Piya Sutta

Translation by Bhikkhuni Uppalavanna

1. In Sàvatthi

2. King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Blessed One, worshipped sat on a side and said to the Blessed One:


 * "Venerable sir, when I was lost in my thoughts, this occurred to me, `Who is dear to one self and who is not dear to one self? Then it occurred to me:

3. "He that misbehaves by body, by words and by mind is not dear to himself. How ever much he may say, `the self is dear to me' the self is not dear to him. What is the reason? What a person, does to someone he dislikes, that he does to himself. Therefore the self is not dear to him.

4. "He that behaves correctly by body, by words and by mind is dear to himself. How ever much he may say, `the self is not dear to me' the self is dear to him. What is the reason? What a person, does to someone he likes, that he does to himself. Therefore the self is dear to him."

5. "Great king! That is so! Whoever misbehaves by body, words and mind, to him the self is not dear. Whoever behaves correctly by body, words and mind, to him the self is dear.

6. "Knowing that the self is dear to you, do not yoke it to evil,
 * Pleasantness is always obtained with difficulty.
 * The ender is the destroyer of humanity.
 * Why become his friend? When going what do you take?
 * Do you want to be his follower, following him like his shadow?
 * A human does both merit and demerit, they are his friends,
 * They are his following, like his shadow they follow him.
 * Therefore do merit, forever thinking of the other world.
 * Merit establishes beings in the other world."