1On one occasion the Blessed One was wandering on tour among the Kosalans together with a large Saṅgha of bhikkhus. Then, while traveling along the highway, in a certain spot the Blessed One saw a fish dealer killing fish and selling them. He left the highway, sat down on a seat that was prepared for him at the foot of a tree, and addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus, do you see that fish dealer killing fish and selling them?"

"Yes, Bhante."

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2(1) "What do you think, bhikkhus? Have you ever seen or heard that a fish dealer, killing fish and selling them, might, by means of this work and livelihood, travel around by elephant or horse, by chariot or vehicle, or enjoy wealth or live off a large accumulation of wealth?"

"No, Bhante."

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"Good, bhikkhus. I too have never seen or heard of such a thing. For what reason? Because he looks on cruelly at the captive fish as they are brought for slaughter. Therefore he does not travel around by elephant or horse, by chariot or vehicle, or enjoy wealth or live off a large accumulation of wealth.

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3(2) "What do you think, bhikkhus? Have you ever seen or heard that a cattle butcher, killing cows and selling them …

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(3) … a butcher of sheep … (4) … a butcher of pigs … (5) … a butcher of poultry … (6) … a butcher of deer, killing deer and selling them, might, by means of that work and livelihood, travel around by elephant or horse, by chariot or vehicle, or enjoy wealth or live off a large accumulation of wealth?"

"No, Bhante."

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"Good, bhikkhus. I too have never seen or heard of such a thing. For what reason? Because he looks on cruelly at the captive deer as they are brought for slaughter. Therefore he does not travel around by elephant or horse, by chariot or vehicle, or enjoy wealth or live off a large accumulation of wealth.

"Bhikkhus, one who looks on cruelly at captive animals as they are brought for slaughter will not travel around by elephant or horse, by chariot or vehicle, or enjoy wealth or live off a large accumulation of wealth. What then can be said about one who looks on cruelly at a condemned human being brought up for slaughter? This will lead to his harm and suffering for a long time. With the breakup of the body after death, he will be reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the lower world, in hell."

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu cārikaṁ carati mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ. Addasā kho bhagavā addhānamaggappaṭipanno aññatarasmiṁ padese macchikaṁ macchabandhaṁ macche vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamānaṁ. Disvā maggā okkamma aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: "passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, amuṁ macchikaṁ macchabandhaṁ macche vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamānan"ti?

"Evaṁ, bhante".

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2"Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, api nu tumhehi diṭṭhaṁ vā sutaṁ vā: ‘macchiko macchabandho macche vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamāno tena kammena tena ājīvena hatthiyāyī vā assayāyī vā rathayāyī vā yānayāyī vā bhogabhogī vā mahantaṁ vā bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasanto’"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

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"Sādhu, bhikkhave. Mayāpi kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, neva diṭṭhaṁ na sutaṁ: ‘macchiko macchabandho macche vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamāno tena kammena tena ājīvena hatthiyāyī vā assayāyī vā rathayāyī vā yānayāyī vā bhogabhogī vā mahantaṁ vā bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasanto’ti. Taṁ kissa hetu? Te hi so, bhikkhave, macche vajjhe vadhāyupanīte pāpakena manasānupekkhati, tasmā so neva hatthiyāyī hoti na assayāyī na rathayāyī na yānayāyī na bhogabhogī, na mahantaṁ bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasati.

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3Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, api nu tumhehi diṭṭhaṁ vā sutaṁ vā: ‘goghātako gāvo vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamāno tena kammena tena ājīvena hatthiyāyī vā assayāyī vā rathayāyī vā yānayāyī vā bhogabhogī vā mahantaṁ vā bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasanto’"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

"Sādhu, bhikkhave. Mayāpi kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, neva diṭṭhaṁ na sutaṁ: ‘goghātako gāvo vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamāno tena kammena tena ājīvena hatthiyāyī vā assayāyī vā rathayāyī vā yānayāyī vā bhogabhogī vā mahantaṁ vā bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasanto’ti. Taṁ kissa hetu? Te hi so, bhikkhave, gāvo vajjhe vadhāyupanīte pāpakena manasānupekkhati, tasmā so neva hatthiyāyī hoti na assayāyī na rathayāyī na yānayāyī na bhogabhogī, na mahantaṁ bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasati.

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4Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, api nu tumhehi diṭṭhaṁ vā sutaṁ vā: ‘orabbhiko … pe … sūkariko … pe … sākuṇiko … pe … māgaviko mage vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamāno tena kammena tena ājīvena hatthiyāyī vā assayāyī vā rathayāyī vā yānayāyī vā bhogabhogī vā mahantaṁ vā bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasanto’"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

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"Sādhu, bhikkhave. Mayāpi kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, neva diṭṭhaṁ na sutaṁ: ‘māgaviko mage vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamāno tena kammena tena ājīvena hatthiyāyī vā assayāyī vā rathayāyī vā yānayāyī vā bhogabhogī vā mahantaṁ vā bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasanto’ti. Taṁ kissa hetu? Te hi so, bhikkhave, mage vajjhe vadhāyupanīte pāpakena manasānupekkhati, tasmā so neva hatthiyāyī hoti na assayāyī na rathayāyī na yānayāyī na bhogabhogī, na mahantaṁ bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasati.

Te hi nāma so, bhikkhave, tiracchānagate pāṇe vajjhe vadhāyupanīte pāpakena manasānupekkhamāno neva hatthiyāyī bhavissati na assayāyī na rathayāyī na yānayāyī na bhogabhogī, na mahantaṁ bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasissati. Ko pana vādo yaṁ manussabhūtaṁ vajjhaṁ vadhāyupanītaṁ pāpakena manasānupekkhati. Tañhi tassa, bhikkhave, hoti dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāya. Kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjatī"ti.

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Aṭṭhamaṁ.