Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho anāthapiṇḍikaṁ gahapatiṁ bhagavā etadavoca: Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika approached the Auspicious One, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Auspicious One said to him:

“citte, gahapati, arakkhite kāyakammampi arakkhitaṁ hoti, vacīkammampi arakkhitaṁ hoti, manokammampi arakkhitaṁ hoti. “Householder, when the citta is unguarded, actions of body, speech, and thought are unguarded. *One’s behavior is purified not by aligning it with an external standard, but by remaining watchful of [the intention behind it](https://www.hillsidehermitage.org/intentions-behind-ones-actions/). Intention is the most fundamental manifestation of the _citta_, whose root is the same as _cetanā_ (“intention”).

The most kind and compassionate external behaviors can [come out of various unwholesome intentions internally](https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=mn21#mn21:10.1-mn21:10.6), while outwardly harsh forms of expression are not necessarily a sign of internal ill-will, as exemplified by the Buddha himself throughout the Suttas. Tassa arakkhitakāyakammantassa arakkhitavacīkammantassa arakkhitamanokammantassa kāyakammampi avassutaṁ hoti, vacīkammampi avassutaṁ hoti, manokammampi avassutaṁ hoti. For one whose actions by body, speech, and thought are unguarded, those actions are “soaked”. Tassa avassutakāyakammantassa avassutavacīkammantassa avassutamanokammantassa kāyakammampi pūtikaṁ hoti, vacīkammampi pūtikaṁ hoti, manokammampi pūtikaṁ hoti. For one whose actions by, body, speech, and thought are “soaked”, those actions become rotten. Tassa pūtikāyakammantassa pūtivacīkammantassa pūtimanokammantassa na bhaddakaṁ maraṇaṁ hoti, na bhaddikā kālakiriyā. For one whose actions of body, speech, and thought are rotten, there will not be a good death, a good passing.

Seyyathāpi, gahapati, kūṭāgāre ducchanne kūṭampi arakkhitaṁ hoti, gopānasiyopi arakkhitā honti, bhittipi arakkhitā hoti; It is like a bungalow with a bad roof. The roof peak, rafters, and walls are unguarded. kūṭampi avassutaṁ hoti, gopānasiyopi avassutā honti, bhittipi avassutā hoti; They become soaked, kūṭampi pūtikaṁ hoti, gopānasiyopi pūtikā honti, bhittipi pūtikā hoti. and rotten.

Evamevaṁ kho, gahapati, citte arakkhite kāyakammampi arakkhitaṁ hoti, vacīkammampi arakkhitaṁ hoti, manokammampi arakkhitaṁ hoti. In the same way, when the citta is unguarded, actions of body, speech, and thought are unguarded. … Tassa arakkhitakāyakammantassa arakkhitavacīkammantassa arakkhitamanokammantassa kāyakammampi avassutaṁ hoti, vacīkammampi avassutaṁ hoti, manokammampi avassutaṁ hoti. Tassa avassutakāyakammantassa avassutavacīkammantassa avassutamanokammantassa kāyakammampi pūtikaṁ hoti, vacīkammampi pūtikaṁ hoti, manokammampi pūtikaṁ hoti. Tassa pūtikāyakammantassa pūtivacīkammantassa pūtimanokammantassa na bhaddakaṁ maraṇaṁ hoti, na bhaddikā kālakiriyā. For one whose actions of body, speech, and thought are rotten, there will not be a good death, a good passing.

Citte, gahapati, rakkhite kāyakammampi rakkhitaṁ hoti, vacīkammampi rakkhitaṁ hoti, manokammampi rakkhitaṁ hoti. “Householder, when the citta is guarded, actions of body, speech, and thought are guarded. Tassa rakkhitakāyakammantassa rakkhitavacīkammantassa rakkhitamanokammantassa kāyakammampi anavassutaṁ hoti, vacīkammampi anavassutaṁ hoti, manokammampi anavassutaṁ hoti. For one whose actions of body, speech, and thought are guarded, those actions do not become “soaked”. Tassa anavassutakāyakammantassa anavassutavacīkammantassa anavassutamanokammantassa kāyakammampi apūtikaṁ hoti, vacīkammampi apūtikaṁ hoti, manokammampi apūtikaṁ hoti. For one whose actions by body, speech, and thought are not “soaked”, those actions do not become rotten. Tassa apūtikāyakammantassa apūtivacīkammantassa apūtimanokammantassa bhaddakaṁ maraṇaṁ hoti, bhaddikā kālakiriyā. For one whose actions of body, speech, and thought are not rotten, there will be a good death, a good passing.

Seyyathāpi, gahapati, kūṭāgāre succhanne kūṭampi rakkhitaṁ hoti, gopānasiyopi rakkhitā honti, bhittipi rakkhitā hoti; It is like a bungalow with a good roof. The roof peak, rafters, and walls are guarded. kūṭampi anavassutaṁ hoti, gopānasiyopi anavassutā honti, bhittipi anavassutā hoti; They do not become soaked, kūṭampi apūtikaṁ hoti, gopānasiyopi apūtikā honti, bhittipi apūtikā hoti. and rotten.

Evamevaṁ kho, gahapati, citte rakkhite kāyakammampi rakkhitaṁ hoti, vacīkammampi rakkhitaṁ hoti, manokammampi rakkhitaṁ hoti. In the same way, when the citta is guarded, actions of body, speech, and thought are guarded. … Tassa rakkhitakāyakammantassa rakkhitavacīkammantassa rakkhitamanokammantassa kāyakammampi anavassutaṁ hoti, vacīkammampi anavassutaṁ hoti, manokammampi anavassutaṁ hoti. Tassa anavassutakāyakammantassa anavassutavacīkammantassa anavassutamanokammantassa kāyakammampi apūtikaṁ hoti, vacīkammampi apūtikaṁ hoti, manokammampi apūtikaṁ hoti. Tassa apūtikāyakammantassa apūtivacīkammantassa apūtimanokammantassa bhaddakaṁ maraṇaṁ hoti, bhaddikā kālakiriyā”ti. For one whose actions of body, speech, and thought are not rotten, there will be a good death, a good passing.”

Sattamaṁ.

AN3.109: Atitta Sutta