Looking for some help finding a particular sutta.

person

I came across this passage in my wanderings.

Determinism (niyativāda) is the belief that an individual’s destiny is fixed and that he or she must act accordingly. The Buddha said there are two types of determinism, (1) theistic determinism (issaranimmānahetu)which claims that God knows and controls everything and thus has determined everything before it has happened and (2) kammic determinism (pubbekatahetu)which says that everything we experience, pleasant, painful or neutral, is due to our kamma, that is, how we have acted in the past. According to the Buddha, both these ideas are not just false but also pernicious (A.I,173). Determinism means that the individual cannot choose one course of action over another, cannot make an effort to change anything and is not responsible for anything he or she does. Such a belief can only lead to irresponsibility – ‘Don’t blame me, it is the will of God’ or inactivity – ‘What can I do? It’s my past kamma.’ See Free Will.

The A.I,173 looks to me like a reference to a specific sutta but I'm not very familiar with the classifications and couldn't track it down, any help would be appreciated.

fivebells

I think that citation is using the alternate numbering, given in the curly braces on this page. (I struggled with this, too, and @Jason helped me with it a few months ago.

"Monks, there are these three sectarian guilds that — when cross-examined, pressed for reasons, & rebuked by wise people — even though they may explain otherwise, remain stuck in [a doctrine of] inaction. Which three?

"There are brahmans & contemplatives who hold this teaching, hold this view: 'Whatever a person experiences — pleasant, painful, or neither pleasant nor painful — that is all caused by what was done in the past.' There are brahmans & contemplatives who hold this teaching, hold this view: 'Whatever a person experiences — pleasant, painful, or neither pleasant nor painful — that is all caused by a supreme being's act of creation.' There are brahmans & contemplatives who hold this teaching, hold this view: 'Whatever a person experiences — pleasant, painful, or neither pleasant nor painful — that is all without cause & without condition.'

person

Thanks @fivebells I was able to find the sutta with that help.