I say: in the East, West, North, and South a true monk will have renounced wrongful works, be exempt from them, will have put an end to them. This has been taught by the messengers. (47)

The righteous teacher has declared that the cause of sins are the six classes of living beings, earth-lives and the rest. As is my pain when I am knocked or struck with a stick, bone, fist, clod, or potsherd; or menaced, beaten, burned, tormented, or deprived of life; and as I feel every pain and agony from death down to the pulling out of a hair: in the same way, be sure of this, all kinds of living beings feel the same pain and agony as I, when they are ill-treated in the same way. For this reason all sorts of living beings should not be beaten, nor treated with violence, nor abused, nor tormented, nor deprived of life. (48)

I say: the righteous teachers and messengers of the past, present, and future all say thus, speak thus, declare thus, explain thus: all sorts of living beings should not be slain, nor treated with violence, nor abused, nor tormented, nor driven away. This constant, permanent, eternal, true Law has been taught by wise men who comprehend all things. Thus a monk abstains from the five cardinal sins: slaughter of living beings and the rest. He does not clean his teeth with a tooth-brush, he does not accept collyrium, emetics, and perfumes. (49)

A monk who does not act wrongly, nor kill, who is free from wrath, pride, deceit, and greed, who is calm and happy, should not entertain the following wish: May I, after my departure from this world, by dint of my intellect, knowledge, memory, learning, or of the performance of austerities, religious duties, chastity, or of this habit to eat no more than is necessary to sustain life, attain a high rank in the Garden where every object of pleasure is at my command, or become a perfected saint who is exempt from pain and misery. Through his austerities he may obtain his object, or he may not obtain it. (50)

A monk should not be infatuated with sounds, colours, smells, tastes, and feelings of touch; he should abstain from wrath, pride, deceit, and greed, from love, hate, quarrel, calumny, reviling of others, aversion to control and delight in sensual things, deceit and untruth, and the sin of wrong belief. In this way a monk ceases to acquire grave guilt, controls himself, and abstains from sins. (51)

He does not kill movable or immovable beings, nor has them killed by another person, nor does he consent to another's killing them. In this way a monk ceases to acquire grave guilt, controls himself, and abstains from sins. (52)

He does not acquire sentient or senseless objects of pleasure, nor has them acquired by another person, nor does he consent to another's acquiring them. In this way a monk ceases to acquire grave guilt, controls himself, and abstains from sins. (53)

He does no actions arising from sinful causes, nor has them done by another person, nor does he consent to another's doing them. In this way a monk ceases to acquire grave guilt, controls himself, and abstains from sins. (54)

A monk should not take food, drink, dainties, and spices when he knows that the householder, to satisfy him, or for the sake of a co-religionist, has bought or stolen or taken it, though it was not given or to be taken, but was taken by force, by acting sinfully towards all sorts of living beings; nor does he cause another person to eat it, nor does he consent to another's eating it. In this way a monk ceases to acquire grave guilt, controls himself, and abstains from sins. (55)

A monk may think as follows: The householders have the means to procure food for those for whose sake it is prepared; namely for himself, his sons, daughters, daughters-in-law, nurses, relations, chiefs, male and female slaves, male and female servants; for a treat of sweetmeats, for a supper, for a breakfast the collation has been prepared. This food is to be eaten by some people, it is prepared by some one else, it is destined for some one else, it is free from the faults occasioned either by the giver or by the receiver or by the act of receiving it, rendered pure, rendered free from living matter, wholly free from living things, it has been begged, has been given to the monk on account of his profession, it has been collected in small bits, it is food fit for a learned monk, it is lawful to eat it at the present occasion, it is of the prescribed quantity, it greases, as it were, the axle of the carriage and anoints the sore, being just sufficient to enable one to practise control and to carry the burden of it; he should consume that food without delay even as the snake returning to its hole; that is to say: one should eat when it is time for eating, drink when it is time for drinking, dress when it is time for dressing, seek cover when it is time for seeking cover, and sleep when it is time for sleeping. (56)

A monk who knows the proper measure in all things, travelling in one direction or other, should teach, explain, and praise the Law, preach it unto those who exert themselves well, and to those who do not, to all who come to listen. He should preach to them indifference for the peace of mind, cessation of passion, peace, purity, simplicity, humility, freedom from bonds. He should preach the Law which prohibits to kill any living being, after having well considered it. (57)

When a monk preaches the Law, he should preach it not for the sake of food, drink, clothes, resting-place, or lodging, nor for any objects of pleasure; but he should preach the Law indefatigably, for no other motive than the removal of sin. (58)

Those heroes of faith who are instructed in the Law by such a monk and exert themselves well are possessed of all virtues, abstain from all sins, cease from all passions, conduct themselves well in every way, and reach final beatitude. (59)

Such a monk searches the Law, knows the Law, and endeavours to gain salvation; as it has been said: "He may get the white lotus, the best of water-lilies, or he may not get it." Such a monk knows and renounces wrongful actions, worldly occupations, and the life of a householder; he is free from passions, possesses self-restraint, is wise, always exerts himself; he is to be called: an ascetic, a scholar, calm, a subduer of his senses, guarding himself, liberated, a seer, a sage, virtuous, wise, a monk, living on low food, desiring to get to the shore of this world, fulfilling the general and particular virtues. (60)

Thus I say.

Second Lecture

Called

On Activity

O long-lived Gambusvamin! I, Sudharman, have heard the following discourse from the venerable Mahavira. We now come to the lecture called "On Activity." The contents of it are as follows: It treats, briefly, of two subjects: merit and demerit. The former is when the self is at rest, the latter, when it is in disturbance. (1)

Now the explanation of the first subject, namely demerit, is as follows. Here in the East, West, North, and South many men have been born according to their merit, as inhabitants of this our world, some as noble men, some as non-nobles, some of good complexion, some of bad complexion, some as handsome men, some as ugly men. (2)

And as regards committing of sin, among the inmates of Hell, brute animals, angels, men, and whatever other suchlike beings there be, the sentient beings feel the pain. (3)

And these beings practise the following thirteen kinds of activity:

1 Sinning for one's interest;

2 Sinning without a personal interest;

3 Sinning by slaying;

4 Sinning through accident;

5 Sinning by an error of sight;

6 Sinning by lying;

7 Sinning by taking what is not freely given;

8 Sinning by a mere conceit;

9 Sinning through pride;

10 Sinning through bad treatment of one's friends;

11 Sinning through deceit;

12 Sinning through greed;

13 Actions referring to a religious life. (4)

1 The first kind of committing sins is that prompted by a motive. This is the case when a man for his own sake, for the sake of his relations, his house, his family, his friends, for the sake of spirits or powers, does injury to movable or immovable beings, or has it done by another person, or consents to another's doing it. Thereby the bad deed accrues to him. This is the first kind of committing sins, that prompted by a motive. (5)

2 We now treat of the second kind of committing sins, namely that which is not prompted by personal interest. This is the case when a man slays, kills, cuts, pierces, hacks, mangles, or puts to death movable living beings, not because he wants their body, skin, flesh, blood, heart, bile, feathers of their tail, tail, big or small horns, teeth, tusks, nails, sinews, bones, or marrow; nor because he has been wounded by them, or is wounded, or will be wounded; nor in order to support his children, or to feed his cattle, or to enlarge his houses, nor for the maintenance of ascetics and scholars, nor for the benefit of his body; setting aside reason a fool acquires the habit of cruelty, being a wanton killer. (6)

This is the case when a man slays immovable living beings as reed, grass, Kusa-grass, or straw, not in order to support his children, and so on, all down to wanton killer. (7)

Or when a man on a marsh, a lake, a sheet of water, a pasture-ground, a place surrounded by a ditch, a moat, a thicket, a stronghold in a thicket, forest, stronghold in a forest, mountain, stronghold on a mountain, piles up grass and lights a fire, or has it lighted by another person, or consents to another's lighting it. Thereby the bad deed accrues to him. This is the second kind of committing sins, that prompted by no personal interest. (8)

3 We now treat of the third kind of committing sins, called slaying. This is the case when a man thinking that some one has hurt, hurts, or will hurt him, or one of his people, or somebody else, or one of that person's people, kills movable and immovable beings, has them killed by another person, or consents to another's killing them. Thereby the bad deed accrues to him. This is the third kind of committing sins, called slaying. (9)

4 We now treat of the fourth kind of committing sins, called accidental. This is the case when in marshes, and so on, down to strongholds in a forest, a man who lives on deer, who likes deer, who dotes on deer, goes a hunting deer. Fancying to see deer, he takes aim with his arrow to kill the deer. Thinking that he will kill the deer, he kills a partridge, or a duck, or a quail, or a pigeon, or a monkey, or a francoline partridge. Here instead of one being he hurts another, therefore he is called an accidental killer. (10)

This is the case when a man weeding rice, Kodrava, panic seed, or other grains, uses his knife to cut some weeds. Fancying that he is cutting some weed-grasses, he cuts rice, and so on. Here instead of one plant he hurts another; therefore he is called an accidental killer. Thereby the bad deed accrues to him. This is the fourth kind of committing sins, called accidental. (11)

5 We now treat of the fifth kind of committing sins, namely by an error of sight. This is the case when a man living together with his mother, father, brothers, sisters, wives, sons, daughters, or daughters-in-law, and mistaking a friend for an enemy, kills the friend by mistake. (12)

This is the case when during a riot in a village, or a scot-free town, or a town with an earth wall, or a poor town, or an isolated town, or a large town, or a sea-town, or a mine, or a hermitage, or a halting-place of processions or caravans, or a capital, a man mistaking for a robber one who is not, kills him by mistake. Thereby the bad deed accrues to him. This is the fifth kind of committing sins, namely by an error of sight. (13)

6 We now treat of the sixth kind of committing sins, namely by lying. This is the case when a man for his own sake, or for the sake of his relations, his house, or his servants tells lies, causes another person to tell lies, or consents to another's telling lies. Thereby the bad deed accrues to him. This is the sixth kind of committing sins, namely by lying. (14)

7 Now we treat of the seventh kind of committing sins, namely by taking what is not freely given. This is the case when a man for his own sake, and so on, takes himself what is not freely given, has it taken by another person, or consents to another's taking it. Thereby the bad deed accrues to him. This is the seventh kind of committing sins, namely by taking what is not freely given. (15)

8 Now we treat of the eighth kind of committing sins, namely by a mere conceit. This is the case when a man, without being disappointed by anybody in any way, meditates, melancholy, sorry, angry, downcast, anxious in thoughts and ideas, plunged in a sea of sorrow and misery, reposing his head on the palm of his hand, overcome by painful reflections, and casting his eyes on the ground. There are four mental, but real, conditions of this kind, namely wrath, pride, deceit, and greed; for wrath, pride, deceit, and greed are mental conditions. Thereby the bad deed accrues to him. This is the eighth kind of committing sins, namely by a mere conceit. (16)

9 Now we treat of the ninth kind of committing sins, namely through pride. This is the case when a man drunk, as it were, with pride of caste, family, beauty, piety, knowledge, success, power, intelligence, or any other kind of pride, slights, blames, abuses, reviles, despises somebody else and extols himself, thinking: "he is my inferior, I am of better caste or family, and possess greater power and other advantages." When he leaves this body and is only accompanied by his deeds, he, without a will of his own, goes forth from misery to misery, and from hell to hell. He is cruel, stubborn, fickle, and proud. Thereby the bad deed accrues to him. This is the ninth kind of committing sins, namely through pride. (17)

10 We now treat of the tenth kind of committing sins, consisting in bad treatment of one's friends. This is the case when a man living together with his mother, father, brothers, sisters, wives, sons, daughters, or daughters-in-law, severely punishes even the smallest offence of theirs; for example he ducks the offender in cold water, or pours hot water over him, or scalds him with fire, or lashes his sides sore with a halter, reed, rope, strap of leather, whip, or thong of a whip, or he beats the offender with a stick, bone, fist, clod, or potsherd. When such a man is at home, his people are miserable; but when he is abroad, they rejoice. Such a man, who is for ever punishing, severely punishing, is hateful in this world and the next, irritable, passionate, an extortioner. Thereby the bad deed accrues to him. This is the tenth kind of committing sins, consisting in bad treatment of one's friends. (18)

11 We now treat of the eleventh kind of committing sins, namely through deceit. Those who conceal their thoughts, who are shrouded in darkness, who are light as the feather of an owl or heavy like a mountain, use unworthy speech though they be noble men. They believe themselves different from what they really are; asked one thing, they answer another, they speak different from what is to be spoken. (19)

As a man in whose body sticks an arrow does not extricate it, fearing the pain, nor has it extricated by somebody else, nor destroys it, but hides it; and the arrow, being not removed, goes deeper and deeper in the flesh; so a deceitful man, having practised deception, does not confess it, expiate it, blame the deed to himself or others, does not remove it, wipe it out, and endeavour not to do it again, does not practise the prescribed austerities and penance. A deceitful man is generally not trusted in this world, a deceitful man is not trusted in the next world. He blames and reviles the person whom he has deceived, he praises himself, and rejoices, and does not desist from his vile practices; he conceals the wrong he has done to others, and does not acquire a pure disposition. Thereby the bad deed accrues to him. This is the eleventh kind of committing sins, namely through deceit. (20)

12 We now treat of the twelfth kind of committing sins, namely through greed. Those heretical monks who live in woods, in huts, about villages, or practise some secret rites, are not well controlled, nor do they well abstain from slaying all sorts of living beings. They employ speech that is true and untrue at the same time: "do not beat me, beat others; do not abuse me, abuse others; do not capture me, capture others; do not torment me, torment others; do not deprive me of life, deprive others of life." And thus they are given to sensual pleasures, desire them, are held captive by them, passionately love them for four or five years, for six or ten years; the period may be shorter or longer. After having enjoyed these pleasures, and having died at their allotted time, they will go to some places inhabited by the wicked and evildoers. And when they come forth therefrom, they will be raised deaf and dumb, or blind, or dumb by birth. Thereby the bad deed accrues to him. This is the twelfth kind of committing sins, namely through greed. (21)

These twelve kinds of committing sins should be well understood by a pious ascetic or scholar. (22)

13 We now treat of the thirteenth kind of acquiring deeds, that having reference to religious life. A monk who controls himself for the benefit of his soul, who in walking carefully avoids to cause the death of any living creature, who uses gentle and righteous speech, who receives alms in a manner to avoid the forty-two faults, who is careful in receiving and keeping of things necessary for religious exercises, who performs the operations of nature in an unfrequented place, who is careful with regard to mind, speech, and body, who guards his mind, speech, and body so as to protect his soul from passions, who guards his senses, who leads a chaste life regulated by the three restraints, who carefully walks, stands, sits down, lies down, and speaks, who carefully takes up and lays down his cloth, alms-bowl, blanket, broom, even such a monk performs various subtle actions, even if it did but consist in moving an eyelash. This deed is acquired and comes in contact with the soul in the first moment, in the second moment it is experienced, in the third it is destroyed; thus it is acquired, comes in contact with the soul, takes rise, and is destroyed. For all time to come the person in question is exempt from guilt. This is the thirteenth kind of acquiring deeds, that inseparable from a religious life. (23)

All the righteous teachers and messengers of the past, present, and future have told, tell, and will tell, have declared, declare, and will declare the above thirteen kinds of acquiring deeds. They have practised, practise, and will practise the thirteenth kind of acquiring deeds. (24)

As a supplement to the above discussion will now be told the subject of men's success by occult sciences. Some men differing in intellect, will, character, opinions, taste, undertakings, and plans, study various evil sciences; (25) namely divination from terrestrial accidents, from strange phenomena, from dreams, from phenomena in the air, from changes in the body, from sounds, from mystical signs, from seeds; the interpretation of the marks of women, men, elephants, cows, partridges, cocks, ducks, quails, of wheels, parasols, shields, sticks, swords, precious stones, jewels; (26) the art to make one happy or miserable, to make a woman pregnant, to deprive one of his wits; incantations, conjuring; the martial arts; the course of the moon, sun, Venus, and Jupiter; the falling of meteors; great conflagration; divination from wild animals, the flight of crows, showers of dust, rain of blood, the art of casting people asleep, of opening doors; the spells for making somebody fall down, rise, yawn; for making him immovable, or cling to something; for making him sick, or sound; for making somebody go forth, disappear, or come. These and similar sciences are practised by some men for the sake of food, drink, clothes, a lodging, a bed, and various objects of pleasure. They practise a wrong science, the unworthy, the mistaken men. After having died at their allotted time, they will go to some places inhabited by the wicked and evildoers. And when they come forth therefrom, they will again be raised deaf and dumb, or night-blind. (27)

Some man for his own sake or for the sake of his relations, family, or servants, or entering the service of an acquaintance or neighbour of his, becomes his companion or his helpmate, or he goes to meet him, or he becomes a burglar, or a cut-purse, or he tends sheep, or he becomes a hunter, or he catches birds, or he uses nets for catching deer, or he becomes a fisherman or a cowherd or a slayer of cows or a dog-keeper or he hunts with dogs. (28)

A man, becoming the companion of another man, will follow him everywhere, and having inspired him with confidence beats, cuts, pierces, tears, thrashes, or puts him to death, and thereby gets his food. By these very evil deeds he degrades himself. (29)

A man, becoming the helpmate of another man, always attends on him, and having inspired him with confidence beats, cuts, pierces, tears, thrashes, or puts him to death, and thereby gets his food. By these very evil deeds he degrades himself. (30)

A man, going to meet somebody on the road, beats, cuts, pierces, tears, thrashes, or puts him to death. By these very evil deeds he degrades himself. (31)

A man, becoming a burglar, breaks into a house and beats, cuts, pierces, tears, thrashes, or puts to death. By these very evil deeds he degrades himself. (32)

A man, becoming a cut-purse, cuts the purse and beats, cuts, pierces, tears, thrashes, or puts to death. By these very evil deeds he degrades himself. (33)

A man, becoming a tender of sheep, beats, cuts, pierces, tears, thrashes, or puts to death a ram or some other animal. The rest as above. (34)

A man, becoming a hunter, beats, cuts, pierces, tears, thrashes, or puts to death a buffalo or some other animal. The rest as above. (35)

A man, using nets for catching deer, beats, cuts, and puts to death an antelope or some other animal. The rest as above. (36)