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Buddhism

Iti 31 · uttaka 31

Thai temple painting: Prince Vessantara gives away the white elephant
Vessantara Jātaka, Chapter 2 (Himavanta Forest) · Thai, Rattanakosin, c. 1850–1870 · Walters Art Museum

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: “Monks, there are these two things that cause no remorse. Which two? There is the case of the person who has done what is admirable, has done what is skillful, has given protection to those in fear, and has done nothing that is evil, savage, or cruel. Thinking, ‘I have done what is admirable,’ he feels no remorse. Thinking, ‘I have not done what is evil,’ he feels no remorse. These are the two things that cause no remorse.”

Having abandoned

bodily misconduct,

verbal misconduct,

misconduct of mind,

& whatever else is flawed,

not having done what’s not skillful,

having done much that is,

at the break-up of the body,

the discerning one reappears

in heaven.


Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. © 2014 / rev. 2017 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu — released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 licence, for free distribution only. Source: dhammatalks.org (Metta Forest Monastery).

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