The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [444]
16. “He understands: ’It is impossible, it cannot happen that a wished for, desired, agreeable result could be produced from bodily misconduct…from verbal misconduct…from mental misconduct—there is no such possibility.‘ And he understands: ’It is possible that an unwished for, undesired, disagreeable result might be produced from bodily misconduct…from verbal misconduct…from mental misconduct—there is such a possibility.‘
17. “He understands: ‘It is impossible, it cannot happen that an unwished for, undesired, disagreeable result could be produced from good bodily conduct…from good verbal conduct…from good mental conduct—there is no such possibility.’ And he understands: ‘It is possible that a wished for, desired, agreeable result might be produced from good bodily conduct…from good verbal conduct…from good mental conduct—there is such a possibility.’
18. “He understands: ‘It is impossible, it cannot happen that a person engaging in bodily misconduct [67]…engaging in verbal misconduct…engaging in mental misconduct could on that account, for that reason, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in a happy destination, even in the heavenly world—there is no such possibility.’1091 And he understands: ‘It is possible that a person engaging in bodily misconduct…engaging in verbal misconduct…engaging in mental misconduct might on that account, for that reason, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, even in hell—there is such a possibility.’
19. “He understands: ‘It is impossible, it cannot happen that a person engaging in good bodily conduct…engaging in good verbal conduct…engaging in good mental conduct could on that account, for that reason, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, even in hell—there is no such possibility.’ And he understands: ‘It is possible that a person engaging in good bodily conduct…engaging in good verbal conduct… engaging in good mental conduct might on that account, for that reason, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in a happy destination, even in the heavenly world.’
“In this way, Ānanda, a bhikkhu can be called skilled in what is possible and what is impossible.”
(CONCLUSION)
20. When this was said, the venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: “It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvellous! What is the name of this discourse on the Dhamma?”
“You may remember this discourse on the Dhamma, Ānanda, as ‘The Many Kinds of Elements’ and as ‘The Four Cycles’1092 and as ‘The Mirror of the Dhamma’ and as ‘The Drum of the Deathless’ and as ‘The Supreme Victory in Battle.’”
That is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Ānanda was satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.
Isigili Sutta
Isigili: The Gullet of the Seers
[68] 1. THUS HAVE I HEARD.1093 On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Rājagaha, at Isigili—the Gullet of the Seers. There he addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus.”—“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Blessed One said this:
2. “You see, bhikkhus, do you not, that mountain Vebhāra?”1094—“Yes, venerable sir.”
“There used to be another name, another designation, for that mountain Vebhāra. You see, bhikkhus, do you not, that mountain Paṇḍava?”—“Yes, venerable sir.”
“There used to be another name, another designation, for that mountain Paṇḍava. You see, bhikkhus, do you not, that mountain Vepulla?”—“Yes, venerable sir.”
“There used to be another name, another designation, for that mountain Vepulla. You see, bhikkhus, do you not, that mountain Gijjhakuṭa—the Vulture Peak?”—“Yes, venerable sir.”
“There used to be another name, another