Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu cārikaṁ carati mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ.
At one time, the Blessed One was wandering on a walking tour in the Kosala region together with a large saṅgha of bhikkhus.
Addasā kho bhagavā addhānamaggappaṭipanno aññatarasmiṁ padese macchikaṁ macchabandhaṁ macche vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamānaṁ. Disvā maggā okkamma aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, amuṁ macchikaṁ macchabandhaṁ macche vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamānan”ti?
Then, while traveling along the main road, the Blessed One saw a fisherman killing fish and selling them in a certain spot. Having seen this, he stepped aside from the road and sat down at a prepared seat at the foot of a certain tree. Having sat down, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Do you see that fisherman over there killing fish and selling them?”
“Evaṁ, bhante”.
“Yes, venerable sir.”
“Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, api nu tumhehi diṭṭhaṁ vā sutaṁ vā: ‘macchiko macchabandho macche vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamāno tena kammena tena ājīvena hatthiyāyī vā assayāyī vā rathayāyī vā yānayāyī vā bhogabhogī vā mahantaṁ vā bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasanto’”ti?
“What do you think, bhikkhus? Have you ever seen or heard of a fisherman, killing fish and selling them, who by that action and livelihood, travels around by elephant or horse, by chariot or vehicle, or enjoys wealth or lives off a large accumulation of wealth?”
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, venerable sir.”
“Sādhu, bhikkhave. Mayāpi kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, neva diṭṭhaṁ na sutaṁ: ‘macchiko macchabandho macche vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamāno tena kammena tena ājīvena hatthiyāyī vā assayāyī vā rathayāyī vā yānayāyī vā bhogabhogī vā mahantaṁ vā bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasanto’ti. Taṁ kissa hetu? Te hi so, bhikkhave, macche vajjhe vadhāyupanīte pāpakena manasānupekkhati, tasmā so neva hatthiyāyī hoti na assayāyī na rathayāyī na yānayāyī na bhogabhogī, na mahantaṁ bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasati.
“Good, bhikkhus. I too have neither seen nor heard of a fisherman, killing fish and selling them, who by that action and livelihood, travels around by elephant or horse, by chariot or vehicle, or enjoys wealth or lives off a large accumulation of wealth. And why is that? Because he |looks on cruelly::implies not just observing with cruelty but also an attitude of disregard for life [pāpakena + manasānupekkhati]| at the captive fish as they are brought for slaughter. Therefore, he neither travels around by elephant or horse, by chariot or vehicle, nor enjoys wealth or lives off a large accumulation of wealth.”
Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, api nu tumhehi diṭṭhaṁ vā sutaṁ vā: ‘goghātako gāvo vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamāno tena kammena tena ājīvena hatthiyāyī vā assayāyī vā rathayāyī vā yānayāyī vā bhogabhogī vā mahantaṁ vā bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasanto’”ti?
“What do you think, bhikkhus? Have you ever seen or heard of a butcher of cows, killing cows and selling them, who by that action and livelihood, travels around by elephant or horse, by chariot or vehicle, or enjoys wealth or lives off a large accumulation of wealth?”
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, venerable sir.”
“Sādhu, bhikkhave. Mayāpi kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, neva diṭṭhaṁ na sutaṁ: ‘goghātako gāvo vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamāno tena kammena tena ājīvena hatthiyāyī vā assayāyī vā rathayāyī vā yānayāyī vā bhogabhogī vā mahantaṁ vā bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasanto’ti. Taṁ kissa hetu? Te hi so, bhikkhave, gāvo vajjhe vadhāyupanīte pāpakena manasānupekkhati, tasmā so neva hatthiyāyī hoti na assayāyī na rathayāyī na yānayāyī na bhogabhogī, na mahantaṁ bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasati.
“Good, bhikkhus. I too have neither seen nor heard of a butcher of cows, killing cows and selling them, who by that action and livelihood, travels around by elephant or horse, by chariot or vehicle, or enjoys wealth or lives off a large accumulation of wealth. And why is that? Because, bhikkhus, he looks on cruelly at the captive cows as they are brought for slaughter. Therefore, he neither travels around by elephant or horse, by chariot or vehicle, nor enjoys wealth or lives off a large accumulation of wealth.”
Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, api nu tumhehi diṭṭhaṁ vā sutaṁ vā: ‘orabbhiko …pe… sūkariko …pe… sākuṇiko …pe… māgaviko mage vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamāno tena kammena tena ājīvena hatthiyāyī vā assayāyī vā rathayāyī vā yānayāyī vā bhogabhogī vā mahantaṁ vā bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasanto’”ti?
What do you think, bhikkhus? Have you ever seen or heard of a butcher of sheep … or a butcher of pigs … or a butcher of poultry … or a butcher of deer, killing deer and selling them, who by that action and livelihood, travels around by elephant or horse, by chariot or vehicle, or enjoys wealth or lives off a large accumulation of wealth?”
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, venerable sir.”
“Sādhu, bhikkhave. Mayāpi kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, neva diṭṭhaṁ na sutaṁ: ‘māgaviko mage vadhitvā vadhitvā vikkiṇamāno tena kammena tena ājīvena hatthiyāyī vā assayāyī vā rathayāyī vā yānayāyī vā bhogabhogī vā mahantaṁ vā bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasanto’ti. Taṁ kissa hetu? Te hi so, bhikkhave, mage vajjhe vadhāyupanīte pāpakena manasānupekkhati, tasmā so neva hatthiyāyī hoti na assayāyī na rathayāyī na yānayāyī na bhogabhogī, na mahantaṁ bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasati.
“Good, bhikkhus. I too have neither seen nor heard of a butcher of deer, killing deer and selling them, who by that action and livelihood, travels around by elephant or horse, by chariot or vehicle, or enjoys wealth or lives off a large accumulation of wealth. And why is that? Because, bhikkhus, he looks on cruelly at the captive deer as they are brought for slaughter. Therefore, he neither travels around by elephant or horse, by chariot or vehicle, nor enjoys wealth or lives off a large accumulation of wealth.
Te hi nāma so, bhikkhave, tiracchānagate pāṇe vajjhe vadhāyupanīte pāpakena manasānupekkhamāno neva hatthiyāyī bhavissati na assayāyī na rathayāyī na yānayāyī na bhogabhogī, na mahantaṁ bhogakkhandhaṁ ajjhāvasissati. Ko pana vādo yaṁ manussabhūtaṁ vajjhaṁ vadhāyupanītaṁ pāpakena manasānupekkhati. Tañhi tassa, bhikkhave, hoti dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāya. Kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjatī”ti.
Bhikkhus, one who looks on cruelly at captive animals as they are brought for slaughter will not travel around by elephant or horse, by chariot or vehicle, or enjoy wealth or live off a large accumulation of wealth. What can be said, then, of one who cruelly regards a human being—someone to be killed and brought for slaughter? This will lead to his harm and suffering for a long time. After the breakup of the body, after death, he will be |reborn in a state of loss::in a state of misery [apāya]|, in a bad destination, in the |realms of downfall::in realms of misery [vinipāta]|, in hell.”