iti.20 Itivuttaka

A Corrupt Mind

This was said by the Lord…

“Here, bhikkhus, some person has a corrupt mind. Having examined his mind with my mind, I know that if this person were to die at this time, as if carried there he would be placed in hell. What is the reason for that? It is because his mind is corrupt. It is because of the mind’s corruption that some beings here, when the body perishes, are reborn after death in a state of misery, a bad bourn, a state of ruin, hell.”

Understanding the corrupt mind
Of some person dwelling here,
The Buddha explained its meaning
In the presence of the bhikkhus.

If that person were to die
At this very moment now,
He would be reborn in hell
Because of his corrupt mind.

As if they were carried off
And placed there, thus
Beings go to a bad bourn
Because of mind’s corruption.

- Translator: John D. Ireland

- Editor: Bhikkhu Sujato

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A Corrupted Mind

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.
“Mendicants, when I’ve comprehended the mind of a person whose mind is corrupted, I understand:
‘If this person were to die right now, they would be cast down to hell.’
Why is that?
Because their mind is corrupted.
Corruption of mind is the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.”
The Buddha spoke this matter.
On this it is said:
“Knowing a person’s
corrupted mind,
the Buddha explained this matter
in the mendicants’ presence.
If that person
were to die at this time,
they’d be reborn in hell,
for their mind is corrupted.
Such a person is cast down as surely
as if they’d been carried off and put there.
For corruption of mind is the reason
sentient beings go to a bad place.”
This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.