A Summary of the Advice to Rāhula at Ambalaṭṭhika (MN 61)
Rāhula is believed to have been the Buddha's son before he went on his quest. The contents of this sutta are aimed at a young child with simple similes. The full sutta can be found at this link. This is my summary.
An ascetic's nature is destroyed when they are not ashamed to tell a deliberate lie. When someone is not ashamed to tell a deliberate lie, there is no bad deed they would not do. One should train oneself: "I will not tell a lie, even for a joke."
All deeds of body, speech, and mind should only be done after repeated checking.
Before you act, while you act, and after you act, reflect:
- Does this harm myself, others, or both?
- Is the act unskillful, with suffering as its outcome and result?
- Or does it not lead to harm to anyone, skillful, with happiness as outcome and result?
How you respond depends on the type of deed, when the deed is done, and what type of deed it is.
Bodily actions:
- If you catch yourself before acting and it is unskillful, then to the best of your ability, don't do it.
- If you notice while you're doing that it is unskillful, then stop. Otherwise, continue the deed.
- If you reflect afterward that an act was unskillful, you should confess the deed to the Teacher or a sensible spiritual companion. After doing so, restrain yourself in the future. However, if it was skillful, then one should cultivate a sense of rapture and joy because of this and continue training day and night in skillful qualities.
Verbal actions: The same as bodily actions.
Mental actions: The first two categories are the same, but the third is different. If you notice a harmful or unskillful thought, you should be horrified, repelled, and disgusted internally, and through that, you should restrain yourself in the future. Mental harm does not need to be confessed. However, if it is a positive thought, then live in rapture and joy because of that and continue training.