Kuta Sutta

The Peak of the Roof

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

Then Anathapindika the householder went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, the Blessed One said to him: "Householder, when the mind is unprotected, bodily actions are unprotected as well, verbal actions are unprotected as well, mental actions are unprotected as well. When one's bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental actions are unprotected, one's bodily actions get soggy, one's verbal actions get soggy, one's mental actions get soggy. When one's bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental actions are soggy, one's bodily actions... verbal actions... mental actions rot. When one's bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental actions rot, one's death is not auspicious, the mode of one's dying not good.

"Just as when a peak-roofed house is poorly roofed: The peak of the roof is unprotected, the roof beams are unprotected, the walls are unprotected. The peak of the roof... the roof beams... the walls get soggy. The peak of the roof... the roof beams... the walls then rot.

"In the same way, when the mind is unprotected, bodily actions... verbal actions... mental actions are unprotected as well... One's bodily... verbal... mental actions get soggy... One's bodily... verbal... mental actions rot. When one's bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental actions rot, one's death is not auspicious, the mode of one's dying not good.

"Now, when the mind is protected, bodily actions are protected as well, verbal actions are protected as well, mental actions are protected as well. When one's bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental actions are protected, one's bodily actions... verbal actions... mental actions don't get soggy. When one's bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental actions aren't soggy, one's bodily actions... verbal actions... mental actions don't rot. When one's bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental actions don't rot, one's death is auspicious, the mode of one's dying is good.

"Just as when a peak-roofed house is well roofed: The peak of the roof is protected, the roof beams are protected, the walls are protected. The peak of the roof... the roof beams... the walls don't get soggy. The peak of the roof... the roof beams... the walls don't rot.

"In the same way, when the mind is protected, bodily actions... verbal actions... mental actions are protected as well... One's bodily... verbal... mental actions don't get soggy... One's bodily... verbal... mental actions don't rot. When one's bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental actions don't rot, one's death is auspicious, the mode of one's dying is good."