[485] "Householders (gahapatayo), conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct (dhammacariyā-samacariyā), is threefold by way of body; conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct, is fourfold by way of speech; conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct, is threefold by way of mind.
And how, householders, is conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct, threefold by way of body? Here, householders, a certain person, abandoning the destruction of life, abstains from the destruction of life; with rod laid down, with weapon laid down, conscientious, merciful, he dwells compassionate for the welfare of all living beings.
Abandoning the taking of what is not given, he abstains from taking what is not given; whatever wealth and property of another, whether in the village or in the wilderness, he is not one who takes it, ungiven, by way of theft.
Abandoning misconduct in sensual pleasures, he abstains from misconduct in sensual pleasures: with such women as are protected by their mother, protected by their father, protected by mother and father, protected by a brother, protected by a sister, protected by relatives, who have a husband, whose violation entails a penalty, or even, at the least, one garlanded with a string of flowers as a token of betrothal—with such women he does not engage in intercourse. This, householders, is how conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct, is threefold by way of body.
And how, householders, is conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct, fourfold by way of speech? Here, householders, a certain person, abandoning false speech, abstains from false speech: when gone to a council, or gone to an assembly, or gone to the midst of relatives, or gone to the midst of a guild, or gone to the midst of the royal court, and brought forward and questioned as a witness: 'Come, good man, tell what you know'—not knowing, he says, 'I do not know'; or knowing, he says, 'I know'; not seeing, he says, 'I do not see'; or seeing, he says, 'I see.' Thus he is not one who speaks deliberate falsehood for his own sake, or for another's sake, or for the sake of some trifling material gain.
Abandoning divisive speech, he abstains from divisive speech: having heard something here, he is not one who tells it there to divide these people; or having heard something there, he is not one who tells it here to divide those people. Thus he is a reconciler of those who are divided, a promoter of those who are united; rejoicing in concord, delighting in concord, taking pleasure in concord, he is one who speaks words that create concord.
Abandoning harsh speech, he abstains from harsh speech: such speech as is blameless, pleasing to the ear, lovable, going to the heart, urbane, dear to the many, agreeable to the many—such speech he is one to speak.
Abandoning idle chatter, he abstains from idle chatter: he is one who speaks at the right time, who speaks what is factual, who speaks what is beneficial, who speaks on the Dhamma, who speaks on the discipline; he is one who speaks words worth treasuring, at the right time, with supporting reasons, measured, connected with benefit. This, householders, is how conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct, is fourfold by way of speech.
And how, householders, is conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct, threefold by way of mind? Here, householders, a certain person is without covetousness: whatever wealth and property belong to another, he is not one who covets it, thinking: 'Oh, that what belongs to another might be mine!'
He is one whose mind (citta) is without ill will, with intentions of mind uncorrupted: 'May these beings be free from enmity, free from affliction, untroubled; may they maintain themselves in happiness!'
He is one of right view, of undistorted vision: 'There is what is given, there is what is sacrificed, there is what is offered; there is fruit and result of deeds well done and ill done; there is this world, there is the world beyond; there is mother, there is father; there are beings spontaneously reborn; there are in the world ascetics and brahmins of right attainment and right practice who, having themselves realized this world and the world beyond with direct knowledge, make them known.' This, householders, is how conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct, is threefold by way of mind.
Thus, householders, it is by reason of such conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, such righteous conduct, that some beings here, with the breakup of the body, after death, are reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.