4: The Book of the Fours
73. The Bad Person: The Bride
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi (More copyright information)
1"Bhikkhus, one who possesses four qualities can be understood to be a bad person. What four?
(1) "Here, bhikkhus, a bad person discloses the faults of others even when not asked about them, how much more then when asked. But when he is asked about them, then, led on by questions, he speaks about the faults of others without gaps or omissions, fully and in detail. It can be understood: ‘This fellow is a bad person.’
2(2) "Again, a bad person does not disclose the virtues of others even when asked about them, how much less then when not asked. But when he is asked about them, then, though led on by questions, he speaks about the virtues of others with gaps and omissions, not fully or in detail. It can be understood: ‘This fellow is a bad person.’
3(3) "Again, a bad person does not disclose his own faults even when asked about them, how much less then when not asked. But when he is asked about them, then, though led on by questions, he speaks about his own faults with gaps and omissions, not fully or in detail. It can be understood: ‘This fellow is a bad person.’
4(4) "Again, a bad person discloses his own virtues even when not asked about them, how much more then when asked. But when he is asked about them, then, led on by questions, he speaks about his own virtues without gaps and omissions, fully and in detail. It can be understood: ‘This fellow is a bad person.’
"One who possesses these four qualities can be understood to be a bad person.
5"Bhikkhus, one who possesses another four qualities can be understood to be a good person. What four?
(1) "Here, bhikkhus, a good person does not disclose the faults of others even when asked about them, how much less then when not asked. But when he is asked about them, then, though led on by questions, he speaks about the faults of others with gaps and omissions, not fully or in detail. It can be understood: ‘This fellow is a good person.’
6(2) "Again, a good person discloses the virtues of others even when not asked about them, how much more then when asked. But when he is asked about them, then, led on by questions, he speaks about the virtues of others without gaps and omissions, fully and in detail. It can be understood: ‘This fellow is a good person.’
7(3) "Again, a good person discloses his own faults even when not asked about them, how much more then when asked. But when he is asked about them, then, led on by questions, he speaks about his own faults without gaps and omissions, fully and in detail. It can be understood: ‘This fellow is a good person.’
8(4) "Again, a good person does not disclose his own virtues even when asked about them, how much less then when not asked. But when he is asked about them, then, led on by questions, he speaks about his own virtues with gaps and omissions, not fully or in detail. It can be understood: ‘This fellow is a good person.’
"One who possesses these four qualities can be understood as a good person.
9"Bhikkhus, [n.768] Ee treats this as the beginning of a new sutta, numbered AN4.74, whereas Ce and Be consider this part of AN4.73. Mp supports Ce and Be, stating that the simile is brought in to give an example of the bad person's character. when a bride is first brought into the home, whether at night or during the day, at first she sets up a keen sense of moral shame and moral dread toward her mother-in-law, her father-in-law, her husband, and even the slaves, workers, and servants. But after some time, as a result of living together and intimacy with them, she says to her mother-in-law, her father-in-law, and her husband: ‘Go away! What do you know?’
"So too, when some bhikkhu here has gone forth from the household life into homelessness, whether by night or during the day, at first he sets up a keen sense of moral shame and moral dread toward the bhikkhus, the bhikkhunīs, the male lay followers, the female lay followers, and even toward the monastery workers and novices. But after some time, as a result of living together and intimacy with them, he says even to his teacher and his preceptor: ‘Go away! What do you know?’
"Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will dwell with a mind like that of a newly arrived bride.’ It is in such a way that you should train yourselves."
1"Catūhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato asappuriso veditabbo. Katamehi catūhi?
Idha, bhikkhave, asappuriso yo hoti parassa avaṇṇo taṁ apuṭṭhopi pātu karoti, ko pana vādo puṭṭhassa. Puṭṭho kho pana pañhābhinīto ahāpetvā alambitvā paripūraṁ vitthārena parassa avaṇṇaṁ bhāsitā hoti. Veditabbametaṁ, bhikkhave, asappuriso ayaṁ bhavanti.
2Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, asappuriso yo hoti parassa vaṇṇo taṁ puṭṭhopi na pātu karoti, ko pana vādo apuṭṭhassa. Puṭṭho kho pana pañhābhinīto hāpetvā lambitvā aparipūraṁ avitthārena parassa vaṇṇaṁ bhāsitā hoti. Veditabbametaṁ, bhikkhave, asappuriso ayaṁ bhavanti.
3Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, asappuriso yo hoti attano avaṇṇo taṁ puṭṭhopi na pātu karoti, ko pana vādo apuṭṭhassa. Puṭṭho kho pana pañhābhinīto hāpetvā lambitvā aparipūraṁ avitthārena attano avaṇṇaṁ bhāsitā hoti. Veditabbametaṁ, bhikkhave, asappuriso ayaṁ bhavanti.
4Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, asappuriso yo hoti attano vaṇṇo taṁ apuṭṭhopi pātu karoti, ko pana vādo puṭṭhassa. Puṭṭho kho pana pañhābhinīto ahāpetvā alambitvā paripūraṁ vitthārena attano vaṇṇaṁ bhāsitā hoti. Veditabbametaṁ, bhikkhave, asappuriso ayaṁ bhavanti.
Imehi kho, bhikkhave, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato asappuriso veditabbo.
5Catūhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato sappuriso veditabbo. Katamehi catūhi?
Idha, bhikkhave, sappuriso yo hoti parassa avaṇṇo taṁ puṭṭhopi na pātu karoti, ko pana vādo apuṭṭhassa. Puṭṭho kho pana pañhābhinīto hāpetvā lambitvā aparipūraṁ avitthārena parassa avaṇṇaṁ bhāsitā hoti. Veditabbametaṁ, bhikkhave, sappuriso ayaṁ bhavanti.
6Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sappuriso yo hoti parassa vaṇṇo taṁ apuṭṭhopi pātu karoti, ko pana vādo puṭṭhassa. Puṭṭho kho pana pañhābhinīto ahāpetvā alambitvā paripūraṁ vitthārena parassa vaṇṇaṁ bhāsitā hoti. Veditabbametaṁ, bhikkhave, sappuriso ayaṁ bhavanti.
7Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sappuriso yo hoti attano avaṇṇo taṁ apuṭṭhopi pātu karoti, ko pana vādo puṭṭhassa. Puṭṭho kho pana pañhābhinīto ahāpetvā alambitvā paripūraṁ vitthārena attano avaṇṇaṁ bhāsitā hoti. Veditabbametaṁ, bhikkhave, sappuriso ayaṁ bhavanti.
8Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sappuriso yo hoti attano vaṇṇo taṁ puṭṭhopi na pātu karoti, ko pana vādo apuṭṭhassa. Puṭṭho kho pana pañhābhinīto hāpetvā lambitvā aparipūraṁ avitthārena attano vaṇṇaṁ bhāsitā hoti. Veditabbametaṁ, bhikkhave, sappuriso ayaṁ bhavanti.
Imehi kho, bhikkhave, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato sappuriso veditabbo.
9Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, vadhukā yaññadeva rattiṁ vā divaṁ vā ānītā hoti, tāvadevassā tibbaṁ hirottappaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ hoti sassuyāpi sasurepi sāmikepi antamaso dāsakammakaraporisesu. Sā aparena samayena saṁvāsamanvāya vissāsamanvāya sassumpi sasurampi sāmikampi evamāha: ‘apetha, kiṁ pana tumhe jānāthā’ti.
Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhikkhu yaññadeva rattiṁ vā divaṁ vā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti, tāvadevassa tibbaṁ hirottappaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ hoti bhikkhūsu bhikkhunīsu upāsakesu upāsikāsu antamaso ārāmikasamaṇuddesesu. So aparena samayena saṁvāsamanvāya vissāsamanvāya ācariyampi upajjhāyampi evamāha: ‘apetha, kiṁ pana tumhe jānāthā’ti.
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘adhunāgatavadhukāsamena cetasā viharissāmā’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban"ti.
Tatiyaṁ.