Vol. 11 · pages 246–250
The Buddha and His Dhamma
This text was extracted automatically from the official PDF of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches, so it may contain small errors. Always check the original page before quoting.
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PART III
What is Dhamma ?
1. To Maintain Purity of Life is Dhamma.
2. To Reach Perfection in Life is Dhamma.
3. To Live in Nibbana is Dhamma.
4. To Give up Craving is Dhamma.
5. To believe that all compound things are
impermanent is Dhamma.
6. To believe that Karma is the instrument of Moral
Order is Dhamma.
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WHAT IS DHAMMA ?
III
§ 1. To Maintain Purity of Life is
Dhamma
1. “There are these three forms of purity... And of
what sort is purity of body ?
2. “Herein a certain one abstains from taking life,
from stealing, from sinful living. This is called ‘ purity
of body.’
3. “And of what sort is purity of speech ?
4. “Herein a certain one abstains from falsehood. . .
5. “And of what sort is purity of mind ?
6. “Herein a monk, if he have some personal sensual
desire, is aware : ‘ There is in me sensual desire.’ If
there be none he is likewise aware of it. Also he is
aware of how the arising of sensual desire not yet
arisen comes about, and how it is abandoned when
it has arisen, and how in the future there is no such
arising.
7. “If he have some personal malevolence, he is
aware ; ‘ There is within me malevolence.’ Also he is
aware of the arising . . . and the abandoning thereof,
and of how in future there is no recurrence thereof.
8. “If he have some personal sloth-and-torpor . . .
excitement and flurry . . . if he have some personal
doubt-and-wavering, he is aware of the fact. Also of
how (each of these) arises, is abandoned and recurs
not again in future. This is called ‘ purity of mind.’
9. “He who is pure in body, speech, and mind,”
“Sinless and clean and blessed with purity,—”
“ ‘Sin-washer’ is the name men give to him.”
(ii)
1. “There are three forms of purity . . . Purity of
body, purity of speech, purity of mind.”
2. “And of what sort is purity of body ?”
3. “Herein a certain one abstains from taking life,
from stealing from wrong practice in sensual lusts.
This is called ‘purity of body’.”
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230 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
III
4. “And of what sort is purity of speech ?”
5. “Herein a certain one abstains from falsehood .
. . from idle babble. This is called ‘purity of speech.’ ”
6. “And of what sort is purity of mind ?”
7. “Herein a certain one is not covetous or malevolent
of heart and has right view. This is called ‘purity of
mind.’ These are the three forms of purity.”
(iii)
1. There are these five weaknesses, which are a
source of weakness to training. What five ?
2. Taking life ; taking what is not given ; lustful, evil
practices ; lying ; and indulging in spirituous liquors,
which cause idleness.
3. These are the five causes which lead to failure.
4. When these five sources of weakness to training
are put away, four arisings of mindfulness should be
made to become.
5. Herein a monk abides contemplating the body
as body, strenuous, mindful and self-possessed, having
overcome both the hankering and discontent common
in the world.
6. He abides contemplating the feelings as feelings
. . .
7. He abides contemplating the mind as mind . . .
8. He abides contemplating ideas as ideas, strenuous,
mindful and self-possessed, having overcome both the
hankering and discontent common in the world.
9. When these five sources of weakness to training
are put away, these four arisings of mindfulness should
be made to become.
(iv)
1. There are these three failures. Failure in morals,
failure in mind, failure in view.
2. And of what sort is failure in morals ? A certain
one takes life, steals, is a wrong-doer in sensual desires,
a liar, a slanderer, of bitter speech, an idle babbler.
This is called “failure in morals.”
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WHAT IS DHAMMA ?
III
3. And of what sort is failure in mind ?
4. A certain one is covetous and malevolent of heart.
This is called “failure in mind.”
5. And of what sort is failure in view ?
6. Herein a certain one holds the depraved, the
perverse view that there is no (virtue in) almsgiving, in
sacrifice, in offerings : that there is no fruit, no result of
good and evil deeds: that this world is not, that there is
no world beyond: that there is no mother, no father, no
beings of spontaneous birth : that in the world are no
recluses and Brahmins who have won the summit, who
have won perfection, who of themselves by their own
intuitional powers have realized the world beyond and
can proclaim it. This, monks, is called “failure in view.”
7. Monks, it is due to failure in morals, failure in
mind and in view that beings, when body breaks up
after death, are reborn in the Waste, the Way of Woe, in
the Downfall, in Purgatory. Such are the three failures.
8. Monks, there are these three successes. What
three ? Success in morals, success in mind, success in
view.
9. Now of what sort is success in morals ?
10. A certain one abstains from taking life and the
rest . . . from bitter speech and idle babbling. This is
called “success in morals.”
11. And of what sort is success in mind ?
12. Herein a certain one is not covetous or malevolent
of heart. This is called “success in mind.”
13. And of what sort is success in view ?
14. Herein a certain one has right view: he holds
with certainty that there is (virtue in) almsgiving, in
sacrifice, in offerings: that there is fruit and result
of good and evil deeds: that this world is, that there
is a world beyond : that mother, father and beings of
spontaneous birth do exist: that in the world there are
recluses and Brahmins who have realized the world
beyond and can proclaim it. This, monks, is called
“success in view.”
15. It is owing to success in these three things