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The Buddha said: "Three things, O disciples, are characterized by secrecy: love affairs, priestly wisdom, and all aberrations from the path of truth. 1
"Women who are in love, O disciples, seek secrecy and shun publicity; priests who claim to be in possession of special revelations, O disciples, seek secrecy and shun[Pg 124] publicity; all those who stray from the path of truth, O disciples, seek secrecy and shun publicity. 2
"Three things, O disciples, shine before the world and cannot be hidden. What are the three? 3
"The moon, O disciples, illumines the world and cannot be hidden; the sun, O disciples, illumines the world and cannot be hidden; and the truth proclaimed by the Tathgata illumines the world and cannot be hidden. These three things, O disciples, illumine the world and cannot be hidden. There is no secrecy about them." 4
And the Buddha said: "What, my friends, is evil? 1
"Killing is evil; stealing is evil; yielding to sexual passion is evil; lying is evil; slandering is evil; abuse is evil; gossip is evil; envy is evil; hatred is evil; to cling to false doctrine is evil; all these things, my friends, are evil. 2
"And what, my friends, is the root of evil? 3
"Desire is the root of evil; hatred is the root of evil; illusion is the root of evil; these things are the root of evil. 4
"What, however, is good? 5
"Abstaining from killing is good; abstaining from theft is good; abstaining from sensuality is good; abstaining from falsehood is good; abstaining from slander is good; suppression of unkindness is good; abandoning gossip is good; letting go all envy is good; dismissing hatred is good; obedience to the truth is good; all these things are good. 6
"And what, my friends, is the root of the good? 7
"Freedom from desire is the root of the good; freedom from hatred and freedom from illusion; these things, my friends, are the root of the good. 8
[Pg 125] "What, however, O brethren, is suffering? What is the origin of suffering? What is the annihilation of suffering? 9
"Birth is suffering; old age is suffering; disease is suffering; death is suffering; sorrow and misery are suffering; affliction and despair are suffering; to be united with loathsome things is suffering; the loss of that which we love and the failure in attaining that which is longed for are suffering; all these things, O brethren, are suffering. 10
"And what, O brethren, is the origin of suffering? 11
"It is lust, passion, and the thirst for existence that yearns for pleasure everywhere, leading to a continual rebirth! It is sensuality, desire, selfishness; all these things, O brethren, are the origin of suffering. 12
"And what is the annihilation of suffering? 13
"The radical and total annihilation of this thirst and the abandonment, the liberation, the deliverance from passion, that, O brethren, is the annihilation of suffering. 14
"And what, O brethren, is the path that leads to the annihilation of suffering? 15
"It is the holy eightfold path that leads to the annihilation of suffering, which consists of, right views, right decision, right speech, right action, right living, right struggling, right thoughts, and right meditation. 16
"In so far, O friends, as a noble youth thus recognizes suffering and the origin of suffering, as he recognizes the annihilation of suffering, and walks on the path that leads to the annihilation of suffering, radically forsaking passion, subduing wrath, annihilating the vain conceit of the "I-am," leaving ignorance, and attaining to enlightenment, he will make an end of all suffering even in this life." 17
The Buddha said: "All acts of living creatures become bad by ten things, and by avoiding the ten things they become good. There are three evils of the body, four evils of the tongue, and three evils of the mind. 1
"The evils of the body are, murder, theft, and adultery, of the tongue, lying, slander, abuse, and idle talk; of the mind, covetousness, hatred, and error. 2
"I exhort you to avoid the ten evils: 3
"I. Kill not, but have regard for life. 4
"II. Steal not, neither do ye rob; but help everybody to be master of the fruits of his labor. 5
"III. Abstain from impurity, and lead a life of chastity. 6
"IV. Lie not, but be truthful. Speak the truth with discretion, fearlessly and in a loving heart. 7
"V. Invent not evil reports, neither do ye repeat them. Carp not, but look for the good sides of your fellow-beings, so that ye may with sincerity defend them against their enemies. 8
"VI. Swear not, but speak decently and with dignity. 9
"VII. Waste not the time with gossip, but speak to the purpose or keep silence. 10
"VIII. Covet not, nor envy, but rejoice at the fortunes of other people. 11
"IX. Cleanse your heart of malice and cherish no hatred, not even against your enemies; but embrace all living beings with kindness. 12
"X. Free your mind of ignorance and be anxious to learn the truth, especially in the one thing that is needful, lest you fall a prey either to scepticism or to errors. Scepticism will make you indifferent and errors will lead you astray, so that you shall not find the noble path that leads to life eternal." 13
And the Blessed One said to his disciples: 1
"When I have passed away and can no longer address you and edify your minds with religious discourse, select from among you men of good family and education to preach the truth in my stead. And let those men be invested with the robes of the Tathgata, let them enter into the abode of the Tathgata, and occupy the pulpit of the Tathgata. 2
