Chapter 28
(4) what is Vinaya as Vinaya,
(5) what the Buddha teaches not as no teaching of the Buddha,
(6) what the Buddha teaches as the teaching of the Buddha,
(7) what the Buddha practises not as no practice of the Buddha,
(8) what the Buddha practises as the practice of the Buddha,
(9) what the Buddha prescribes not as no rule of the Buddha,
(10) what the Buddha prescribes as the rule of the Buddha.,
(11) no offence as no offence,
(12) offence as offence,
(13) minor offence as minor,
(14) major offence as major,
(15) expiable offence as expiable,
(16) inexpiable offence as inexpiable,
(17) gross offence as gross, and
(18) no gross offence as no gross,
‚Dear son SÈriputta, by these eighteen characteristics should a righteous person be
known.‛ Thus taught the Buddha.
(Herein, this is an instruction given by using the method of teaching with reference to
individuals (
puggalÈ-diÔÔahÈna dhamma-desanÈ
); the eighteen items, such as (1) indication
of what is no Dhamma as Dhamma, (2) indication of what is Dhamma as no Dhamma, ...
(17) indication of gross offence as no gross, and (18) indication of no gross offence as
gross, are called the eighteen characteristics of unrighteousness (
adhamma-vatthu
). They
are also called the eighteen causes of schism in the Sangha (
Bhedakaravatthu
). He who
possesses any of these eighteen characteristics is to be known as an unrighteous person
(
adhamma-vÈdÊ
)
(Similarly, on the side of righteousness, the eighteen items, such as (1) indication of what is
no Dhamma as no Dhamma, (2) indication of what is Dhamma as Dhamma ...(17)
indication of gross offence as gross, and (18) indication of no gross offence as no gross,
are called the eighteen characteristics of righteousness (
dhamma
-
vatthu
). He who possesses
any of these characteristics is to be known as a righteous person (
dhamma
-
vÈdÊ
). Thus the
purport of the Buddha's instruction should be understood briefly.
Distinction between Positive and Negative Items
(Of these [two sets of ] eighteen items, by way of
Suttanta
, the ten wholesome actions
(
kusalakamma-patha
) are the Dhamma; the ten unwholesome actions (
akusalakamma-
patha
) are no Dhamma. Likewise, the thirty-seven constituents of enlightenment
(
Bodhipakkhiya
-
dhamma
), namely, the four foundations of mindfulness (
SatipaÔÔhÈna
), the
four right efforts (
SammappadhÈna
), etc. are Dhamma. (The wrongly enumerated
aggregates of the above constituents, namely,) the three foundations of mindfulness, the
three right efforts, the three bases of psychic powers (
iddhipÈda
), the six faculties
(
indriya
), the six mental powers (
bala
), the eight factors of enlightenment (
bojjha~ga
), the
nine constituents of the path (
magga~ga
) as well as the four attachments (
upÈdÈna
), the
five hindrances (
nÊvaraÓa
), the seven latent desires (
anusaya
) and the eight wrong views
(
micchÈdiÔÔhi
), these and other aggregates are no Dhamma.
(If someone, after taking any of these false aggregates which are no Dhamma, and after
discussing with others and coming to an agreement with them saying: ‚We shall indicate
and speak of this stock of what is no Dhamma as Dhamma, if we do so, we shall belong to
the higher class of teaching families and we ourselves shall become well-known in
society,‛ declares: ‚This indeed is Dhamma!", (1) he indicates what is no Dhamma as
Dhamma.