8.
The Discourse on the Fisherman
18.
On one occasion the Blessed One was wandering on a journey among the Kosalans together with a large Community of monks.
The Blessed One, travelling on the highway, saw in a certain region a fisherman, a fish-catcher, having killed and killed fish, selling them.
Having seen, turning aside from the road, he sat down on the prepared seat at the foot of a certain tree.
Having sat down, the Blessed One addressed the monks:
"Do you see, monks, that fisherman, a fish-catcher, having killed and killed fish, selling them?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"What do you think, monks, have you seen or heard - 'a fisherman, a fish-catcher, having killed and killed fish, selling them, by that action, by that livelihood, travels by elephant or travels by horse or travels by chariot or travels by vehicle or enjoys wealth or dwells in a great mass of wealth'?" "No, Venerable Sir." "Good, monks! I too, monks, have neither seen nor heard this - 'a fisherman, a fish-catcher, having killed and killed fish, selling them, by that action, by that livelihood, travels by elephant or travels by horse or travels by chariot or travels by vehicle or enjoys wealth or dwells in a great mass of wealth.' What is the reason for this? For he, monks, mentally contemplates with an evil mind those fish fit to be killed, brought for slaughter; therefore he neither travels by elephant nor travels by horse nor travels by chariot nor travels by vehicle nor enjoys wealth, nor dwells in a great mass of wealth.
"What do you think, monks, have you seen or heard - 'a cattle butcher, having killed and killed cattle, selling them, by that action, by that livelihood, travels by elephant or travels by horse or travels by chariot or travels by vehicle or enjoys wealth or dwells in a great mass of wealth'?" "No, Venerable Sir." "Good, monks! I too, monks, have neither seen nor heard this - 'a cattle butcher, having killed and killed cattle, selling them, by that action, by that livelihood, travels by elephant or travels by horse or travels by chariot or travels by vehicle or enjoys wealth or dwells in a great mass of wealth.' What is the reason for this? For he, monks, mentally contemplates with an evil mind those cattle fit to be killed, brought for slaughter; therefore he neither travels by elephant nor travels by horse nor travels by chariot nor travels by vehicle nor enjoys wealth, nor dwells in a great mass of wealth."
"What do you think, monks, have you seen or heard - 'a sheep-butcher... etc. a pig-butcher... etc. a fowler... etc. a deer-hunter, having killed and killed deer, selling them, by that action, by that livelihood, travels by elephant or travels by horse or travels by chariot or travels by vehicle or enjoys wealth or dwells in a great mass of wealth'?" "No, Venerable Sir." "Good, monks! I too, monks, have neither seen nor heard this - 'a deer-hunter, having killed and killed deer, selling them, by that action, by that livelihood, travels by elephant or travels by horse or travels by chariot or travels by vehicle or enjoys wealth or dwells in a great mass of wealth.' What is the reason for this? For he, monks, mentally contemplates with an evil mind those deer fit to be killed, brought for slaughter; therefore he neither travels by elephant nor travels by horse nor travels by chariot nor travels by vehicle nor enjoys wealth, nor dwells in a great mass of wealth. For he, monks, mentally contemplating with an evil mind those animals fit to be killed, brought for slaughter, will neither travel by elephant nor travel by horse nor travel by chariot nor travel by vehicle nor enjoy wealth, nor dwell in a great mass of wealth. What then to say of one who mentally contemplates with an evil mind a human being fit to be killed, brought for slaughter! That indeed, monks, is for his harm and suffering for a long time. Upon the body's collapse at death, he is reborn in a realm of misery, an unfortunate realm, a nether world, in hell." The eighth.