The Buddha teaches on Venerable Mahākassapa regarding imprudent, holding him up as a model of austere conduct, wisdom, and dedication to the training.

SN 16.2 Imprudent

Evaṁ me sutaṁ ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca mahākassapo āyasmā ca sāriputto bārāṇasiyaṁ viharanti isipatane migadāye.

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā mahākassapo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā mahākassapena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca:

“vuccati hidaṁ, āvuso kassapa, anātāpī anottappī abhabbo sambodhāya abhabbo nibbānāya abhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya; ātāpī ca kho ottappī bhabbo sambodhāya bhabbo nibbānāya bhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāyā”ti.

“Kittāvatā nu kho, āvuso, anātāpī hoti anottappī abhabbo sambodhāya abhabbo nibbānāya abhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya; kittāvatā ca panāvuso, ātāpī hoti ottappī bhabbo sambodhāya bhabbo nibbānāya bhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāyā”ti?

“Idhāvuso, bhikkhu ‘anuppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā uppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ātappaṁ karoti, ‘uppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīyamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ātappaṁ karoti, ‘anuppannā me kusalā dhammā nuppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ātappaṁ karoti, ‘uppannā me kusalā dhammā nirujjhamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ātappaṁ karoti. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, anātāpī hoti.

Kathañcāvuso, anottappī hoti? Idhāvuso, bhikkhu ‘anuppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā uppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ottappati, ‘uppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīyamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ottappati, ‘anuppannā me kusalā dhammā nuppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ottappati, ‘uppannā me kusalā dhammā nirujjhamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ottappati. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, anottappī hoti. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, anātāpī anottappī abhabbo sambodhāya abhabbo nibbānāya abhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya.

Kathañcāvuso, ātāpī hoti? Idhāvuso, bhikkhu ‘anuppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā uppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ātappaṁ karoti, ‘uppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīyamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ātappaṁ karoti, anuppannā me kusalā dhammā …pe… ātappaṁ karoti. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, ātāpī hoti.

Kathañcāvuso, ottappī hoti? Idhāvuso, bhikkhu ‘anuppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā uppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ottappati, ‘uppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīyamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ottappati, ‘anuppannā me kusalā dhammā anuppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ottappati, ‘uppannā me kusalā dhammā nirujjhamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ottappati. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, ottappī hoti. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, ātāpī ottappī bhabbo sambodhāya bhabbo nibbānāya bhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāyā”ti.

Dutiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Evaṁ me sutaṁ

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca mahākassapo āyasmā ca sāriputto bārāṇasiyaṁ viharanti isipatane migadāye.

At one time Venerable Mahākassapa and Venerable Sāriputta were staying near Varanasi, in the deer park at Isipatana.

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā mahākassapo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā mahākassapena saddhiṁ sammodi.

Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Sāriputta came out of retreat, went to Venerable Mahākassapa, and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca:

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Mahākassapa:

“vuccati hidaṁ, āvuso kassapa, anātāpī anottappī abhabbo sambodhāya abhabbo nibbānāya abhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya;

“Reverend Kassapa, it’s said that without being keen and prudent you can’t achieve awakening, extinguishment, and the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.

ātāpī ca kho ottappī bhabbo sambodhāya bhabbo nibbānāya bhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāyā”ti.

But if you are keen and prudent you can achieve awakening, extinguishment, and the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.

“Kittāvatā nu kho, āvuso, anātāpī hoti anottappī abhabbo sambodhāya abhabbo nibbānāya abhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya;

To what extent is this the case?”

kittāvatā ca panāvuso, ātāpī hoti ottappī bhabbo sambodhāya bhabbo nibbānāya bhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāyā”ti?

“Idhāvuso, bhikkhu ‘anuppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā uppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ātappaṁ karoti, ‘uppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīyamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ātappaṁ karoti, ‘anuppannā me kusalā dhammā nuppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ātappaṁ karoti, ‘uppannā me kusalā dhammā nirujjhamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ātappaṁ karoti.

“Reverend, take a mendicant who doesn’t foster keenness by thinking: ‘If unarisen unskillful qualities arise in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give up arisen unskillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give rise to unarisen skillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If arisen skillful qualities cease in me, they’ll lead to harm.’

Evaṁ kho, āvuso, anātāpī hoti.

That’s how you’re not keen.

Kathañcāvuso, anottappī hoti?

And how are you not prudent?

Idhāvuso, bhikkhu ‘anuppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā uppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ottappati, ‘uppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīyamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ottappati, ‘anuppannā me kusalā dhammā nuppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ottappati, ‘uppannā me kusalā dhammā nirujjhamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ottappati.

Take a mendicant who doesn’t foster prudence by thinking: ‘If unarisen unskillful qualities arise in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give up arisen unskillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give rise to unarisen skillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If arisen skillful qualities cease in me, they’ll lead to harm.’

Evaṁ kho, āvuso, anottappī hoti.

That’s how you’re not prudent.

Evaṁ kho, āvuso, anātāpī anottappī abhabbo sambodhāya abhabbo nibbānāya abhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya.

That’s how without being keen and prudent you can’t achieve awakening, extinguishment, and the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.

Kathañcāvuso, ātāpī hoti?

And how are you keen?

Idhāvuso, bhikkhu ‘anuppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā uppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ātappaṁ karoti, ‘uppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīyamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ātappaṁ karoti, anuppannā me kusalā dhammā …pe… ātappaṁ karoti.

Take a mendicant who fosters keenness by thinking: ‘If unarisen unskillful qualities arise in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give up arisen unskillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give rise to unarisen skillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If arisen skillful qualities cease in me, they’ll lead to harm.’

Evaṁ kho, āvuso, ātāpī hoti.

That’s how you’re keen.

Kathañcāvuso, ottappī hoti?

And how are you prudent?

Idhāvuso, bhikkhu ‘anuppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā uppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ottappati, ‘uppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīyamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ottappati, ‘anuppannā me kusalā dhammā anuppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ottappati, ‘uppannā me kusalā dhammā nirujjhamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ottappati.

Take a mendicant who fosters prudence by thinking: ‘If unarisen unskillful qualities arise in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give up arisen unskillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give rise to unarisen skillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If arisen skillful qualities cease in me, they’ll lead to harm.’

Evaṁ kho, āvuso, ottappī hoti.

That’s how you’re prudent.

Evaṁ kho, āvuso, ātāpī ottappī bhabbo sambodhāya bhabbo nibbānāya bhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāyā”ti.

That’s how if you’re keen and prudent you can achieve awakening, extinguishment, and the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.”

Dutiyaṁ.

Qualities:

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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Safety

Safety

A state of complete security and refuge where there is no threat from defilements or the turbulence of becoming. It is the peace of one who has found shelter from the storms of craving and has nothing left to lose or fear.

Also known as: sanctuary, security, at peace, rest
Pāli: khema
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Unwholesome

Unwholesome

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

Also known as: blameworthy, unhealthy, unskillful, unbeneficial, karmically unprofitable
Pāli: akusala
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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