unwholesome – Daily Sutta Reading

“Abandon what is unskillful, monks. It is possible to abandon what is unskillful. If it were not possible to abandon what is unskillful, I would not say to you, ‘Abandon what is unskillful.’ But because it is possible to abandon what is unskillful, I say to you, ‘Abandon what is unskillful.’ If this abandoning of what is unskillful were conducive to harm and pain, I would not say to you, ‘Abandon what is unskillful.’ But because this abandoning of what is unskillful is conducive to benefit and pleasure, I say to you, ‘Abandon what is unskillful.’

“Develop what is skillful, monks. It is possible to develop what is skillful. If it were not possible to develop what is skillful, I would not say to you, ‘Develop what is skillful.’ But because it is possible to develop what is skillful, I say to you, ‘Develop what is skillful.’ If this development of what is skillful were conducive to harm and pain, I would not say to you, ‘Develop what is skillful.’ But because this development of what is skillful is conducive to benefit and pleasure, I say to you, ‘Develop what is skillful.’”

Read this translation of Aṅguttara Nikāya 2.19 Kusal’akusala Sutta. Skillful & Unskillful | dhammatalks.orgby Bhikkhu Ṭhanissaro on DhammaTalks.org. Or read another translation on SuttaCentral.net. Or read the Pāli on DigitalPaliReader.online. Or listen on PaliAudio or SC-Voice.

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[Note: Read the whole sutta to see the specific unwholesome traits being discussed.]

“…Suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant sees that they haven’t given up all these bad, unskillful qualities. Then they should make an effort to give them all up. But suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant sees that they have given up all these bad, unskillful qualities. Then they should meditate with rapture and joy, training day and night in skillful qualities.

Suppose there was a woman or man who was young, youthful, and fond of adornments, and they check their own reflection in a clean bright mirror or a clear bowl of water. If they see any dirt or blemish there, they’d try to remove it. But if they don’t see any dirt or blemish there, they’re happy, thinking: ‘How fortunate that I’m clean!’

In the same way, suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant sees that they haven’t given up all these bad, unskillful qualities. Then they should make an effort to give them all up. But suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant sees that they have given up all these bad, unskillful qualities. Then they should meditate with rapture and joy, training day and night in skillful qualities.…”

Read the entire translation of Majjhima Nikāya 15 Anumānasutta: Measuring Up by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net. Or listen on PaliAudio.com or SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

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AN 2.19 Kusal’akusala Sutta: Skillful & Unskillful

MN 15 From… Anumānasutta: Measuring Up

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