The Buddha shares the consequences for a person acting with a corrupted mind.

ITI 20  Paduṭṭhacitta sutta - Corrupted Mind

Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Awakened One, as I have heard:

“Idhāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ekaccaṁ puggalaṁ paduṭṭhacittaṁ evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāmi: ‘imamhi cāyaṁ samaye puggalo kālaṁ kareyya yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ niraye’. Taṁ kissa hetu? Cittaṁ hissa, bhikkhave, paduṭṭhaṁ. Cetopadosahetu kho pana, bhikkhave, evam’idhekacce sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjantī”ti.

“Here, |bhikkhus,::::| encompassing the mind of a certain person with my own mind, I |discern::distinguish, understand, know clearly [pajānāti]| they have a |corrupted::angry, upset [paduṭṭha]| mind: ‘If this person were to die at this very moment, they would be reborn in |hell::a place of intense suffering, lit. no good fortune [niraya]|, just as if they were carried and |placed::dropped, set aside [nikkhitta]| there.’ What is the reason for this? Because their mind is corrupted. Due to mental corruption, |bhikkhus,::::| some beings, with the breaking up of the body, after death, are reborn |in a state of loss::in a state of misery [apāya]|, in a bad destination, in a |realm of downfall::realm of misery [vinipāta]|, in hell.”

Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:

The Blessed One spoke on this matter. In this regard, it is said:

“Paduṭṭhacittaṁ ñatvāna,
ekaccaṁ idha puggalaṁ;
Etamatthañca byākāsi,
buddho bhikkhūna santike.

“Having known a certain person here
to have a corrupted mind;
the Buddha explained this matter
in the presence of the bhikkhus:

Imamhi cāyaṁ samaye,
kālaṁ kayirātha puggalo;
Nirayaṁ upapajjeyya,
cittaṁ hissa padūsitaṁ.

‘If this person were to die
at this very moment,
they would be reborn in hell,
for their mind is corrupted.

Yathā haritvā nikkhipeyya,
evamevaṁ tathāvidho;
Cetopadosahetu hi,
sattā gacchanti duggatin”ti.

Just as one might carry something and |set it down::puts down, places it down [nikkhipati]|,
so too is such a person [placed in hell];
indeed, due to mental corruption,
beings go to a bad destination.’”

Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.

This matter too was spoken by the Blessed One, as I have heard.

Qualities:

Aversion

Aversion

A rejecting mental quality rooted in perception, where one instinctively turns away from or resists unpleasant experiences or objects; it manifests as a tendency to push away discomfort, obstructing patience and acceptance.

Also known as: animosity, hate, hostility, fault-finding mindset, upset
Pāli: dosa, paṭighasaññā, vera
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Bad habits

Bad habits

The repeated indulgence in unskillful actions. Habitual engagement with the unwholesome strengthens defilements, making them harder to abandon and leading to decline.

Also known as: practice of unbeneficial actions, pursuing unskillful actions
Pāli: anuyoga + akusala
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Last updated on May 1, 2026