Thus have I heard - At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' feeding ground.

Now at that time, the venerable Rāhula was dwelling in Ambalaṭṭhika. Then the Blessed One, having arisen from seclusion in the evening time, approached Ambalaṭṭhika, where the venerable Rāhula was. The venerable Rāhula saw the Blessed One approaching from afar. Having seen him, he prepared a seat and water for his feet. The Blessed One sat down on the prepared seat. Having sat down, he washed his feet. The venerable Rāhula also, having paid homage to the Blessed One, sat down to one side.

Then the Blessed One placed a small amount of leftover water in the water vessel and addressed the venerable Rāhula: "Rāhula, do you see this small amount of leftover water in the water vessel?"

"Yes, venerable sir."

"Even so little, Rāhula, is the asceticism of those who do not feel shame in telling an intentional lie."

Then the Blessed One, having discarded the small amount of leftover water, addressed the venerable Rāhula: "Do you see this small amount of leftover water discarded, Rāhula?"

"Yes, venerable sir."

"Thus, discarded, Rāhula, is the asceticism of those who do not feel shame in telling an intentional lie."

Then the Blessed One, having overturned that water vessel, addressed the venerable Rāhula: "Do you see this overturned water vessel, Rāhula?"

"Yes, venerable sir."

"Thus overturned, Rāhula, is the asceticism of those who do not feel shame in telling an intentional lie."

Then the Blessed One, having turned the water vessel upright, addressed the venerable Rāhula: "Rāhula, do you see this hollow and empty water vessel?"

"Yes, venerable sir."

"Even so hollow and empty, Rāhula, is the asceticism of those who do not feel shame in telling an intentional lie."

"Just as, Rāhula, a king's elephant with sharp tusks, of a mighty stature, well bred, accustomed to the battlefield, engaged in battle, acts with his front feet, acts with his hind feet, acts with his front body, acts with his hind body, acts with his head, acts with his ears, acts with his tusks, acts with his tail; however, he protects his trunk. Then his rider would think: 'This king's elephant with sharp tusks, mighty stature, well bred, accustomed to the battlefield, engaged in battle, acts with his front feet, acts with his hind feet, and acts with his tail; however, it protects his trunk. He has not yet given up his life.'

When, Rāhula, a king's elephant with sharp tusks, of a mighty stature, well bred, accustomed to the battlefield, engaged in battle, acts with his front feet, acts with his hind feet, acts with his front body, acts with his hind body, acts with his head, acts with his ears, acts with his tusks, acts with his tail, and acts with his trunk, then his rider would think: 'This king's elephant with sharp tusks, mighty stature, well bred, accustomed to the battlefield, engaged in battle, acts with his front feet, acts with his hind feet, acts with his front body, acts with his hind body, acts with his head, acts with his ears, acts with his tusks, acts with his tail, and acts with his trunk. He has given up his life. Now there is nothing that the king's elephant will not do.'

Just so, Rāhula, for anyone who does not feel shame in telling an intentional lie, there is no evil that they will not do, I say. Therefore, Rāhula, you should train yourself thus: 'I will not tell an intentional lie even as a joke.' This is how you should train yourself, Rāhula.

What do you think, Rāhula, what is the purpose of a mirror?"

"It is for reflection, venerable sir."

"Just so, Rāhula, reflecting repeatedly, action should be done with the body; reflecting repeatedly, action should be done with speech; reflecting repeatedly, action should be done with the mind."

"Whatever bodily action you intend to do, Rāhula, you should reflect upon that bodily action: 'Would this bodily action I intend to do lead to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both? Is this an unwholesome bodily action with painful consequences, resulting in suffering?' If, Rāhula, reflecting thus, you would know: 'This bodily action I intend to do would lead to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both. This is an unwholesome bodily action with painful consequences, resulting in suffering,' then such a bodily action, Rāhula, should not be done by you. If, however, Rāhula, reflecting thus, you would know: 'This bodily action I intend to do would neither lead to my own harm, nor to the harm of others, nor to the harm of both. This is a wholesome bodily action with pleasant consequences, resulting in happiness,' then such a bodily action, Rāhula, should be done by you.

While you are doing a bodily action, Rāhula, you should reflect upon that very bodily action: 'Would this bodily action I am doing lead to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both? Is this an unwholesome bodily action with painful consequences, resulting in suffering?' If, however, Rāhula, reflecting thus, you would know: 'This bodily action I am doing leads to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both. This is an unwholesome bodily action with painful consequences, resulting in suffering,' then you should stop such a bodily action, Rāhula. If, however, Rāhula, reflecting thus, you would know: 'This bodily action I am doing would neither lead to my own harm, nor to the harm of others, nor to the harm of both. This is a wholesome bodily action with pleasant consequences, resulting in happiness,' then you should continue such a bodily action, Rāhula.

Having done a bodily action, Rāhula, you should reflect upon that very bodily action: 'Did this bodily action I did lead to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both? Was this an unwholesome bodily action with painful consequences, resulting in suffering?' If, Rāhula, reflecting thus, you would know: 'This bodily action I did led to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both. This was an unwholesome bodily action with painful consequences, resulting in suffering,' then such a bodily action should be confessed to the teacher, to the wise, or to fellow practitioners. It should be revealed, it should be openly declared. Having confessed, revealed, and openly declared it, restraint should be undertaken in the future. If, however, Rāhula, reflecting thus, you would know: 'This bodily action I did would neither lead to my own harm, nor to the harm of others, nor to the harm of both. This was a wholesome bodily action with pleasant consequences, resulting in happiness,' then you should dwell with joy and ease, Rāhula, devoted to practicing wholesome qualities day and night."

Whatever verbal action you intend to do, Rāhula, you should reflect upon that very verbal action: 'Would this verbal action I intend to do lead to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both? Is this an unwholesome verbal action with painful consequences, resulting in suffering?' If, however, Rāhula, reflecting thus, you would know: 'This verbal action I intend to do leads to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both. This is an unwholesome verbal action with painful consequences, resulting in suffering,' then such a verbal action, Rāhula, should not be done by you. If, however, Rāhula, reflecting thus, you would know: 'This verbal action I intend to do would neither lead to my own harm, nor to the harm of others. This is a wholesome verbal action with pleasant consequences, resulting in happiness,' then such a verbal action, Rāhula, should be done by you.

While you are doing a verbal action, Rāhula, you should reflect upon that very verbal action: 'Would this verbal action I am doing lead to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both? Is this an unwholesome verbal action with painful consequences, resulting in suffering?' If, however, Rāhula, reflecting thus, you would know: 'This verbal action I am doing leads to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both. This is an unwholesome verbal action with painful consequences, resulting in suffering,' then you should stop such a verbal action, Rāhula. If, however, Rāhula, reflecting thus, you would know: 'This verbal action I am doing would neither lead to my own harm, nor to the harm of others, nor to the harm of both. This is a wholesome verbal action with pleasant consequences, resulting in happiness,' then you should continue such a verbal action, Rāhula.

Having done a verbal action, Rāhula, you should reflect upon that very verbal action: 'Did this verbal action I did lead to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both? Was this an unwholesome verbal action with painful consequences, resulting in suffering?' If, Rāhula, reflecting thus, you would know: 'This verbal action I did led to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both. This was an unwholesome verbal action with painful consequences, resulting in suffering,' then such a verbal action should be confessed to the teacher, to the wise, or to fellow practitioners. It should be revealed, it should be openly declared. Having confessed, revealed, and openly declared it, restraint should be undertaken in the future. If, however, Rāhula, reflecting thus, you would know: 'This verbal action I did would neither lead to my own harm, nor to the harm of others, nor to the harm of both. This was a wholesome verbal action with pleasant consequences, resulting in happiness,' then you should dwell with joy and ease, Rāhula, devoted to practicing wholesome qualities day and night."

"Whatever mental action you intend to do, Rāhula, you should reflect upon that very mental action: 'Would this mental action I intend to do lead to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both? Is this an unwholesome mental action with painful consequences, resulting in suffering?' If, Rāhula, reflecting thus, you would know: 'This mental action I intend to do leads to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both. This is an unwholesome mental action with painful consequences, resulting in suffering,' then such a mental action, Rāhula, should not be done by you. If, however, Rāhula, reflecting thus, you would know: 'This mental action I intend to do would neither lead to my own harm, nor to the harm of others. This is a wholesome mental action with pleasant consequences, resulting in happiness,' then such a mental action, Rāhula, should be done by you.

While you are doing a mental action, Rāhula, you should reflect upon that very mental action: 'Would this mental action I am doing lead to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both? Is this an unwholesome mental action with painful consequences, resulting in suffering?' If, however, Rāhula, reflecting thus, you would know: 'This mental action I am doing leads to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both. This is an unwholesome mental action with painful consequences, resulting in suffering,' then you should stop such a mental action, Rāhula. If, however, Rāhula, reflecting thus, you would know: 'This mental action I am doing would neither lead to my own harm, nor to the harm of others, nor to the harm of both. This is a wholesome mental action with pleasant consequences, resulting in happiness,' then you should continue such a mental action, Rāhula.

Having done a mental action, Rāhula, you should reflect upon that very mental action: 'Did this mental action I did lead to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both? Was this an unwholesome mental action with painful consequences, resulting in suffering?' If, Rāhula, reflecting thus, you would know: 'This mental action I did led to my own harm, or to the harm of others, or to the harm of both. This was an unwholesome mental action with painful consequences, resulting in suffering,' then, Rāhula, such a mental action should be abhorred, despised, and rid of. Having abhorred, despised, and rid of it, restraint should be undertaken in the future. If, however, Rāhula, reflecting thus, you would know: 'This mental action I did would neither lead to my own harm, nor to the harm of others, nor to the harm of both. This was a wholesome mental action with pleasant consequences, resulting in happiness,' then you should dwell with joy and ease, Rāhula, devoted to practicing wholesome qualities day and night.

Rāhula, whatever ascetics or brahmins in the past purified their bodily actions, purified their verbal actions, and purified their mental actions, they all did so by repeatedly reflecting thus: by reflecting thus, they purified their bodily actions; by reflecting thus, they purified their verbal actions; by reflecting thus, they purified their mental actions. And whatever ascetics or brahmins in the future will purify their bodily actions, will purify their verbal actions, and will purify their mental actions, they all will do so by repeatedly reflecting thus: by reflecting thus, they will purify their bodily actions; by reflecting thus, they will purify their verbal actions; by reflecting thus, they will purify their mental actions. And whatever ascetics or brahmins at present purify their bodily actions, purify their verbal actions, and purify their mental actions, they all do so by repeatedly reflecting thus: by reflecting thus, they purify their bodily actions; by reflecting thus, they purify their verbal actions; by reflecting thus, they purify their mental actions. Therefore, Rāhula, you should train yourself thus: 'I will purify my bodily actions by reflecting repeatedly; I will purify my verbal actions by reflecting repeatedly; I will purify my mental actions by reflecting repeatedly.' This is how you should train yourself, Rāhula."

The Blessed One said this. Satisfied, the venerable Rāhula rejoiced in the Blessed One's words.