Aṇguttara-Nikāya
II. Duka Nipāta
XII. Āyācana Vagga

Resolutions

The Book of Twos

Suttas 129-139

Translated from the Pāḷi by Michael M. Olds

Sutta 129

[129.1][pts] "The bhikkhu with faith, beggars,
thus resolving,
resolves in the best of ways:

'Let me be such as
such as is like Sāriputta and Moggallānā.'

This, beggars, is a scale
whereby to measure my students who are bhikkhus,
that is to say, Sāriputta and Moggallānā."

Sutta 130

[130.1][pts] "The bhikkhunī with faith, beggars,
thus resolving,
resolves in the best of ways:

'Let me be such as
such as is like bhikkhunīs Khemā and Uppalavaṇṇā.'

This, beggars, is a scale
whereby to measure my students who are bhikkhunīs,
that is to say, bhikkhunīs Khemā and Uppalavaṇṇā."

Sutta 131

[131.1][pts] "The lay follower with faith, beggars,
thus resolving,
resolves in the best of ways:

'Let me be such as
such as is like the lay followers Citto and Hatthako Ālavako.'

This, beggars, is a scale
whereby to measure my students who are lay followers,
that is to say, the lay followers Citto and Hatthako Ālavako."

Sutta 132

[132.1][pts] "The female lay follower with faith, beggars,
thus resolving,
resolves in the best of ways:

'Let me be such as
such as is like the female lay followers Khujjuttarā and Velukaṇṭakiyā Nandamātā.'

This, beggars, is a scale
whereby to measure my students who are bhikkhunīs,
that is to say, the female lay followers Khujjuttarā and Velukaṇṭakiyā Nandamātā."

[133.1][pts] "Possessed of two things, beggars,
the foolish,
inexperienced,
not-so-good man
goes around like an uprooted,
injured,
unprotected
blameworthy thing
and furthermore
is held in great disrepute by the learned,
and engenders much bad kamma.

What two?

Without test or investigation;
without penetrating scrutiny;
he speaks in praise of those unworthy of praise.

Without test or investigation;
without penetrating scrutiny;
he speaks in dispraise of those worthy of praise.

Possessed of these two things, beggars,
the foolish,
inexperienced,
not-so-good man
goes around like an uprooted,
injured,
unprotected
blameworthy thing
and furthermore
is held in great disrepute by the learned,
and engenders much bad kamma.

■

Possessed of two things, beggars,
the wise,
experienced,
good man
does not go around like an uprooted,
injured,
unprotected
blameworthy thing
and furthermore
is held in high repute by the learned,
and engenders much good kamma.

What two?

After test and investigation;
with penetrating scrutiny;
he speaks in praise of those worthy of praise.

After test and investigation;
with penetrating scrutiny;
he speaks in dispraise of those worthy of dispraise.

Possessed of these two things, beggars,
the wise,
experienced,
good man
does not go around like an uprooted,
injured,
unprotected
blameworthy thing
and furthermore
is held in high repute by the learned,
and engenders much good kamma."

Sutta 134

[134.1][pts][than] "Possessed of two things, beggars,
the foolish,
inexperienced,
not-so-good man
goes around like an uprooted,
injured,
unprotected
blameworthy thing
and furthermore
is held in great disrepute by the learned,
and engenders much bad kamma.

What two?

Without test or investigation;
without penetrating scrutiny;
he places confidence in those unworthy of confidence.

Without test or investigation;
without penetrating scrutiny;
he has no confidence in those worthy of confidence.

■

What two?

After test and investigation;
with penetrating scrutiny;
he places confidence in those worthy of confidence.

After test and investigation;
with penetrating scrutiny;
he places no confidence in those unworthy of confidence.

Sutta 135

[135.1][pts] "By taking up a misguided attitude towards two, beggars,
the foolish,
inexperienced,
not-so-good man
goes around like an uprooted,
injured,
unprotected
blameworthy thing
and furthermore
is held in great disrepute by the learned,
and engenders much bad kamma.

What two?

Mother and Father.

By taking up a misguided attitude towards these two, beggars,
the foolish,
inexperienced,
not-so-good man
goes around like an uprooted,
injured,
unprotected
blameworthy thing
and furthermore
is held in great disrepute by the learned,
and engenders much bad kamma.

■

By taking up the consummate attitude towards two, beggars,,
the wise,
experienced,
good man
does not go around like an uprooted,
injured,
unprotected
blameworthy thing
and furthermore
is held in high repute by the learned,
and engenders much good kamma.

What two?

Mother and Father.

By taking up the consummate attitude towards these two, beggars,
the wise,
experienced,
good man
does not go around like an uprooted,
injured,
unprotected
blameworthy thing
and furthermore
is held in high repute by the learned,
and engenders much good kamma."

Sutta 136

[136.1][pts] "By taking up a misguided attitude towards two, beggars,
the foolish,
inexperienced,
not-so-good man
goes around like an uprooted,
injured,
unprotected
blameworthy thing
and furthermore
is held in great disrepute by the learned,
and engenders much bad kamma.

What two?

The Tathāgata and the Tathāgata's student.

■

What two?

The Tathāgata and the Tathāgata's student.