Sallekhasutta

Suttapiṭaka · Majjhimanikāya · Vol. 12 · Section 104

[104] Now here, Cunda, effacement (sallekha) should be practiced by you. Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be harmful; here we will be unharming.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will kill living beings; here we will abstain from killing living beings.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will take what is not given; here we will abstain from taking what is not given.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be unchaste; here we will live the holy life.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will speak falsely; here we will abstain from false speech.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will speak divisively; here we will abstain from divisive speech.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will speak harshly; here we will abstain from harsh speech.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will engage in idle chatter; here we will abstain from idle chatter.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be covetous; here we will be uncovetous.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will have minds of ill will; here we will have minds without ill will.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be of wrong view; here we will be of right view.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be of wrong intention; here we will be of right intention.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be of wrong speech; here we will be of right speech.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be of wrong action; here we will be of right action.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be of wrong livelihood; here we will be of right livelihood.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be of wrong effort; here we will be of right effort.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be of wrong mindfulness; here we will be of right mindfulness.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be of wrong concentration (samādhi); here we will be of right concentration.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be of wrong knowledge (ñāṇa); here we will be of right knowledge.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be of wrong liberation; here we will be of right liberation.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be overcome by dullness and drowsiness; here we will be free from dullness and drowsiness.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be restless; here we will not be restless.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be given to doubt; here we will have crossed over doubt.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be angry; here we will be free from anger.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be resentful; here we will be unresentful.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be denigrating; here we will not be denigrating.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be insolent in rivalry; here we will not be insolent in rivalry.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be envious; here we will be unenvious.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be stingy; here we will be unstingy.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be fraudulent; here we will not be fraudulent.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be deceitful; here we will not be deceitful.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be obstinate; here we will not be obstinate.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be arrogant; here we will not be arrogant.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be difficult to admonish; here we will be easy to admonish.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will have bad friends; here we will have good friends.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be heedless; here we will be heedful.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be without faith; here we will have faith.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be without a sense of shame; here we will have a mind endowed with a sense of shame (hiri).' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be without fear of wrongdoing; here we will have fear of wrongdoing (ottappa).' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be of little learning; here we will be of great learning.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be lazy; here we will be of aroused energy.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be of muddled mindfulness; here we will be of established mindfulness.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will be lacking in wisdom; here we will be endowed with wisdom.' Effacement should be practiced thus: 'Others will adhere to their own views, grasp them tightly, and relinquish them with difficulty; here we will not adhere to our own views, will not grasp them tightly, and will relinquish them with ease.'

English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.