The Related Discourses
5. Elements
| （四四九） 五戒 | 6 (449). The Five Precepts |
|---|---|
| 如是我聞： 一時，佛住舍衛國、祇樹、給孤獨園。 | 1. Thus I have heard:1 One time, the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta’s Grove of Śrāvastī. |
| 爾時，世尊告諸比丘： 「眾生常與界俱，與界和合⋯」 如是廣說乃至⋯ 「勝心生時與勝界俱。 鄙心生時與鄙界俱。 | 2. It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “Sentient beings always associate with their elements, and those with those elements come together … up to … When their thoughts are greater, they associate with greater elements. When their thoughts are lowly, they associate with lowly elements. |
| 「殺生時與殺界俱。 盜⋯婬⋯妄語⋯飲酒心時，與飲酒界俱。 不殺生時與不殺界俱。 不盜⋯不婬⋯不妄語⋯不飲酒，與不飲酒界俱。 | 3. “When they kill beings, they associate with the element of killing.2 When they think of stealing … having [wrong] sex … speaking falsely … drinking alcohol, they associate with the element of drinking alcohol. When they don’t kill beings, they associate with the element of not killing beings. When they don’t steal … don’t have [wrong] sex … don’t speak falsely … don’t drink alcohol, they associate with the element of not drinking alcohol. |
| 「是故，諸比丘，當善分別種種界。」 | 4. “Therefore, monks, you should discern the various elements well.” |
| 佛說是經已，諸比丘聞佛所說歡喜，奉行。 | 5. After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved. |
Notes
This is sūtra no. 449 in the Taisho edition and no. 697 in Yinshun (T99.2.115c6-14, Y30.162a9-13).
associate with the element. This expression likely refers to the type of people who follow or don’t follow the five precepts, if it was read in the same way it was in SĀ 5.4. [back]
Translator: Charles Patton
Last Revised: 1 February 2026
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