10.10 Are Acts of Intimation Virtue? (KV10.10)

Controverted Point: That acts of intimation are moral acts.

Theravādin: But the conduct called moral—abstaining from taking life, from stealing, from fornication, lying, and strong drink—do you affirm that these are so many modes of intimation? You do not … .

Acts intimating minor courtesies such as salutation, rising to welcome, presenting clasped hands, acts of propriety, offering a seat, a couch, water for the feet, a towel for the feet, rubbing the back in the bath—are these morality? Yes, you say. But you would not affirm they are the five abstinences just named. Those are moral—are these?

Mahāsaṅghika, Sammitiya: But if acts of intimation are not moral, are they immoral? If not, then they are moral.

The Points of Controversy, an English translation of the Pali Abhidhamma Kathāvatthu. Translated by Shwe Zan Aung and C.A.F. Rhys Davids. First published by Pali Text Society, 1915.

This SuttaCentral edition was prepared by Manfred Wierich and Ven. Vimala and proofread by Josephine Tobin. Some changes were introduced:

Abbreviations, i.e., those of cited works and the participants in the controversies, were expanded.

Cross-references were linked.

Some typographic changes were introduced, among others, i.e.: the phonetic symbol “ŋ” was changed to the Pāli diacritical letter “ṃ”, “ô” to “o”, single quotes to double quotes, and “:—” to “:”.

Letter-spacing with fixed spaces was replaced with bold font.

The corrigenda were merged into the text. Some could not be resolved, though.

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