The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [220]
“Then listen, householder, and attend closely to what I shall say.”
“Yes, venerable sir,” Potaliya the householder replied. The Blessed One said this: [361]
6. “‘With the support of the non-killing of living beings, the killing of living beings is to be abandoned.’ So it was said. And with reference to what was this said? Here a noble disciple considers thus: ‘I am practising the way to the abandoning and cutting off of those fetters because of which I might kill living beings. If I were to kill living beings, I would blame myself for doing so; the wise, having investigated, would censure me for doing so; and on the dissolution of the body, after death, because of killing living beings an unhappy destination would be expected. But this killing of living beings is itself a fetter and a hindrance.568 And while taints, vexation, and fever might arise through the killing of living beings, there are no taints, vexation, and fever for one who abstains from killing living beings.’ So it is with reference to this that it was said: ‘With the support of the non-killing of living beings, the killing of living beings is to be abandoned.’
7. “‘With the support of taking only what is given, the taking of what is not given is to be abandoned.’ So it was said…
8. “‘With the support of truthful speech, false speech is to be abandoned.’ So it was said…[362]
9. “‘With the support of unmalicious speech, malicious speech is to be abandoned.’ So it was said…
10. “‘With the support of no rapacity and greed, rapacity and greed are to be abandoned.’ So it was said…
11. “‘With the support of no spite and scolding, spite and scolding are to be abandoned.’ So it was said…[363]
12. “‘With the support of no anger and irritation, anger and irritation are to be abandoned.’ So it was said…
13. “‘With the support of non-arrogance, arrogance is to be abandoned.’ So it was said. And with reference to what was this said? Here a noble disciple considers thus: ‘I am practising the way to the abandoning and cutting off of those fetters because of which I might be arrogant. If I were to be arrogant, I would blame myself for this; the wise, having investigated, would censure me for this; and on the dissolution of the body, after death, because of being arrogant an unhappy destination would be expected. But this arrogance is itself a fetter and a hindrance. And while taints, vexation, and fever might arise through arrogance, there are no taints, vexation, and fever for one who is not arrogant.’ So it is with reference to this that it was said: ‘With the support of non-arrogance, arrogance is to be abandoned.’569 [364]
14. “These eight things that lead to the cutting off of affairs in the Noble One’s Discipline have now been expounded in detail. But the cutting off of affairs in the Noble One’s Discipline has not yet been achieved entirely and in all ways.”
“Venerable sir, how is the cutting off of affairs in the Noble One’s Discipline achieved entirely and in all ways? It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would teach me the Dhamma, showing me how the cutting off of affairs in the Noble One’s Discipline is achieved entirely and in all ways.”
“Then listen, householder, and attend closely to what I shall say.”
“Yes, venerable sir,” Potaliya the householder replied. The Blessed One said this:
15. “Householder, suppose a dog, overcome by hunger and weakness, was waiting by a butcher’s shop.570 Then a skilled butcher or his apprentice would toss the dog a well hacked, clean hacked skeleton of meatless bones smeared with blood. What do you think, householder? Would that dog get rid of his hunger and weakness by gnawing such a well hacked, clean hacked skeleton of meatless bones smeared with blood?”
“No, venerable sir. Why is that? Because that was a skeleton of well hacked, clean hacked meatless bones smeared with blood. Eventually that dog would reap weariness and disappointment.”
“So too, householder, a noble disciple considers thus: ‘Sensual