three?

Katamā tisso?

1.3

Failure in ethics, mind, and view.

Sīlavipatti, cittavipatti, diṭṭhivipatti.

1.4

And what is failure in ethics?

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sīlavipatti?

1.5

It’s when someone kills living creatures, steals, commits sexual misconduct, and uses speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical.

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pāṇātipātī hoti, adinnādāyī hoti, kāmesumicchācārī hoti, musāvādī hoti, pisuṇavāco hoti, pharusavāco hoti, samphappalāpī hoti.

1.6

This is called ‘failure in ethics’.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sīlavipatti.

2.1

And what is failure in mind?

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, cittavipatti?

2.2

It’s when someone is covetous and malicious.

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco abhijjhālu hoti byāpannacitto.

2.3

This is called ‘failure in mind’.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, cittavipatti.

3.1

And what is failure in view?

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, diṭṭhivipatti?

3.2

It’s when someone has wrong view, a distorted perspective, such as:

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco micchādiṭṭhiko hoti viparītadassano:

3.3

‘There’s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. There’s no fruit or result of good and bad deeds. There’s no afterlife. There’s no obligation to mother and father. No beings are reborn spontaneously. And there’s no ascetic or brahmin who is well attained and practiced, and who describes the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.’

‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ, natthi hutaṁ, natthi sukatadukkaṭānaṁ, kammānaṁ phalaṁ vipāko, natthi ayaṁ loko, natthi paro loko, natthi mātā, natthi pitā, natthi sattā opapātikā, natthi loke samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammaggatā sammāpaṭipannā ye imañca lokaṁ parañca lokaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedentī’ti.

3.4

This is called ‘failure in view’.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, diṭṭhivipatti.

3.5

Some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell because of failure in ethics,

Sīlavipattihetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjanti;

3.6

mind,

cittavipattihetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjanti;

3.7

or view.

diṭṭhivipattihetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjanti.

3.8

These are the three failures.

Imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso vipattiyoti.

4.1

There are three accomplishments.

Tisso imā, bhikkhave, sampadā.

4.2

What three?

Katamā tisso?

4.3

Accomplishment in ethics, mind, and view.

Sīlasampadā, cittasampadā, diṭṭhisampadā.

5.1

And what is accomplishment in ethics?

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sīlasampadā?

5.2

It’s when someone doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, or use speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical.

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato hoti, musāvādā paṭivirato hoti, pisuṇāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, samphappalāpā paṭivirato hoti.

5.3

This is called accomplishment in ethics.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sīlasampadā.

6.1

And what is accomplishment in mind?

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, cittasampadā?

6.2

It’s when someone is content and kind-hearted.

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco anabhijjhālu hoti abyāpannacitto.

6.3

This is called accomplishment in mind.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, cittasampadā.

7.1

And what is accomplishment in view?

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, diṭṭhisampadā?

7.2

It’s when someone has right view, an undistorted perspective, such as:

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco sammādiṭṭhiko hoti aviparītadassano:

7.3

‘There is meaning in giving, sacrifice, and offerings. There are fruits and results of good and bad deeds. There is an afterlife. There are obligation to mother and father. There are beings reborn spontaneously. And there are ascetics and brahmins who are well attained and practiced, and who describe the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.’

‘atthi dinnaṁ, atthi yiṭṭhaṁ, atthi hutaṁ, atthi sukatadukkaṭānaṁ kammānaṁ phalaṁ vipāko, atthi ayaṁ loko, atthi paro loko, atthi mātā, atthi pitā, atthi sattā opapātikā, atthi loke samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammaggatā sammāpaṭipannā ye imañca lokaṁ parañca lokaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedentī’ti.

7.4

This is called accomplishment in view.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, diṭṭhisampadā.

7.5

Some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm because of accomplishment in ethics,

Sīlasampadāhetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti;

7.6

mind,

cittasampadāhetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti;

7.7

or view.

diṭṭhisampadāhetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti.

7.8

These are the three accomplishments.”

Imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso sampadā”ti.

7.9

Pañcamaṁ.