The Buddha teaches on intentional (2nd), presenting a tenfold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 10.218 Intentional (2nd)

“Nāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sañcetanikānaṁ kammānaṁ katānaṁ upacitānaṁ appaṭisaṁveditvā byantībhāvaṁ vadāmi, tañca kho diṭṭheva dhamme upapajje apare pariyāye. Na tvevāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sañcetanikānaṁ kammānaṁ katānaṁ upacitānaṁ appaṭisaṁveditvā dukkhassantakiriyaṁ vadāmi.

Tatra, bhikkhave, tividhā kāyakammantasandosabyāpatti akusalasañcetanikā dukkhudrayā dukkhavipākā hoti; catubbidhā vacīkammantasandosabyāpatti akusalasañcetanikā dukkhudrayā dukkhavipākā hoti; tividhā manokammantasandosabyāpatti akusalasañcetanikā dukkhudrayā dukkhavipākā hoti.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, tividhā kāyakammantasandosabyāpatti akusalasañcetanikā dukkhudrayā dukkhavipākā hoti …pe… evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tividhā kāyakammantasandosabyāpatti akusalasañcetanikā dukkhudrayā dukkhavipākā hoti.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, catubbidhā vacīkammantasandosabyāpatti akusalasañcetanikā dukkhudrayā dukkhavipākā hoti …pe… evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, catubbidhā vacīkammantasandosabyāpatti akusalasañcetanikā dukkhudrayā dukkhavipākā hoti.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, tividhā manokammantasandosabyāpatti akusalasañcetanikā dukkhudrayā dukkhavipākā hoti …pe… evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tividhā manokammantasandosabyāpatti akusalasañcetanikā dukkhudrayā dukkhavipākā hoti.

Tividhakāyakammantasandosabyāpattiakusalasañcetanikāhetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjanti, catubbidhavacīkammanta …pe… tividhamanokammantasandosabyāpattiakusalasañcetanikāhetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjanti.

Nāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sañcetanikānaṁ kammānaṁ katānaṁ upacitānaṁ appaṭisaṁveditvā byantībhāvaṁ vadāmi, tañca kho diṭṭheva dhamme upapajje apare pariyāye. Na tvevāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sañcetanikānaṁ kammānaṁ katānaṁ upacitānaṁ appaṭisaṁveditvā dukkhassantakiriyaṁ vadāmi.

Tatra kho, bhikkhave, tividhā kāyakammantasampatti kusalasañcetanikā sukhudrayā sukhavipākā hoti; catubbidhā vacīkammantasampatti kusalasañcetanikā sukhudrayā sukhavipākā hoti; tividhā manokammantasampatti kusalasañcetanikā sukhudrayā sukhavipākā hoti.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, tividhā kāyakammantasampatti kusalasañcetanikā sukhudrayā sukhavipākā hoti …pe… evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tividhā kāyakammantasampatti kusalasañcetanikā sukhudrayā sukhavipākā hoti.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, catubbidhā vacīkammantasampatti kusalasañcetanikā sukhudrayā sukhavipākā hoti …pe… evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, catubbidhā vacīkammantasampatti kusalasañcetanikā sukhudrayā sukhavipākā hoti.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, tividhā manokammantasampatti kusalasañcetanikā sukhudrayā sukhavipākā hoti …pe… evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tividhā manokammantasampatti kusalasañcetanikā sukhudrayā sukhavipākā hoti.

Tividhakāyakammantasampattikusalasañcetanikāhetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti; catubbidhavacīkammantasampatti …pe… tividhamanokammantasampattikusalasañcetanikāhetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti …pe…

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Nāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sañcetanikānaṁ kammānaṁ katānaṁ upacitānaṁ appaṭisaṁveditvā byantībhāvaṁ vadāmi,

“Mendicants, I don’t say that intentional deeds that have been performed and accumulated are eliminated without being experienced.

tañca kho diṭṭheva dhamme upapajje apare pariyāye.

And that may be in this very life, or in the next life, or in some subsequent period.

Na tvevāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sañcetanikānaṁ kammānaṁ katānaṁ upacitānaṁ appaṭisaṁveditvā dukkhassantakiriyaṁ vadāmi.

But in any case, there is no making an end of suffering without experiencing intentional deeds that have been performed and accumulated, I say.

Tatra, bhikkhave, tividhā kāyakammantasandosabyāpatti akusalasañcetanikā dukkhudrayā dukkhavipākā hoti;

Now, there are three kinds of corruption and failure of bodily action that have unskillful intention, with suffering as their outcome and result.

catubbidhā vacīkammantasandosabyāpatti akusalasañcetanikā dukkhudrayā dukkhavipākā hoti;

There are four kinds of corruption and failure of verbal action that have unskillful intention, with suffering as their outcome and result.

tividhā manokammantasandosabyāpatti akusalasañcetanikā dukkhudrayā dukkhavipākā hoti.

There are three kinds of corruption and failure of mental action that have unskillful intention, with suffering as their outcome and result.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, tividhā kāyakammantasandosabyāpatti akusalasañcetanikā dukkhudrayā dukkhavipākā hoti …pe…

And what are the three kinds of corruption and failure of bodily action? …

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tividhā kāyakammantasandosabyāpatti akusalasañcetanikā dukkhudrayā dukkhavipākā hoti.

These are the three kinds of corruption and failure of bodily action.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, catubbidhā vacīkammantasandosabyāpatti akusalasañcetanikā dukkhudrayā dukkhavipākā hoti …pe…

And what are the four kinds of corruption and failure of verbal action? …

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, catubbidhā vacīkammantasandosabyāpatti akusalasañcetanikā dukkhudrayā dukkhavipākā hoti.

These are the four kinds of corruption and failure of verbal action.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, tividhā manokammantasandosabyāpatti akusalasañcetanikā dukkhudrayā dukkhavipākā hoti …pe…

And what are the three kinds of corruption and failure of mental action? …

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tividhā manokammantasandosabyāpatti akusalasañcetanikā dukkhudrayā dukkhavipākā hoti.

These are the three kinds of corruption and failure of mental action.

Tividhakāyakammantasandosabyāpattiakusalasañcetanikāhetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjanti, catubbidhavacīkammanta …pe… tividhamanokammantasandosabyāpattiakusalasañcetanikāhetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjanti.

When their body breaks up, after death, sentient beings are reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell because of these three kinds of corruption and failure of bodily action, these four kinds of corruption and failure of verbal action, or these three kinds of corruption and failure of mental action that have unskillful intention, with suffering as their outcome and result.

Nāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sañcetanikānaṁ kammānaṁ katānaṁ upacitānaṁ appaṭisaṁveditvā byantībhāvaṁ vadāmi,

I don’t say that intentional deeds that have been performed and accumulated are eliminated without being experienced.

tañca kho diṭṭheva dhamme upapajje apare pariyāye.

And that may be in this very life, or in the next life, or in some subsequent period.

Na tvevāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sañcetanikānaṁ kammānaṁ katānaṁ upacitānaṁ appaṭisaṁveditvā dukkhassantakiriyaṁ vadāmi.

But in any case, there is no making an end of suffering without experiencing intentional deeds that have been performed and accumulated, I say.

Tatra kho, bhikkhave, tividhā kāyakammantasampatti kusalasañcetanikā sukhudrayā sukhavipākā hoti;

Now, there are three kinds of successful bodily action that have skillful intention, with happiness as their outcome and result.

catubbidhā vacīkammantasampatti kusalasañcetanikā sukhudrayā sukhavipākā hoti;

There are four kinds of successful verbal action that have skillful intention, with happiness as their outcome and result.

tividhā manokammantasampatti kusalasañcetanikā sukhudrayā sukhavipākā hoti.

There are three kinds of successful mental action that have skillful intention, with happiness as their outcome and result.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, tividhā kāyakammantasampatti kusalasañcetanikā sukhudrayā sukhavipākā hoti …pe…

And what are the three kinds of successful bodily action? …

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tividhā kāyakammantasampatti kusalasañcetanikā sukhudrayā sukhavipākā hoti.

These are the three kinds of successful bodily action.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, catubbidhā vacīkammantasampatti kusalasañcetanikā sukhudrayā sukhavipākā hoti …pe…

And what are the four kinds of successful verbal action? …

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, catubbidhā vacīkammantasampatti kusalasañcetanikā sukhudrayā sukhavipākā hoti.

These are the four kinds of successful verbal action.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, tividhā manokammantasampatti kusalasañcetanikā sukhudrayā sukhavipākā hoti …pe…

And what are the three kinds of successful mental action? …

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tividhā manokammantasampatti kusalasañcetanikā sukhudrayā sukhavipākā hoti.

These are the three kinds of successful mental action.

Tividhakāyakammantasampattikusalasañcetanikāhetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti; catubbidhavacīkammantasampatti …pe… tividhamanokammantasampattikusalasañcetanikāhetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti …pe…

When their body breaks up, after death, sentient beings are reborn in a good place, in heaven because of these three kinds of successful bodily action, these four kinds of successful verbal action, or these three kinds of successful mental action that have skillful intention, with happiness as their outcome and result. …”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Desire

Desire

A wholesome motivation, interest, or objective that acts as the starting point for effort and application of will.

Also known as: aspiration, interest, wish, having an objective, intention, impulse
Pāli: chanda
View all discourses →
Happiness

Happiness

Bodily ease and comfort; a pleasant feeling experienced with the body. In the third jhāna, one dwells experiencing this pleasure with the body. It is abandoned, along with bodily pain, for the fourth jhāna to arise.

Also known as: pleasant abiding, positive state of mind, sense of ease
Pāli: sukha
View all discourses →
Harm

Harm

Intention or action that causes injury or suffering to oneself or others. It arises from aversion and heedlessness and destroys trust and safety. The opposite of non-harm, it obscures compassion and leads to regret.

Also known as: injury causing behavior, destructiveness, bad, evil
Pāli: pāpaka
View all discourses →
Suffering

Suffering

Unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence.

Also known as: discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentedness, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, distress, affliction
Pāli: dukkha
View all discourses →
Unwholesome

Unwholesome

Conducive to or suggestive of poor health and mental well-being.

Also known as: blameworthy, unhealthy, unskillful, unbeneficial, karmically unprofitable
Pāli: akusala
View all discourses →
Wholesome

Wholesome

Conducive to or suggestive of good health and mental well-being.

Also known as: blameless, skillful, beneficial, good, useful, healthy, nourishing, sustaining
Pāli: kusala
View all discourses →

Last updated on July 27, 2026