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SN 1.18PTS (1st ed) SN 1.71 min read

Conscience

Hirīsutta

Does anyone have a sense of conscience and shame?

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 1.18Linked Discourses 1.18
  • 0.22. Nandanavagga2. The Garden of Delight

0.3HirīsuttaConscience

1.1“Hirīnisedho puriso,“Can a person constrained by conscience1.2koci lokasmiṁ vijjati;be found in the world,1.3Yo nindaṁ apabodhati,who is cognizant of blame,11.4asso bhadro kasāmivā”ti.like a fine horse of the whip?”

2.1“Hirīnisedhā tanuyā,“Few are those constrained by conscience,2.2ye caranti sadā satā;who live always mindful.2.3Antaṁ dukkhassa pappuyya,Having reached the end of suffering,2.4caranti visame saman”ti.smoothly they walk in the rough.”

Translator’s notes

  1. The reading apabodhati is uncertain. It seems to be from the root bodh, which suggests the sense “be aware (of), be cognizant (of)”. This matches the answering verse, which speaks of mindfulness. The point is that by being aware of what is blameworthy they restrain themselves from it.

    ↩ sn1.18:1.3