Ja 3621 min read

A Test of Virtue

Sīlavīmaṁsajātaka

“Virtue and learning”—This story the Master, while residing at Jetavana, told concerning a brahmin who would test the power of virtue. The king, they say, owing to his reputation for virtue, regarded him with special honour, beyond what was paid to other brahmins. He thought, “Can it be that the king regards me with special honour, because I am endowed with virtue, or as one devoted to the acquisition of learning? I will just test the comparative importance of virtue and learning.”

Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

0.1Jātaka
0.2Pañcakanipāta
0.3Vaṇṇārohavagga

0.42. Sīlavīmaṁsajātaka

1.1PTS 3.194“Sīlaṁ seyyo sutaṁ seyyo,1.2iti me saṁsayo ahu;1.3Sīlameva sutā seyyo,1.4iti me natthi saṁsayo.
2.1Moghā jāti ca vaṇṇo ca,2.2sīlameva kiruttamaṁ;2.3Sīlena anupetassa,2.4sutenattho na vijjati.
3.1Khattiyo ca adhammaṭṭho,3.2vesso cādhammanissito;3.3Te pariccajjubho loke,3.4upapajjanti duggatiṁ.
4.1Khattiyā brāhmaṇā vessā,4.2suddā caṇḍālapukkusā;4.3Idha dhammaṁ caritvāna,4.4bhavanti tidive samā.
5.1PTS 3.195Na vedā samparāyāya,5.2Na jāti nāpi bandhavā;5.3Sakañca sīlaṁ saṁsuddhaṁ,5.4Samparāyāya sukhāya cā”ti.

6.1Sīlavīmaṁsajātakaṁ dutiyaṁ.