The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [248]
10. “Also, Rāhula, while you are doing an action with the body, you should reflect upon that same bodily action thus: ‘Does this action that I am doing with the body lead to my own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both? Is it an unwholesome bodily action with painful consequences, with painful results?’ When you reflect, if you know: ‘This action that I am doing with the body leads to my own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both; it is an unwholesome bodily action with painful consequences, with painful results,’ then you should suspend such a bodily action. But when you reflect, if you know: ‘This action that I am doing with the body does not lead to my own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both; it is a wholesome bodily action with pleasant consequences, with pleasant results,’ then you may continue in such a bodily action.
11. “Also, Rāhula, after you have done an action with the body, you should reflect upon that same bodily action thus: ‘Did this action that I did with the body lead to my own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both? Was it an unwholesome bodily action with painful consequences, with painful results?’ When you reflect, if you know: ‘This action that I did with the body led to my own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both; it was an unwholesome bodily action with painful consequences, with painful results,’ then you should confess such a bodily action, reveal it, and lay it open to the Teacher or to your wise companions in the holy life. Having confessed it, revealed it, and laid it open, [417] you should undertake restraint for the future.638 But when you reflect, if you know: ‘This action that I did with the body did not lead to my own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both; it was a wholesome bodily action with pleasant consequences, pleasant results,’ you can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states.
12. “Rāhula, when you wish to do an action by speech…(complete as in §9, substituting “speech” for “body”)…you may do such an action by speech.
13. “Also, Rāhula, while you are doing an action by speech… (complete as in §10, substituting “speech” for “body”) [418]…you may continue in such an action by speech.
14. “Also, Rāhula, after you have done an action by speech… (complete as in §11, substituting “speech” for “body”)…you can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states.
15. “Rāhula, when you wish to do an action by mind…(complete as in §9 , substituting “mind” for “body”) [419]…you may do such an action by mind.
16. “Also, Rāhula, while you are doing an action by mind… (complete as in §10, substituting “mind” for “body”)…you may continue in such a mental action.
17. “Also, Rāhula, after you have done an action by mind… (complete as in §11, substituting “mind” for “body”639)…you can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states. [420]
18. “Rāhula, whatever recluses and brahmins in the past purified their bodily action, their verbal action, and their mental action, all did so by repeatedly reflecting thus. Whatever recluses and brahmins in the future will purify their bodily action, their verbal action, and their mental action, all will do so by repeatedly reflecting thus. Whatever recluses and brahmins in the present are purifying their bodily action, their verbal action, and their mental action, all are doing so by repeatedly reflecting thus. Therefore, Rāhula, you should train thus: ‘We will purify our bodily action, our verbal action, and our mental action by repeatedly reflecting upon them.’”
That is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Rāhula was satisfied and delighted