1.
The Discourse on the Advice to Rāhula at Ambalaṭṭhikā
107. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Feeding Ground. Now at that time the Venerable Rāhula was dwelling at Ambalaṭṭhikā. Then the Blessed One, in the evening, having emerged from seclusion, went to Ambalaṭṭhikā, to where the Venerable Rāhula was. The Venerable Rāhula saw the Blessed One coming from afar. Having seen him, he prepared a seat and water for the feet. The Blessed One sat down on the prepared seat. Having sat down, he washed his feet. The Venerable Rāhula also, having paid respect to the Blessed One, sat down to one side.
108. Then the Blessed One, having placed a small remainder of water in the water vessel, addressed the Venerable Rāhula - "Do you see, Rāhula, this small remainder of water placed in the water vessel?" "Yes, venerable sir." "Just so small, Rāhula, is the asceticism of those who have no shame in conscious lying." Then the Blessed One, having thrown away the small remainder of water, addressed the Venerable Rāhula - "Do you see, Rāhula, the small remainder of water thrown away?" "Yes, venerable sir." "Just so thrown away, Rāhula, is the asceticism of those who have no shame in conscious lying." Then the Blessed One, having turned that water vessel upside down, addressed the Venerable Rāhula - "Do you see, Rāhula, this water vessel turned upside down?" "Yes, venerable sir." "Just so turned upside down, Rāhula, is the asceticism of those who have no shame in conscious lying." Then the Blessed One, having turned that water vessel upright, addressed the Venerable Rāhula - "Do you see, Rāhula, this water vessel empty and hollow?" "Yes, venerable sir." "Just so empty and hollow, Rāhula, is the asceticism of those who have no shame in conscious lying. Just as, Rāhula, a king's elephant with tusks as long as a plough-pole, fully grown, well-born, experienced in battle, gone into battle, does work with his front feet, does work with his hind feet, does work with the front part of his body, does work with the hind part of his body, does work with his head, does work with his ears, does work with his tusks, does work with his tail; yet he protects his trunk. Therein the elephant driver thinks thus - 'This king's elephant with tusks as long as a plough-pole, fully grown, well-born, experienced in battle, gone into battle, does work with his front feet, does work with his hind feet, etc. does work with his tail; yet he protects his trunk. The king's elephant's life has not been given up.' But when, Rāhula, the king's elephant with tusks as long as a plough-pole, fully grown, well-born, experienced in battle, gone into battle, does work with his front feet, does work with his hind feet, etc. does work with his tail, does work with his trunk, therein the elephant driver thinks thus - 'This king's elephant with tusks as long as a plough-pole, fully grown, well-born, experienced in battle, gone into battle, does work with his front feet, does work with his hind feet, does work with the front part of his body, does work with the hind part of his body, does work with his head, does work with his ears, does work with his tusks, does work with his tail, does work with his trunk. The king's elephant's life has been given up. There is now nothing that the king's elephant will not do.' Even so, Rāhula, for anyone who has no shame in conscious lying, I say there is no evil that he will not do. Therefore, Rāhula, 'Even in jest I will not speak falsely' - thus indeed, Rāhula, should you train.
109. "What do you think, Rāhula, what is the purpose of a mirror?" "For the purpose of reviewing, venerable sir." "Even so, Rāhula, bodily action should be done after reviewing again and again, verbal action should be done after reviewing again and again, mental action should be done after reviewing again and again. Whenever you, Rāhula, wish to do a bodily action, that very bodily action should be reviewed by you: 'Would this bodily action that I wish to do with the body lead to affliction of myself, lead to affliction of others, lead to affliction of both - is this bodily action unwholesome, with painful consequences, with painful results?' If you, Rāhula, reviewing thus, should know: 'This bodily action that I wish to do with the body would lead to affliction of myself, would lead to affliction of others, would lead to affliction of both - this bodily action is unwholesome, with painful consequences, with painful results,' such bodily action, Rāhula, should certainly not be done by you. But if you, Rāhula, reviewing thus, should know: 'This bodily action that I wish to do with the body would not lead to affliction of myself, would not lead to affliction of others, would not lead to affliction of both - this bodily action is wholesome, with pleasant consequences, with pleasant results,' such bodily action, Rāhula, should be done by you.
"Also while doing a bodily action, Rāhula, that very bodily action should be reviewed by you: 'Does this bodily action that I am doing with the body lead to affliction of myself, lead to affliction of others, lead to affliction of both - is this bodily action unwholesome, with painful consequences, with painful results?' But if you, Rāhula, reviewing thus, should know: 'This bodily action that I am doing with the body leads to affliction of myself, leads to affliction of others, leads to affliction of both - this bodily action is unwholesome, with painful consequences, with painful results,' you should withdraw, Rāhula, from such bodily action. But if you, Rāhula, reviewing thus, should know: 'This bodily action that I am doing with the body does not lead to affliction of myself, does not lead to affliction of others, does not lead to affliction of both - this bodily action is wholesome, with pleasant consequences, with pleasant results,' you should continue, Rāhula, with such bodily action.
"Also having done a bodily action, Rāhula, that very bodily action should be reviewed by you: 'Did this bodily action that I did with the body lead to affliction of myself, lead to affliction of others, lead to affliction of both - is this bodily action unwholesome, with painful consequences, with painful results?' If indeed you, Rāhula, reviewing thus, should know: 'This bodily action that I did with the body leads to affliction of myself, leads to affliction of others, leads to affliction of both - this bodily action is unwholesome, with painful consequences, with painful results,' such bodily action, Rāhula, should be confessed, revealed, made clear to the Teacher, or to the wise, or to fellows in the holy life; having confessed, having revealed, having made it clear, one should commit to restraint in the future. But if you, Rāhula, reviewing thus, should know: 'This bodily action that I did with the body does not lead to affliction of myself, does not lead to affliction of others, does not lead to affliction of both - this bodily action is wholesome, with pleasant consequences, with pleasant results,' with that very joy and gladness you should dwell, Rāhula, training day and night in wholesome mental states.
110. "Whenever you, Rāhula, wish to do a verbal action, that very verbal action should be reviewed by you: 'Would this verbal action that I wish to do with speech lead to affliction of myself, would it lead to affliction of others, would it lead to affliction of both - is this verbal action unwholesome, with painful consequences, with painful results?' If you, Rāhula, reviewing thus, should know: 'This verbal action that I wish to do with speech would lead to affliction of myself, would lead to affliction of others, would lead to affliction of both - this verbal action is unwholesome, with painful consequences, with painful results,' such verbal action, Rāhula, should certainly not be done by you. But if you, Rāhula, reviewing thus, should know: 'This verbal action that I wish to do with speech would not lead to affliction of myself, would not lead to affliction of others - this verbal action is wholesome, with pleasant consequences, with pleasant results,' such verbal action, Rāhula, should be done by you.
"Also while doing a verbal action, Rāhula, that very verbal action should be reviewed by you: 'Does this verbal action that I am doing with speech lead to affliction of myself, lead to affliction of others, lead to affliction of both - is this verbal action unwholesome, with painful consequences, with painful results?' But if you, Rāhula, reviewing thus, should know: 'This verbal action that I am doing with speech leads to affliction of myself, leads to affliction of others, leads to affliction of both - this verbal action is unwholesome, with painful consequences, with painful results,' you should withdraw, Rāhula, from such verbal action. But if you, Rāhula, reviewing thus, should know: 'This verbal action that I am doing with speech does not lead to affliction of myself, does not lead to affliction of others, does not lead to affliction of both - this verbal action is wholesome, with pleasant consequences, with pleasant results,' you should continue, Rāhula, with such verbal action.
"Also having done a verbal action, Rāhula, that very verbal action should be reviewed by you: 'Does this verbal action that I did with speech lead to affliction of myself, lead to affliction of others, lead to affliction of both - is this verbal action unwholesome, with painful consequences, with painful results?' If indeed you, Rāhula, reviewing thus, should know: 'This verbal action that I did with speech leads to affliction of myself, leads to affliction of others, leads to affliction of both - this verbal action is unwholesome, with painful consequences, with painful results,' such verbal action, Rāhula, should be confessed, revealed, made clear to the Teacher, or to the wise, or to fellows in the holy life; having confessed, having revealed, having made it clear, one should commit to restraint in the future. But if you, Rāhula, reviewing thus, should know: 'This verbal action that I did with speech does not lead to affliction of myself, does not lead to affliction of others, does not lead to affliction of both - this verbal action is wholesome, with pleasant consequences, with pleasant results,' with that very joy and gladness you should dwell, Rāhula, training day and night in wholesome mental states.
111. "Whenever you, Rāhula, wish to do a mental action, that very mental action should be reviewed by you: 'Would this mental action that I wish to do with the mind lead to affliction of myself, would it lead to affliction of others, would it lead to affliction of both - is this mental action unwholesome, with painful consequences, with painful results?' If you, Rāhula, reviewing thus, should know: 'This mental action that I wish to do with the mind would lead to affliction of myself, would lead to affliction of others, would lead to affliction of both - this mental action is unwholesome, with painful consequences, with painful results,' such mental action, Rāhula, should certainly not be done by you. But if you, Rāhula, reviewing thus, should know: 'This mental action that I wish to do with the mind would not lead to affliction of myself, would not lead to affliction of others, would not lead to affliction of both - this mental action is wholesome, with pleasant consequences, with pleasant results,' such mental action, Rāhula, should be done by you.
"Also while doing a mental action, Rāhula, that very mental action should be reviewed by you: 'Does this mental action that I am doing with the mind lead to affliction of myself, lead to affliction of others, lead to affliction of both - is this mental action unwholesome, with painful consequences, with painful results?' But if you, Rāhula, reviewing thus, should know: 'This mental action that I am doing with the mind leads to affliction of myself, leads to affliction of others, leads to affliction of both - this mental action is unwholesome, with painful consequences, with painful results,' you should withdraw, Rāhula, from such mental action. But if you, Rāhula, reviewing thus, should know: 'This mental action that I am doing with the mind does not lead to affliction of myself, does not lead to affliction of others, does not lead to affliction of both - this mental action is wholesome, with pleasant consequences, with pleasant results,' you should continue, Rāhula, with such mental action.
"Also having done a mental action, Rāhula, that very mental action should be reviewed by you: 'Did this mental action that I did with the mind lead to affliction of myself, lead to affliction of others, lead to affliction of both - is this mental action unwholesome, with painful consequences, with painful results?' If indeed you, Rāhula, reviewing thus, should know: 'This mental action that I did with the mind leads to affliction of myself, leads to affliction of others, leads to affliction of both - this mental action is unwholesome, with painful consequences, with painful results,' such mental action, Rāhula, should be felt troubled about, should be felt ashamed of, should be felt disgusted with; having felt troubled, having felt ashamed, having felt disgusted, one should commit to restraint in the future. But if you, Rāhula, reviewing thus, should know: 'This mental action that I did with the mind does not lead to affliction of myself, does not lead to affliction of others, does not lead to affliction of both - this mental action is wholesome, with pleasant consequences, with pleasant results,' with that very joy and gladness you should dwell, Rāhula, training day and night in wholesome mental states.
112. "For whoever, Rāhula, in the past period of time, whether ascetics or brahmins, purified bodily action, purified verbal action, purified mental action, all of them did so by reviewing again and again bodily action, by reviewing again and again verbal action, by reviewing again and again mental action. And whoever, Rāhula, in the future period of time, whether ascetics or brahmins, will purify bodily action, will purify verbal action, will purify mental action, all of them will do so by reviewing again and again bodily action, by reviewing again and again verbal action, by reviewing again and again mental action. And whoever, Rāhula, at present, whether ascetics or brahmins, purify bodily action, purify verbal action, purify mental action, all of them do so by reviewing again and again bodily action, by reviewing again and again verbal action, by reviewing again and again mental action. Therefore, Rāhula, 'By reviewing again and again I will purify bodily action, by reviewing again and again I will purify verbal action, by reviewing again and again I will purify mental action' - thus indeed, Rāhula, should you train."
This is what the Blessed One said. Delighted, the Venerable Rāhula rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Discourse on the Exhortation to Rāhula at Ambalaṭṭhikā is concluded as first.