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Dukanipāta

Book of Twos

Fools

(A.i.59)

22.¹ “There are these two fools, monks. Which two? One who does not see an offence as such, and one who does accept the confession of an offence according to the Dhamma. These, monks, are two fools.

“There are two sages. Which two? One who sees an offence as such, and one who accepts the confession of an offence according to the Dhamma. These, monks, are two sages.

23. “These two, monks, slander (abbhācikkhanti) ² the Tathāgata. Which two? One corrupted through anger, and one with faith grasping wrongly. These two, monks, slander the Tathāgata.

24. These two, monks, slander the Tathāgata. [60] Which two? Those who explain what was not spoken, not uttered by the Tathāgata as spoken, uttered by him, those who explain what was spoken, uttered by the Tathāgata as not spoken, not uttered by him. These two, monks, slander the Tathāgata. These two, monks, do not slander the Tathāgata. Which two? Who explains what was spoken, uttered by the Tathāgata as spoken, utter by him, those who explain what was not spoken, not uttered by the Tathāgata as not spoken, not uttered by him. These two, monks, do not slander the Tathāgata.”

28. “One of wrong-view, monks, can expect one of two destinations: hell or animal rebirth.”

29. “One of right-view, monks, can expect one of two destinations: heaven or human rebirth.”

Of the Same Mind

33. “Monks, I will teach you the realm of the bad person and the realm of the good person. Listen and pay careful attention. I will speak.”

“Very well, venerable sir,” those monks replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said:–

“What, monks, is the realm of the bad person? A bad person, monks, is ungrateful and unappreciative. A bad person is known, monks, by ingratitude and non-appreciation. Ingratitude and non-appreciation, monks, are entirely the realm of a bad person.

“What, monks, is the realm of a good person? A good person, monks, is grateful and appreciative.³ A good person is known, monks, by gratitude and appreciation. Gratitude and appreciation, monks, are entire the realm of a good person.”

34. “Two persons, monks, I declare cannot easily be repaid. Which two? Mother and father. If, monks, one would carry one’s mother on one shoulder [62] and one’s father on the other shoulder for a hundred years, living for a hundred years, and care for them by anointing them with oil, rubbing, bathing, massaging, and even removing their urine and excrement, not even then, monks, would one have done enough to repay them. Even if, monks, one were to establish one’s parents are ruler over this entire earth with its mass of seven treasures, not even then, monks, would one have done enough to repay them. What is the reason for that? Much has been done, monks, by mother and father for their children. They nurture them, feed them, and explain the world to them.

“Whoever, monks, arouses faith in his parents who lack faith, exhort, and establish them in faith; arouses morality in his parents who lack morality, exhort, and establish them in morality; arouse liberality in his miserly parents, exhort, and establish them in liberality; arouse wisdom in his unwise parents, exhort, and establish them in wisdom, in this way one would have done enough to repay them.”

Longings Difficult to Renounce

119. “These two longings, monks, are difficult to renounce. What two? Longing for gain, and longing for life. These two longings, monks, are difficult to renounce.

120. “These two individuals, monks, are difficult to find in the world. What two? One who is the first to do something, and one who is grateful and appreciative. These two individuals, monks, are hard to find in the world.

124. “There are two conditions, monks, for the arising of lust. What two? The sign of beauty, and unsystematic attention. These are the two conditions, monks, for the arising of lust.

125. “There are two conditions, monks, for the arising of ill-will. What two? The sign of repulsion, and unsystematic attention. These are the two conditions, monks, for the arising of ill-will.

126. “There are two conditions, monks, for the arising of wrong-view. What two? The utterance of another, and unsystematic attention. These are the two conditions, monks, for the arising of wrong-view.

127. “There are two conditions, monks, for the arising of right-view. What two? The utterance of another, and systematic attention. These are the two conditions, monks, for the arising of right-view.

128. “There are two conditions, monks, for the arising of wrong-view. What two? The utterance of another, and unsystematic attention. These are the two conditions, monks, for the arising of wrong-view.

129. “There are two conditions, monks, for the arising of right-view. What two? The utterance of another, and systematic attention. These are the two conditions, monks, for the arising of right-view.

Exhortations

137. “Monks, by behaving wrongly towards two, [persons] a foolish, unskilful, and bad person keeps himself/herself uprooted and half-dead, is blame­worthy, and reproached by the wise. What two? Mother and father. Monks, by behaving wrongly towards these two, a foolish, unskilful, and bad person keeps himself/herself uprooted and half-dead, is blameworthy, and reproached by the wise, and makes much demerit.⁴ …

138. “Monks, by behaving wrongly towards two, [persons] a foolish, unskilful, and bad person keeps himself/herself uprooted and half-dead, is blame­worthy, and reproached by the wise. What two? The Tathāgata and the disciple of a Tathāgata. Monks, by behaving wrongly towards these two, a foolish, unskilful, and bad person keeps himself/herself uprooted and half-dead, is blameworthy, and reproached by the wise, and makes much demerit. [91] … (and the opposite).

Gifts

142. “Monks, there are two gifts. What two? A gift of material things, and a gift of the Dhamma. These, monks, are the two gifts. The foremost, monks, of these two gifts is the gift of the Dhamma. [92]

Notes:

1. The numbering is higher by one because the Burmese Edition of the text splits Sutta 20 into two.

2. The PTS dictionary translates this as accuse, slander, calumniate. “Misrepresent,” may be a better translation for one with faith who grasps the meaning wrongly, than for one with ill-will who intentionally distorts the truth.

3. Grateful (kataññū) is one who knows what has been done for one’s benefit. Appreciative (katavedī) is expressing that gratitude with kind words or by returning the favour.

4. By behaving rightly one does the opposite.