AN 7.73

Sunettasutta

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, sunetto nāma satthā ahosi titthakaro kāmesu vītarāgo. Sunettassa kho pana, bhikkhave, satthuno anekāni sāvakasatāni ahesuṁ. Sunetto satthā sāvakānaṁ brahmalokasahabyatāya dhammaṁ desesi. Ye kho pana, bhikkhave, sunettassa satthuno brahmalokasahabyatāya dhammaṁ desentassa cittāni nappasādesuṁ te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjiṁsu. Ye kho pana, bhikkhave, sunettassa satthuno brahmalokasahabyatāya dhammaṁ desentassa cittāni pasādesuṁ te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjiṁsu.

About Sunetta

“Once upon a time, mendicants, there was a teacher named Sunetta. He was a religious founder and was free of desire for sensual pleasures. He had many hundreds of disciples. He taught them a Dhamma for rebirth in the company of Divinity. Those lacking confidence in Sunetta were—when their body broke up, after death—reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. Those full of confidence in Sunetta were—when their body broke up, after death—reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.

Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, mūgapakkho nāma satthā ahosi …pe… aranemi nāma satthā ahosi …pe… kuddālako nāma satthā ahosi …pe… hatthipālo nāma satthā ahosi …pe… jotipālo nāma satthā ahosi …pe… arako nāma satthā ahosi titthakaro kāmesu vītarāgo. Arakassa kho pana, bhikkhave, satthuno anekāni sāvakasatāni ahesuṁ. Arako nāma satthā sāvakānaṁ brahmalokasahabyatāya dhammaṁ desesi. Ye kho pana, bhikkhave, arakassa satthuno brahmalokasahabyatāya dhammaṁ desentassa cittāni nappasādesuṁ, te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjiṁsu. Ye kho pana, bhikkhave, arakassa satthuno brahmalokasahabyatāya dhammaṁ desentassa cittāni pasādesuṁ, te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjiṁsu.

Once upon a time, there was a teacher named Mūgapakkha … Aranemi … Kuddālaka … Hatthipāla … Jotipāla … Araka. He was a religious founder and was free of desire for sensual pleasures. He had many hundreds of disciples. He taught them a Dhamma for rebirth in the company of Divinity. Those lacking confidence in Araka were—when their body broke up, after death—reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. Those full of confidence in Araka were—when their body broke up, after death—reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.

Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, yo ime satta satthāre titthakare kāmesu vītarāge anekasataparivāre sasāvakasaṅghe paduṭṭhacitto akkoseyya paribhāseyya, bahuṁ so apuññaṁ pasaveyyā”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”. “Yo, bhikkhave, ime satta satthāre titthakare kāmesu vītarāge anekasataparivāre sasāvakasaṅghe paduṭṭhacitto akkoseyya paribhāseyya, bahuṁ so apuññaṁ pasaveyya. Yo ekaṁ diṭṭhisampannaṁ puggalaṁ paduṭṭhacitto akkosati paribhāsati, ayaṁ tato bahutaraṁ apuññaṁ pasavati. Taṁ kissa hetu? Nāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ito bahiddhā evarūpiṁ khantiṁ vadāmi yathāmaṁ sabrahmacārīsu.

What do you think, mendicants? If someone with malicious intent were to abuse and insult these seven teachers with their hundreds of followers, would they not brim with much wickedness?” “Yes, sir.” “They would indeed. But someone who abuses and insults a single individual accomplished in view with malicious intent brims even more with wickedness. Why is that? I say that any injury done by those outside of the Buddhist community does not compare with what is done to one’s own spiritual companions.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘na no sabrahmacārīsu cittāni paduṭṭhāni bhavissantī’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

So you should train like this: ‘We will have no malicious intent for our spiritual companions.’ That’s how you should train.”