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HIS SERMONS
SECTION III SERMONS ON RIGHTEOUSNESS
§ 1. What is Righteousness
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Once when the Lord was on an alms-pilgrimage in Kosala, with a great train of almsmen, he came to a Brahmin village of the Kosalans named Sala.
It came to the ears of the Brahmin heads of families in Sala that the Blessed Lord had come to their village in the course of an alms-pilgrimage in Kosala.
They felt it was good to go and visit him. So the Brahmins of Sala went to the Lord and, after exchanging civil greetings, took their seats on one side.
They asked the Blessed One if he would explain to them what he meant by righteousness.
So to the attentive Brahmins the Lord said : “There are three forms of unrighteousness and wickedness for the body ; four for speech ; and three for thoughts.
“As regards bodily unrighteousness, a man ( i ) may take life, as a hunter with hands bathed in blood, given to killing and slaying, merciless to living creatures ; or ( ii ) may take what is not his, by appropriating to himself in thievish fashion the belongings of other people in village and jungle ; or ( iii ) may be a fornicator, having intercourse with girls under the charge of mother or father or brother or sister or relations, yes, with girls affianced and plighted, and even wearing the very garlands of betrothal.
“As regards unrighteousness of speech a man ( i ) may be a liar; when cited to give testimony before assembly or village-meeting or family council or royal household or his guild, he may say that he knows when he does not know, or that he does not know when he does know, or that he saw when he did not see, or that he did not see when he did see, deliberately lying in the interests either of himself or of other people or for some trifling gain. Or ( ii ) he may
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