6.
The Discourse on Creeping
216.
"I will teach you, monks, an exposition of the Teaching on creeping.
Listen to that, pay close attention;
I will speak."
"Yes, venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this:
"And what, monks, is the exposition of the Teaching on creeping? Beings are owners of their actions, monks, heirs to their actions, they originate from their actions, are bound to their actions, have their actions as their refuge, whatever action they do - whether good or evil - they become heirs of that.
"Here, monks, a certain one is a killer of living beings, cruel, with bloody hands, devoted to striking and killing, without compassion for all living beings. He creeps along by body, creeps along by speech, creeps along by mind. His bodily action is crooked, his verbal action is crooked, his mental action is crooked, his destination is crooked, his rebirth is crooked.
"For one of crooked destination, monks, for one of crooked rebirth, I declare one of two destinations - either the hells that are exclusively painful, or the animal realm of the creeping kind. And what, monks, is that animal realm of the creeping kind? Snakes, scorpions, centipedes, mongooses, cats, mice, owls, or whatever other beings born in the animal realm creep away having seen humans. Thus indeed, monks, rebirth of a being comes from what has come to be. By what one does, by that one is reborn. Contacts touch one who has been reborn. Thus I say, monks, 'beings are heirs to their actions.'
"Here again, monks, a certain one takes what is not given... etc. he engages in sexual misconduct... he is a liar... he speaks divisive speech... he speaks harsh speech... he engages in idle chatter... he is covetous... he has a mind with ill-will... he holds wrong view, has perverted vision - 'There is not what is given, etc. who proclaim, having realised them by direct knowledge themselves.' He creeps along by body, creeps along by speech, creeps along by mind. His bodily action is crooked, his verbal action is crooked, his mental action is crooked, his destination is crooked, his rebirth is crooked.
"For one of crooked destination, monks, for one of crooked rebirth, I declare one of two destinations - either the hells that are exclusively painful, or the animal realm of the creeping kind. And what, monks, is that animal realm of the creeping kind? Snakes, scorpions, centipedes, mongooses, cats, mice, owls, or whatever other beings born in the animal realm creep away having seen humans. Thus indeed, monks, rebirth of a being comes from what has come to be; by what one does, by that one is reborn. Contacts touch one who has been reborn. Thus I say, monks, 'beings are heirs to their actions.' Beings are owners of their actions, monks, heirs to their actions, they originate from their actions, are bound to their actions, have their actions as their refuge, whatever action they do - whether good or evil - they become heirs of that.
"Here, monks, a certain one, having abandoned the killing of living beings, abstains from killing living beings; with rod laid down, with knife laid down, one who has shame, compassionate, he dwells concerned for the welfare of all living beings. He does not creep along by body, does not creep along by speech, does not creep along by mind. His bodily action is straight, his verbal action is straight, his mental action is straight, his destination is straight, his rebirth is straight.
"For one of straight destination, monks, of straight rebirth, I declare one of two destinations - either heavens that are exclusively pleasant, or those high families - families of wealthy warriors, or families of wealthy brahmins, or families of wealthy householders - rich, of great riches, of great possessions, with abundant gold and silver, with abundant means and equipment, with abundant wealth and grain. Thus indeed, monks, rebirth of a being comes from what has come to be. By what one does, by that one is reborn. Contacts touch one who has been reborn. Thus I say, monks, 'beings are heirs to their actions.'
"Here again, monks, a certain one, having abandoned taking what is not given, abstains from taking what is not given, etc. one abstains from sexual misconduct... having abandoned lying, he abstains from lying... having abandoned divisive speech, he abstains from divisive speech... having abandoned harsh speech, he abstains from harsh speech... having abandoned idle chatter, he abstains from idle chatter... he is non-covetous... he has a mind without ill-will... he holds right view, with undistorted vision - 'There is what is given, etc. who proclaim this world and the other world, having realised them by direct knowledge themselves.' He does not creep along by body, does not creep along by speech, does not creep along by mind. His bodily action is straight, his verbal action is straight, his mental action is straight, his destination is straight, his rebirth is straight.
"For one of upright conduct, monks, for one of upright rebirth, I declare one of two destinations - either heavens that are exclusively pleasant, or those high families - families of wealthy warriors, or families of wealthy brahmins, or families of wealthy householders - rich, of great riches, of great possessions, with abundant gold and silver, with abundant means and equipment, with abundant wealth and grain. Thus indeed, monks, rebirth of a being comes from what has come to be. By what one does, by that one is reborn. Contacts touch one who has been reborn. Thus I say, monks, 'beings are heirs to their actions.'
"Beings are owners of their actions, monks, heirs to their actions, they originate from their actions, are bound to their actions, have their actions as their refuge, whatever action they do - whether good or evil - they become heirs of that. This, monks, is the exposition of the Teaching on creeping." The sixth.