Aṇguttara Nikāya
Catukka Nipāta
XXI: Sappurisa Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fours
Chapter XXI: The Worthy Man

Sutta 203

Tatiya Sappurisa Suttaṃ

Destroyer of Beings^[1]

Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.

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[232]

[1] Thus have I heard:

On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī.

Then the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:

"Monks."

"Yes, lord," they replied,
and the Exalted One said:

"Monks, I will teach you the unworthy man
and the still more unworthy man.

I will teach you the worthy man
and the still more worthy man.

Do ye listen to it carefully.

Apply your minds and I will speak."

'Yes, lord,'
replied those monks to the Exalted One.

The Exalted One said this:

'And of what sort, monks, is the unworthy man?

Herein a certain person
is one who takes life,
steals,
is a wrong-doer in sense-desires,
is a liar,
is of slanderous spech,
is of bitter speech,
is an idle babbler.

This one is called
"the unworthy man."

■

And of what sort, monks, is the still more unworthy man?

Herein a certain person
himself is one who takes life,
and further encourages another to take life;

himself is one who steals,
and further encourages another to steal;

himself is one who is a wrong-doer in sense-desires,
and further encourages another to be a wrong-doer in sense-desires;

himself is one who is a liar,
and further encourages another to be a liar;

himself is one who is of slanderous spech,
and further encourages another to be one who is of slanderous spech;

himself is one who is of bitter speech,
and further encourages another to be one who is of bitter speech;

himself is one who is an idle babbler,
and further encourages another to be one who is an idle babbler.

This one is called
"the still more unworthy man."

■

And of what sort, monks, is the worthy man?

Herein a certain person
is one who abstains from taking life,
stealing,
one who abstains from wrong-doing in sense-desires,
one who abstains from lying,
one who abstains from slanderous spech,
one who abstains from bitter speech,
one who abstains from idle babble.

This one is called
"the worthy man."

■

And of what sort, monks, is the still more worthy man?

Herein a certain person
not only himself abstains from taking life,
but also encourages another
to abstain from taking life;

not only himself abstains from stealing,
but also encourages another
to abstain from stealing;

not only himself abstains from wrong-doing in sense-desires,
but also encourages another
to abstain from wrong-doing in sense-desires;

not only himself abstains from lying,
but also encourages another
to abstain from lying;

not only himself abstains from slanderous spech,
but also encourages another
to abstain from slanderous spech;

not only himself abstains from bitter speech,
but also encourages another
to abstain from bitter speech;

not only himself abstains from idle babble,
but also encourages another
to abstain from idle babble.

This one is called
"the still more worthy man."'

 

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^[1] The uddāna calls this satta-naso