Benevolence in MN93

Feedback
1

With respect to the following paragraph in the English version of MN93, I’m pretty sure ‘benevolent’ should actually be ‘malevolent’ or the preceding ‘not’ should be removed (although perhaps this was in Horner’s original so should be kept for the sakes of preserving the integrity of the translation).

“What do you think about this, Assalāyana? If a brahman refrained from onslaught on creatures, from taking what had not been given, from wrong enjoyment of the sense-pleasures, from being a liar, from slanderous speech, from harsh speech, from being a gossip, were not covetous, were not benevolent in mind and of right view—would only he at the breaking up of the body after dying arise in a good bourn, a heaven world, and not a noble, nor a merchant, nor a worker?”

3 Likes
2

Good catch. Ven. Bodhi’s version:

“What do you think, Assalāyana? Suppose a brahmin were to abstain from killing living beings, from taking what is not given, from misconduct in sensual pleasures, from false speech, from malicious speech, from harsh speech, and from gossip, and were to be uncovetous, to have a mind without ill will, and to hold right view. On the dissolution of the body, after death, would only he [be likely to] reappear in a happy destination, even in the heavenly world—and not a noble, or a merchant, or a worker?”

1 Like