The Buddha's Words on Kamma - DharmaFlower.Net

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Majjhima Nikaya 57<strong>The</strong> Dog-duty Ascetic(Kukkuravatika Sutta)Introduction<strong>The</strong>re were some strange people around in the <strong>Buddha's</strong> daysbelieving some strange things -- but that is no different from our owndays when people still believe the most odd off-balance ideas. In thisSutta we meet some people who believed that by imitating animalsthey would be saved. Maybe they're still with us too!Belief is often one thing, action another. While beliefs sometimesinfluence actions, for other people their beliefs are quite separate fromwhat they do. But the Buddha says all intentional actions, whetherthoughts, speech or bodily actions, however expressed, are kammaand lead the doer of them to experience a result sooner or later. Inthis Sutta the Buddha classifies kamma into four groups:(i) dark with a dark result,(ii) bright with a bright result,(iii) dark and bright with a dark and bright result,(iv) neither dark nor bright with a neither dark nor bright result.Dark (evil) kamma does not give a bright (happy) result, nor doesbright (beneficial) kamma lead to dark (miserable) result. Kamma canbe mixed, where an action is done with a variety of motives, somegood, some evil. And that kind of kamma also exists which gives upattachment to and interest in the other three and so leads beyond therange of kamma.1. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living inthe Koliyan country: there is a town of the Koliyans calledHaliddavasana.2. <strong>The</strong>n Punna, a son of the Koliyans and an ox-duty ascetic, and alsoSeniya a naked dog duty ascetic, went to the Blessed One, and Punnathe ox duty ascetic paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down atone side, while Seniya the naked dog-duty ascetic exchanged greetingswith the Blessed One, and when the courteous and amiable talk wasfinished, he too sat down at one side curled up like a dog. WhenPunna the ox-duty ascetic sat down, he asked the Blessed One:"Venerable sir, this naked dog-duty ascetic Seniya does what is hardto do: he eats his food when it is thrown on the ground. That dog dutyhas long been taken up and practiced by him. What will be hisdestination? What will be his future course?"[1]5
"Enough, Punna, let that be. Do not ask me that."A second time...A third time Punna the ox-duty ascetic asked theBlessed One: "Venerable sir, this naked dog-duty ascetic Seniya doeswhat is hard to do: he eats his food when it is thrown on the ground.That dog duty has long been taken up and practiced by him. What willbe his destination? What will be his future course?""Well, Punna, since I certainly cannot persuade you when I say'Enough, Punna, let that be. Do not ask me that,' I shall thereforeanswer you.3. "Here, Punna, someone develops the dog duty fully andunstintingly, he develops the dog-habit fully and unstintingly, hedevelops the dog mind fully and unstintingly, he develops dogbehavior fully and unstintingly. Having done that, on the dissolutionof the body, after death, he reappears in the company of dogs. But ifhis view is such as this: 'By this virtue or duty or asceticism orreligious life I shall become a (great) god or some (lesser) god,' that iswrong view in his case. Now there are two destinations for one withwrong view, I say: hell or the animal womb. So, Punna, if his dog dutyis perfected, it will lead him to the company of dogs; if it is not, it willlead him to hell."4. When this was said, Seniya the naked dog-duty ascetic wept andshed tears. <strong>The</strong>n the Blessed One told Punna, son of the Koliyans andan ox-duty ascetic: "Punna, I could not persuade you when I said,'Enough Punna, let that be. Do not ask me that.'""Venerable sir, I am not weeping that the Blessed One has spokenthus. Still, this dog duty has long been taken up and practiced by me.Venerable sir, there is this Punna, a son of the Koliyans and an oxduty ascetic: that ox duty has long been taken up and practiced byhim. What will be his destination? What will be his future course?""Enough, Seniya, let that be. Do not ask me that." A second time...Athird time Seniya the naked dog-duty ascetic asked the Blessed One:"Venerable sir, there is this Punna, a son of the Koliyans and an oxdutyascetic; that ox duty has long been taken up and practiced byhim. What will be his destination? What will be his future course?""Well, Seniya, since I certainly cannot persuade you when I say'Enough, Seniya, let that be. Do not ask me that,' I shall thereforeanswer you."5. "Here, Seniya, someone develops the ox duty fully and unstintingly,he develops the ox habit fully and unstintingly, he develops the oxmind fully and unstintingly, he develops the ox behavior fully andunstintingly. Having done that, on the dissolution of the body, afterdeath, he reappears in the company of oxen. But if his view is such as6
Page 8 and 9: this: 'By this virtue or duty or as
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Page 24 and 25: had right view, he will feel the re
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