Body, Speech, Mind (EA21.8)

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in Śrāvastī, at Jetṛ’s Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. Then the Exalted One said to the monks:

“There are three bad practices. Which are the three? Bad practice of body, speech and mind. These, O monks, are the three bad practices.

“One should aspire to skill in means to cultivate three good practices. Which are the three? Somebody whose practice of body, speech and mind is bad, should cultivate good practice of body, speech and mind.”

Then the Exalted One uttered to following verses:

“One should guard against bad practice of body and
Cultivate good practice of body; it should always be
Kept in mind to give up bad practice of body, and good
Practice of body should be learnt. One should guard
Against bad practice of speech … and mind and
Cultivate good practice of speech … and mind; it
Should always be kept in mind to give a bad practice
Of speech … and mind; and good practice of speech …
And mind should be learnt.
Good practice of body is excellent, and
Good practice of speech likewise, to be sure,
Good practice of mind is excellent; and the same
Holds true of good practice in every respect.
Restraint in speech, purity of mind and no bad practice
Of body—by realising purity in these three practices
One will reach the Great Sage’s state of the Unconditioned.

“Thus, monks, one should give up the three bad practices and cultivate the three good practices, and thus, O monks, you should train.”

After listening to the Buddha’s words, the monks were pleased and respectfully applied themselves to practice.

Translated from Sanskrit to Chinese by Dharmanandi.

Originally published as Ekottarikāgama XXXII, Buddhist Studies Review 20.2 (2003) pp. 205–209. Translated from the Chinese version by Thích Huyên-Vi in collaboration with Sara Boin-Webb and Bhikkhu Pāsādika.

Transcription by Nola Webb, 2014.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.