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### Sutta Nipata IV.3

# Dutthatthaka Sutta

# Corrupted

Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
For free distribution only.

> There are some who dispute
> corrupted at heart,
> and those who dispute
> their hearts set on truth,
> but a sage doesn't enter
> a dispute that's arisen,
> which is why he is
> nowhere constrained.

> Now, how would one
> led on by desire,
> entrenched in his likes,
> forming his own conclusions,
> overcome his own views?
> He'd dispute in line
> with the way that he knows.

> Whoever boasts to others, unasked,
> of his practices, precepts,
> is, say the skilled,
> ignoble by nature --
> he who speaks of himself
> of his own accord.

> But a monk at peace,
> fully unbound in himself,
> who doesn't boast of his precepts
> -- "That's how I am" --
> he, say the skilled,
> is noble by nature --
> he with no vanity
> with regard to the world.

> One whose doctrines aren't clean --
> fabricated, formed, given preference
> when he sees it to his own advantage --
> relies on a peace
> dependent
> on what can be shaken.

> Because entrenchments[1] in views
> aren't easily overcome
> when considering what's grasped
> among doctrines,
> that's why
> a person embraces or rejects a doctrine --
> in light of these very
> entrenchments.

> Now, one who is cleansed[2]
> has no preconceived view
> about states of becoming
> or not-
> anywhere in the world.
> Having abandoned conceit[3] & illusion,
> by what means would he go?[4]
> He isn't involved.

> For one who's involved
> gets into disputes
> over doctrines,
> but how -- in connection with what[5] --
> would you argue
> with one uninvolved?
> He has nothing
> embraced or rejected,
> has sloughed off every view
> right here -- every one.

### Notes

1. Entrenchments: a rendering of the Pali term, nivesana, which can also be rendered as abode, situation, home, or establishment. [Go back]

2. Nd.I: Cleansed through discernment. [Go back]

3. Nd.I explains a variety of ways of understanding the word "conceit," the most comprehensive being a list of nine kinds of conceit: viewing people better than oneself as worse than oneself, on a par with oneself, or better than oneself; viewing people on a par with oneself as worse than oneself, on a par with oneself, or better than oneself; viewing people worse than oneself as worse than oneself, on a par with oneself, or better than oneself. In other words, the truth of the view is not the issue here; the issue is the tendency to compare oneself with others. [Go back]

4. Nd.I: "By what means would he go" to any destination in any state of becoming. [Go back]

5. In connection with what: a rendering of the instrumental case that attempts to cover several of its meanings, in particular "by what means" and "in terms of what." For a discussion of the use of the instrumental case in the Atthaka Vagga, see note 1 to Sn IV.9. [Go back]

Revised: Wed 16 May 2001