Six Cases of Incapability by One Accomplished in View

Monks, there are these six cases of incapability.

What six?

One accomplished in view is:

(1) incapable of depriving his mother of life;

(2) incapable of depriving his father of life;

(3) incapable of depriving an Arahant of life;

(4) incapable of shedding The Tathāgata’s blood with a mind of hatred;

(5) incapable of creating a division in The Community;

(6) incapable of acknowledging another Teacher.

These are the six cases of incapability.

(Reference: AN 6.94)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares “The Six Cases of Incapability” for one who is accomplished and well established in “Right View”.

(1) Incapable of depriving his mother of life: A Practitioner who is “accomplished in view” would not be able to kill their own mother.

(2) Incapable of depriving his father of life: A Practitioner who is “accomplished in view” would not be able to kill their own father.

(3) Incapable of depriving an Arahant of life: A Practitioner who is “accomplished in view” would not be able to kill an Enlightened being, an Arahant.

(4) Incapable of shedding The Tathāgata’s blood with a mind of hatred: A Practitioner who is “accomplished in view” would not be able to harm a Buddha, a Tathāgata.

(5) Incapable of creating a division in The Community: A Practitioner who is “accomplished in view” would not be able to create separation, arguments, or breaking up of The Community of Practitioners learning and practicing these Teachings.

(6) Incapable of acknowledging another Teacher: A Practitioner who is “accomplished in view” would not be able to learn with a Teacher other than The Buddha or a Teacher of his Teachings.

For a person who has deeply learned, reflected, and practiced these Teachings establishing “Right View”, they would be incapable of any of these six deeds. They would deeply understand the harm these deeds would cause and in doing so, they would cause harm to themselves. They would deeply understand that these Teachings are leading to the diminishing of their own discontentedness and is The Path to Enlightenment, therefore, they would be unable to acknowledge another Teacher as their Teacher because they would know that these Teachings are the truth leading to wisdom. They would observe that their mind is becoming liberated through these Teachings and unable to recognize another Teacher.

(1-5) of this list are referred to as The Five Heinous Crimes or The Five Heinous Unwholesome Acts.