Piyasutta — Reader

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Piyasutta

At Sāvatthī. Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha, “Just now, sir, as I was in private retreat this thought came to mind. ‘Who are those who love themselves? And who are those who don’t love themselves?’

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “idha mayhaṁ, bhante, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: ‘kesaṁ nu kho piyo attā, kesaṁ appiyo attā’ti?

Then it occurred to me: ‘Those who do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind don’t love themselves. Even though they may say:

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi: ‘ye ca kho keci kāyena duccaritaṁ caranti, vācāya duccaritaṁ caranti, manasā duccaritaṁ caranti; tesaṁ appiyo attā. Kiñcāpi te evaṁ vadeyyuṁ:

“I love myself”, they don’t really. Why is that? It’s because they treat themselves like an enemy. That’s why they don’t love themselves.

“piyo no attā”ti, atha kho tesaṁ appiyo attā’. Taṁ kissa hetu? Yañhi appiyo appiyassa kareyya, taṁ te attanāva attano karonti; tasmā tesaṁ appiyo attā.

Those who do good things by way of body, speech, and mind do love themselves. Even though they may say: “I don’t love myself”, they do really.

Ye ca kho keci kāyena sucaritaṁ caranti, vācāya sucaritaṁ caranti, manasā sucaritaṁ caranti; tesaṁ piyo attā. Kiñcāpi te evaṁ vadeyyuṁ: ‘appiyo no attā’ti; atha kho tesaṁ piyo attā.

Why is that? It’s because they treat themselves like a loved one. That’s why they do love themselves.’” “That’s so true, Great King! That’s so true!” said the Buddha. And he repeated the king’s statement, adding:

Taṁ kissa hetu? Yañhi piyo piyassa kareyya, taṁ te attanāva attano karonti; tasmā tesaṁ piyo attā”ti. “Evametaṁ, mahārāja, evametaṁ, mahārāja.

Ye hi keci, mahārāja, kāyena duccaritaṁ caranti, vācāya duccaritaṁ caranti, manasā duccaritaṁ caranti; tasmā tesaṁ appiyo attā. Kiñcāpi te evaṁ vadeyyuṁ: ‘piyo no attā’ti, atha kho tesaṁ appiyo attā.

Taṁ kissa hetu? Yañhi, mahārāja, appiyo appiyassa kareyya, taṁ te attanāva attano karonti; tasmā tesaṁ appiyo attā. Ye ca kho keci, mahārāja, kāyena sucaritaṁ caranti, vācāya sucaritaṁ caranti, manasā sucaritaṁ caranti;

tesaṁ piyo attā. Kiñcāpi te evaṁ vadeyyuṁ: ‘appiyo no attā’ti; atha kho tesaṁ piyo attā.

Taṁ kissa hetu? Yañhi, mahārāja, piyo piyassa kareyya, taṁ te attanāva attano karonti; tasmā tesaṁ piyo attā”ti. Idamavoca …pe…

“If you knew your self as beloved, you’d not yoke yourself to wickedness. For happiness is not easy to find by someone who does bad deeds.

“Attānañce piyaṁ jaññā, na naṁ pāpena saṁyuje; Na hi taṁ sulabhaṁ hoti, sukhaṁ dukkaṭakārinā.

When you’re seized by the terminator as you give up your human life, what can you call your own? What do you take when you go?

Antakenādhipannassa, jahato mānusaṁ bhavaṁ; Kiñhi tassa sakaṁ hoti, kiñca ādāya gacchati;

What goes with you, like a shadow that never leaves? Both the good and the bad that a mortal does in this life

Kiñcassa anugaṁ hoti, chāyāva anapāyinī. Ubho puññañca pāpañca, yaṁ macco kurute idha;

is what they can call their own. That’s what they take when they go. That’s what goes with them, like a shadow that never leaves.

Tañhi tassa sakaṁ hoti, taṁva ādāya gacchati; Taṁvassa anugaṁ hoti, chāyāva anapāyinī.

That’s why you should do good, investing in the future life. The good deeds of sentient beings support them in the next world.”

Tasmā kareyya kalyāṇaṁ, nicayaṁ samparāyikaṁ; Puññāni paralokasmiṁ, patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan”ti.