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← Aṅguttara Nikāya

A Seed

AN 10.104 · Bījasutta

Flat stepping stones cross a clear stream toward a grassy bank.

“Mendicants, consider an individual who has wrong view, purpose, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, immersion, knowledge, and freedom. Whatever bodily, verbal, or mental deeds they undertake in line with that view, their intentions, aims, wishes, and choices all lead to what is unlikable, undesirable, disagreeable, harmful, and suffering. Why is that? Because their view is bad.

Suppose a seed of neem, angled gourd, or bitter gourd was planted in moist earth. Whatever nutrients it takes up from the earth and water would lead to its bitter, acerbic, and unpleasant taste. Why is that? Because the seed is bad. In the same way, consider an individual who has wrong view, purpose, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, immersion, knowledge, and freedom. Whatever bodily, verbal, or mental deeds they undertake in line with that view, their intentions, aims, wishes, and choices all lead to what is unlikable, undesirable, disagreeable, harmful, and suffering. Why is that? Because their view is bad.

Consider an individual who has right view, purpose, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, immersion, knowledge, and freedom. Whatever bodily, verbal, or mental deeds they undertake in line with that view, their intentions, aims, wishes, and choices all lead to what is likable, desirable, agreeable, beneficial, and pleasant. Why is that? Because their view is good.

Suppose a seed of sugarcane, fine rice, or grape was planted in moist earth. Whatever nutrients it takes up from the earth and water would lead to its sweet, pleasant, delectable flavor. Why is that? Because the seed is good. In the same way, consider an individual who has right view, purpose, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, immersion, knowledge, and freedom. Whatever bodily, verbal, or mental deeds they undertake in line with that view, their intentions, aims, wishes, and choices all lead to what is likable, desirable, agreeable, beneficial, and pleasant. Why is that? Because their view is good.”

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Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.