39b: Sakka’s Questions – 1441 

 

according to the Rules. Yet, only if one is able to abandon them, can one 
fulfil the practice of bodily conduct that should be adopted, verbal conduct 
that should be adopted, and the kind of quest that should be taken up 
because all of them are factors that cleanse the mind. That is why the three 
defiling factors are discussed along with the three cleansing factors in 
pairs. This method, the Buddha knows, suits the disposition of Sakka in 
taking upon himself the proper practice. 

Only when factors that ought not to be resorted to are made clear, do 
factors that ought to be resorted to become a mode of practice. This is the 
reason for the Buddha’s discussion of the pairs of useless and useful factors 
in the present set of questions on the morality of restraint according to the 
Rules, just as in the previous set of questions on sensation. 

In the present set of answers, only bodily conduct that should be adopted, 
verbal conduct that should be adopted, and the kind of quest that should be 
taken up, constitute the morality of restraint according to the Rules. The 
bodily conduct, the verbal conduct, and the quest that should not be 
resorted to are defiling factors, and they must first be seen as such by 
Sakka. 

Regarding the kind of quest that should be taken up, it may be spoken of in 
connection with the course of action (

kamma-patha

) or in connection with 

the prescribed form of training precept. 

1.   The bodily conduct that should not be resorted to are the three evil 

bodily actions: killing, stealing and sexual misconduct. This is speaking 
in terms of courses of action. Physically committing the breach at the 
body-door of the moral precepts laid down by the Buddha constitutes 
bodily conduct that should not be adopted. This is speaking in terms of 
precept. Bodily conduct that should be adopted are: refraining from 
killing, refraining from stealing and refraining from sexual misconduct. 
This is speaking in terms of courses of action. Physically restraining at 
the body-door from transgressing the moral precepts laid down by the 
Buddha constitutes bodily conduct that should be adopted. This is 
speaking in terms of precept. The same distinction should be understood 
in respect of verbal conduct. 

2.   Verbally committing one of the four evil verbal actions, such as false 

speech, divisive, harsh and frivolous speech is verbal conduct that