Aṇguttara Nikāya
Catukka Nipāta
XIV: Puggala Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fours
XIV: On Persons
Sutta 139
Dhamma-Kathika Suttaṃ
Dhamma-Talk[1]
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[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, there are these four talkers of Dhamma.
What four?
Herein, monks, a certain person talking Dhamma
says little
and that not to the point;
while his company is unskilled to judge
what is to the point
or otherwise.
Bhkkhu Bodhi's reading of this sutta is much better:
One that talks little and that is off point with a following that is incompetent to judge and so considers him a Dhamma-talker;
one that says much and that is off point with a following that is incompetent to judge and so considers him a Dhamma-talker;
one that says little but that is on point and his company is competent to judge and so considers him a Dhamma-talker;
one that says much and that is on point and his company is competent to judge and so considers him a Dhamma-talker.
— p.p.
Such, monks, is the Dhamma-talker,
and he is reckoned to talk
to a company of like nature.[2]
■
Then again, monks, a certain person talking Dhamma
says little
and that to the point,
while his company is skilled to judge
what is to the point
or otherwise.
Such, monks, is the Dhamma-talker,
and he is reckoned to talk
to a company of like nature.
■
Herein again, monks, a certain person talking Dhamma
says much
and what is off the point,
while his company is unskilled to judge
what is to the point
or otherwise.
Such, monks, is the Dhamma-talker,
and he is reckoned to talk
to a company of like nature.
■
Herein again, monks, a certain person talking Dhamma
says much
and what is to the point,
while his company is skilled to judge
what is to the point
or otherwise.
Such, monks, is the Dhamma-talker, and he is reckoned to talk to a company of like nature.
So these are the four Dhamma-talkers."
[1] Pugg., p. 42
[2] Text should read evarūpāya parisāya (as Sinh. text) throughout.
