The Buddha teaches on sure-bet dice, presenting a threefold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 3.118 Sure-bet Dice -

“Tisso imā, bhikkhave, vipattiyo. Katamā tisso? Sīlavipatti, cittavipatti, diṭṭhivipatti.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sīlavipatti? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pāṇātipātī hoti …pe… samphappalāpī hoti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sīlavipatti.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, cittavipatti? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco abhijjhālu hoti byāpannacitto. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, cittavipatti.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, diṭṭhivipatti? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco micchādiṭṭhiko hoti viparītadassano: ‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe… ye imañca lokaṁ parañca lokaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedentī’ti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, diṭṭhivipatti. Sīlavipattihetu vā, bhikkhave …pe… diṭṭhivipattihetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjanti. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, apaṇṇako maṇi uddhaṁ khitto yena yeneva patiṭṭhāti suppatiṭṭhitaṁyeva patiṭṭhāti; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, sīlavipattihetu sattā …pe… upapajjanti.

Imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso vipattiyoti.

Tisso imā, bhikkhave, sampadā. Katamā tisso? Sīlasampadā, cittasampadā, diṭṭhisampadā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sīlasampadā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti …pe… ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sīlasampadā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, cittasampadā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco anabhijjhālu hoti abyāpannacitto. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, cittasampadā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, diṭṭhisampadā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco sammādiṭṭhiko hoti aviparītadassano: ‘atthi dinnaṁ, atthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe… ye imañca lokaṁ parañca lokaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedentī’ti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, diṭṭhisampadā. Sīlasampadāhetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti. Cittasampadāhetu …pe… diṭṭhisampadāhetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, apaṇṇako maṇi uddhaṁ khitto yena yeneva patiṭṭhāti suppatiṭṭhitaṁyeva patiṭṭhāti; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, sīlasampadāhetu sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti, cittasampadāhetu sattā …pe… diṭṭhisampadāhetu sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti.

Imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso sampadā”ti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Tisso imā, bhikkhave, vipattiyo.

“Mendicants, there are three failures.

Katamā tisso?

What three?

Sīlavipatti, cittavipatti, diṭṭhivipatti.

Failure in ethics, mind, and view.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sīlavipatti?

And what is failure in ethics?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pāṇātipātī hoti …pe… samphappalāpī hoti.

It’s when someone kills living creatures, steals, commits sexual misconduct, and uses speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sīlavipatti.

This is called ‘failure in ethics’.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, cittavipatti?

And what is failure in mind?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco abhijjhālu hoti byāpannacitto.

It’s when someone is covetous and malicious.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, cittavipatti.

This is called ‘failure in mind’.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, diṭṭhivipatti?

And what is failure in view?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco micchādiṭṭhiko hoti viparītadassano:

It’s when someone has wrong view, a distorted perspective, such as:

‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe… ye imañca lokaṁ parañca lokaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedentī’ti.

‘There’s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. There’s no fruit or result of good and bad deeds. There’s no afterlife. There’s no such thing as mother and father, or beings that are reborn spontaneously. And there’s no ascetic or brahmin who is rightly comported and rightly practiced, and who describes the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.’

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, diṭṭhivipatti.

This is called ‘failure in view’.

Sīlavipattihetu vā, bhikkhave …pe… diṭṭhivipattihetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjanti.

Some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell because of failure in ethics, mind, or view.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, apaṇṇako maṇi uddhaṁ khitto yena yeneva patiṭṭhāti suppatiṭṭhitaṁyeva patiṭṭhāti;

It’s like throwing sure-bet dice: they always fall the right side up.

evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, sīlavipattihetu sattā …pe… upapajjanti.

In the same way, some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell because of failure in ethics, mind, or view.

Imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso vipattiyoti.

These are the three failures.

Tisso imā, bhikkhave, sampadā.

There are three accomplishments.

Katamā tisso?

What three?

Sīlasampadā, cittasampadā, diṭṭhisampadā.

Accomplishment in ethics, mind, and view.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sīlasampadā?

And what is accomplishment in ethics?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti …pe…

It’s when someone doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, or use speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical.

ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sīlasampadā.

This is called accomplishment in ethics.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, cittasampadā?

And what is accomplishment in mind?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco anabhijjhālu hoti abyāpannacitto.

It’s when someone is content and kind-hearted.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, cittasampadā.

This is called accomplishment in mind.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, diṭṭhisampadā?

And what is accomplishment in view?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco sammādiṭṭhiko hoti aviparītadassano:

It’s when someone has right view, an undistorted perspective, such as:

‘atthi dinnaṁ, atthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe… ye imañca lokaṁ parañca lokaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedentī’ti.

‘There is meaning in giving, sacrifice, and offerings. There are fruits and results of good and bad deeds. There is an afterlife. There are such things as mother and father, and beings that are reborn spontaneously. And there are ascetics and brahmins who are rightly comported and rightly practiced, and who describe the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.’

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, diṭṭhisampadā.

This is called accomplishment in view.

Sīlasampadāhetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti. Cittasampadāhetu …pe… diṭṭhisampadāhetu vā, bhikkhave, sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti.

Some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm because of accomplishment in ethics, mind, or view.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, apaṇṇako maṇi uddhaṁ khitto yena yeneva patiṭṭhāti suppatiṭṭhitaṁyeva patiṭṭhāti;

It’s like throwing sure-bet dice: they always fall the right side up.

evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, sīlasampadāhetu sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti, cittasampadāhetu sattā …pe… diṭṭhisampadāhetu sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti.

In the same way, some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm because of accomplishment in ethics, mind, or view.

Imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso sampadā”ti.

These are the three accomplishments.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Giving

Giving

The act of generosity, sharing, or offering to others without expecting anything in return. Giving is considered a foundational virtue in Buddhist practice, fostering selflessness and compassion.

Also known as: generosity, charity, donation, almsgiving, donating, philanthropy, providing with, gift with
Pāli: dāna
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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
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Insight

Insight

Insight is deep, intuitive realization that transforms understanding and guides practice.

Also known as: having insight, with understanding, right knowledge
Pāli: ñāṇa, sammāñāṇa
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Right view

Right view

View that is in line with the Dhamma — teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth.

Also known as: right understanding, right belief, view that is inline with the Dhamma
Pāli: sammādiṭṭhi
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Sexual misconduct

Sexual misconduct

Transgression of boundaries in intimate relations—acting on desire in ways that betray trust, cause harm, or violate the commitments of oneself or others.

Also known as: crossing boundaries, infidelity, inappropriate sexual behavior, unfaithfulness to one's partner
Pāli: kāmesumicchācāra
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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
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Last updated on July 27, 2026