“Sir, we went to Mahākaccāna and asked him about this matter. And Mahākaccāna clearly explained the meaning to us in this manner, with these words and phrases.”
“Good, good, mendicants! Mahākaccāna is astute, he has great wisdom. If you came to me and asked this question, I would answer it in exactly the same way as Mahākaccāna. That is what it means, and that’s how you should remember it.”
Numbered Discourses 10.173 17. With Jānussoṇi Bad Principles (3rd)
“Mendicants, you should know bad principles and good principles. And you should know bad results and good results. Knowing these things, your practice should follow the good principles with good results.
So what are bad principles? What are good principles? What are bad results? And what are good results? Killing living creatures is a bad principle. Refraining from killing living creatures is a good principle. And the many bad, unskillful qualities produced by killing living creatures are bad results. And the many skillful qualities fully developed because of not killing living creatures are good results.