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SN 1.22PTS (1st ed) SN 1.131 min read

Impact

Phusatisutta

The evil you do hurts yourself.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 1.22Linked Discourses 1.22
  • 0.23. Sattivagga3. A Sword

0.3PhusatisuttaImpact

1.1“Nāphusantaṁ phusati ca,“It doesn’t impact one who doesn’t impact others.11.2phusantañca tato phuse;It impacts one because they impact others.1.3Tasmā phusantaṁ phusati,That’s why it impacts one who impacts,1.4appaduṭṭhapadosinan”ti.who wrongs one who’s done no wrong.”

2.1“Yo appaduṭṭhassa narassa dussati,“Whoever wrongs a man who has done no wrong,22.2Suddhassa posassa anaṅgaṇassa;a pure man who has not a blemish,2.3Tameva bālaṁ pacceti pāpaṁ,the evil backfires on the fool,2.4Sukhumo rajo paṭivātaṁva khitto”ti.like fine dust thrown upwind.”

Translator’s notes

  1. To “impact” (phusati, elsewhere “contact” or “touch”) is to create harmful karma, which is the “it” that in turn harms the ones who impacts.

    ↩ sn1.22:1.1

  2. This verse occurs with a troublesome brahmin at SN 7.4:2.1; as rejoinder to Kokālika’s attack on Sāriputta and Moggallāna at Snp 3.10:14.1 (see SN 6.10, which has the story without this verse); and at Dhp 125.

    ↩ sn1.22:2.1