Aṇguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka-Nipāta
XVII. Āghāta Vaggo

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fives
Chapter XVII: Malice

Sutta 167

Codanā Suttaṃ

Exhortation

Translated by E. M. Hare

Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[144]

[1] Thus have I heard:

Once the venerable Sāriputta addressed the monks, saying:

'Reverend sirs.'

'Reverend sir,' they replied;
and Sāriputta said:

Reverend sirs, when he that exhorteth^[1] wishes to exhort another,
let him make five things stand up^[2] within him,
then let him exhort another.

What five?

I^[3] will speak timely,
not untimely;
I will speak about what has happened,^[4]
not what has not;
I will speak with gentleness,
[145] not harshness;
I will speak about the Goal,^[5]
not about what is not the Goal;
I will speak with mind of amity,
not of ill-will.

Reverend sirs, when he that exhorteth wishes to exhort another,
let him make himself make these five things stand up within him,
then let him exhort another.

 

§

 

Maybe,^[6] sirs, I see some monk being exhorted untimely,
moved^[7] not timely;
exhorted about what has not happened,
moved not about what has happened;
exhorted in a harsh way,
moved not with gentleness;
exhorted about what is not the Goal,
not about the Goal;
exhorted in ill-will,
moved not in amity.

■

In him not exhorted according to Dhamma,
on five scores
no remorse ought to be set up;^[8]

(let him think:)

"This venerable sir has exhorted untimely,
not timely —
'there's no need for remorse in thee' —;^[9]

■

This venerable sir has exhorted about what has not happened,
not what has —
'there's no need for remorse in thee' —;

■

This venerable sir has exhorted harshly,
not with gentleness —
'there's no need for remorse in thee' —;

■

This venerable sir has exhorted on what is not about the Goal,
not on what is about the Goal —
'there's no need for remorse in thee' —;

■

This venerable sir has exhorted in ill-will,
not in amity —
'there's no need for remorse in thee.'

Reverend sirs, in him not exhorted according to Dhamma, on these five scores no remorse ought to be set up.

 

§

 

Reverend sirs, in him that exhorteth not according to Dhamma,
on five scores ought remorse to be set up;

(let him think:)

Untimely is the good man exhorted by thee —
'there is need for remorse in thee' —;

■

he is exhorted by thee about what has not happened,
not what has —
'there is need for remorse in thee' —;

■

is harshly exhorted by thee,
not gently —
'there is need for remorse in thee' —;

■

is exhorted by thee on what is not about the Goal,
not on what is about the Goal —
'there is need for remorse in thee' —;

■

is exhorted by thee in ill-will,
not in amity —
'there is need for remorse in thee.'

"Reverend sirs, in him that exhorteth not according to [146] Dhamma,
on these five scores ought remorse to be set up.

Wherefore?

To the end that no monk should think one ought to be exhorted about what has not happened.

 

§

 

'Or I see, sirs, some monk being timely exhorted,
moved not untimely;
exhorted about what has happened,
moved about what has happened;
exhorted with gentleness,
moved not in a harsh way;
exhorted about what is the Goal,
not about what is not the Goal;
exhorted in amity,
moved not in ill-will.

■

In him, thus exhorted according to Dhamma,
on five scores ought remorse to be set up.

(let him think:)

"This venerable sir has exhorted timely,
not untimely —
'there's need for remorse in thee' —;

■

This venerable sir has exhorted about what has happened, not what has not happened —
'there's need for remorse in thee' —;

■

This venerable sir has exhorted with gentleness, not harshly —
'there's need for remorse in thee' —;

■

This venerable sir has exhorted on what is about the Goal,
not on what is not about the Goal —
'there's need for remorse in thee' —;

■

This venerable sir has exhorted in amity,
not in ill-will —
'there's need for remorse in thee' —;

Reverend sirs, in him exhorted according to Dhamma,
on these five scores remorse ought to be set up.

 

§

 

Reverend sirs, in him that exhorteth according to Dhamma,
on five scores ought no remorse to be set up;

(let him think:)

Timely is the good man exhorted by thee —
'there is no need for remorse in thee' —;

■

he is exhorted by thee about what has happened,
not what has not happened —
'there is no need for remorse in thee' —;

■

is gently exhorted by thee,
not harshly —
'there is no need for remorse in thee' —;

■

is exhorted by thee on what is about the Goal,
not on what is not about the Goal —
'there is no need for remorse in thee' —;

■

is exhorted by thee in amity,
not in ill-will—
'there is no need for remorse in thee' —;

■

"Reverend sirs, in him that exhorteth according to Dhamma,
on these five scores ought no remorse to be set up.

Wherefore?

To the end that a monk should think one ought to be exhorted about what has happened.

 

§

 

There ought to be a support, sirs,
in two things
for a person exhorted,
to wit:
in truth
and in the immovable.^[10]

■

If others exhort me,
whether timely or not;
about what has happened or not;
gently or harshly;
about the Goal or not;
in amity or in ill-will,
I should find support in two things:
in truth
and in the immovable.

■

If I know:

"It is in me,
this Dhamma,"
thinking:
"It is,"
I should declare it,
saying:
"Wholly found in me is this Dhamma."

■

But if I know:

"It is not in me,
this Dhamma,"
thinking:
"It is not,"
I should declare that,
saying:
"Wholly not found in me is this Dhamma."

 

§

 

(The Exalted One said;^[11])

'And while you are thus speaking, Sāriputta,
I suppose some foolish men
have not the talent to grasp^[12] the matter?'

'Lord,^[13] those persons,
unbelievers,
who — as a means of living,^[14]
not of faith —
go forth from the home to the homeless life —
impostors,
frauds,
deceivers,^[15]
who are vainly puffed up,^[16]
[147] shifty praters of loose talk,
unguarded as to their sense-doors,
eating without moderation,
unwatchful,
who seek not true recluseship,
are without zeal in training,
luxurious,
lax,
the first to move in backsliding,^[17]
who cast aside the yoke of the secluded life,
indolent,
low in energy,
of mindfulness unforgetful [sic],
not self-possessed,
with uncomposed and wandering minds,
dull lack-wits —
they, while I speak in this way,
have not the talent to grasp the matter.

■

But those clansmen, lord,
who of faith
go forth from the home to the homeless life —
no impostors, frauds, deceivers,
not vainly puffed up,
not shifty praters of loose talk,
who are guarded as to sense-doors,
moderate in eating,
watohful,
who seek true recluseship,
are zealous in training,
neither luxurious nor lax,
who cast aside the yoke of backsliding,
move first to seclusion,
with energy bestir themselves,
are resolved,
stand up in mindfulness,
self-possessed,
composed,
one-pointed,
wise,
no lack-wits —
they, while I speak in this way,
have the talent to grasp the matter.'

■

'Let be those unbelieving
who — as a means of living,
not of faith —
go forth from the home to the homeless life —
impostors,
frauds,
deceivers,
who are vainly puffed up,
shifty praters of loose talk,
unguarded as to their sense-doors,
eating without moderation,
unwatchful,
who seek not true recluseship,
are without zeal in training,
luxurious,
lax,
the first to move in backsliding,
who cast aside the yoke of the secluded life,
indolent,
low in energy,
of mindfulness forgetful,
not self-possessed,
with unoomposed and wandering minds,
dull lack-wits —
who, while you speak in this way,
have not the talent to grasp the matter Sāriputta;
speak thou to them who of faith
go forth from the home to the homeless life —
no impostors, frauds, deceivers,
not vainly puffed up,
not shifty praters of loose talk,
who are guarded as to sense-doors,
moderate in eating,
watohful,
who seek true recluseship,
are zealous in training,
neither luxurious nor lax,
who cast aside the yoke of backsliding,
move first to seclusion,
with energy bestir themselves,
are resolved,
stand up in mindfulness,
self-possessed,
composed,
one-pointed,
wise,
no lack-wits —
who, while you speak in this way,
have the talent to grasp the matter.

■

Admonish thy fellows in the godly life, Sāriputta,
instruct them;^[18]
and think then:

When I have stirred them up from what is not Saddhamma,
I will make them stand fast in Saddhamma.^[19]

Verily, Sāriputta, train thyself in this way.'

 

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^[1] Cf. St. Paul to the Romans (xii, 8) and elsewhere.

^[2] The text upaṭṭhapetvā, but S.e. upaṭṭhāpetvā; see above, $ 159 n.

^[3] Cf. the whole sutta with Vin. ii, 249 ff. (S.B.E. xx, 317); the five recur at D. iii, 236; M. i, 126; A. v, 81. Cf. below V, § 198.

^[4] Bhūtena, about what has become. Comy. tacchena, sabhāvena.

^[5] Attha-saṇhitena, from √dhā. Comy. glosses: upetena. See 'First Utterance,' Vin. i, p. 10; Mrs. Rhys Davids' Manual, p. 112.

^[6] idha.

^[7] Kupitaṃ, as in the Acts: [Ed.: 21:30] 'all the city was moved.'

^[8] Upadahātabbo, also from √dhā, Comy. uppādetabbo.

^[9] Lit. 'enough for thee of remorse!' an idiom characteristic of sayings recorded elsewhere as of the Founder.

^[10] This recurs at Vin. ii, 251; Rhys Davids' trsl.: in truth and in freedom from anger; but see above, § 95 n., and Tr. P.D. s.v. akuppa.

^[11] This may be inferred from bhante in the reply.

^[12] Na padakkhiṇaṃ gaṇhanti; Cf. above, § 156.

^[13] Cf. the whole passage with M. iii, 6.

^[14] Jivik'atthā; see the use at UdA. 205.

^[15] Keṭubhino. P.E.D. observes, deriv. unknown, but I suppose it is connected with the Sk. kaitava.

^[16] Unnalā uddhatā Cf. Colossions ii, 18: 'Let no man beguile you ... vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.' Cf. also A. i, 70; S. i, 61; v, 269.

^[17] Okkctmana.

^[18] Anusāsa

^[19] Cf. above, § 88.