AN 4.6

Appassutasutta

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame cattāro? Appassuto sutena anupapanno, appassuto sutena upapanno, bahussuto sutena anupapanno, bahussuto sutena upapanno. Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo appassuto hoti sutena anupapanno? Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa appakaṁ sutaṁ hoti— suttaṁ geyyaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ gāthā udānaṁ itivuttakaṁ jātakaṁ abbhutadhammaṁ vedallaṁ. So tassa appakassa sutassa na atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo appassuto hoti sutena anupapanno.

A Little Learning

“Mendicants, these four individuals are found in the world. What four? They may have: Little learning and not get the point of learning. Little learning but get the point of learning. Much learning but not get the point of learning. Much learning and get the point of learning. And how has an individual learned little and not got the point of learning? It’s when an individual has learned little of the statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations. And with the little they’ve learned, they understand neither the meaning nor the teaching, nor do they practice in line with the teaching. That’s how an individual has learned little and not got the point of learning.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo appassuto hoti sutena upapanno? Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa appakaṁ sutaṁ hoti— suttaṁ geyyaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ gāthā udānaṁ itivuttakaṁ jātakaṁ abbhutadhammaṁ vedallaṁ. So tassa appakassa sutassa atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo appassuto hoti sutena upapanno.

And how has an individual learned little but has got the point of learning? It’s when an individual has learned little of the statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations. But with the little they’ve learned, they understand the meaning and the teaching, and they practice in line with the teaching. That’s how an individual has learned little but has got the point of learning.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo bahussuto hoti sutena anupapanno? Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa bahukaṁ sutaṁ hoti— suttaṁ geyyaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ gāthā udānaṁ itivuttakaṁ jātakaṁ abbhutadhammaṁ vedallaṁ. So tassa bahukassa sutassa na atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo bahussuto hoti sutena anupapanno.

And how has an individual learned much but hasn’t got the point of learning? It’s when an individual has learned much of the statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations. But even though they’ve learned much, they understand neither the meaning nor the teaching, nor do they practice in line with the teaching. That’s how an individual has learned much but hasn’t got the point of learning.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo bahussuto hoti sutena upapanno? Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa bahukaṁ sutaṁ hoti— suttaṁ geyyaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ gāthā udānaṁ itivuttakaṁ jātakaṁ abbhutadhammaṁ vedallaṁ. So tassa bahukassa sutassa atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo bahussuto hoti sutena upapanno. Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasminti.

And how has an individual learned much and has got the point of learning? It’s when an individual has learned much of the statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations. And with the large amount they’ve learned, they understand the meaning and the teaching, and they practice in line with the teaching. That’s how an individual has learned much and has got the point of learning. These are the four individuals found in the world.

Appassutopi ce hoti, sīlesu asamāhito; Ubhayena naṁ garahanti, sīlato ca sutena ca.

If you don’t learn much, and aren’t steady in ethics, they’ll criticize you on both counts, for your ethics and your learning.

Appassutopi ce hoti, sīlesu susamāhito; Sīlato naṁ pasaṁsanti, tassa sampajjate sutaṁ.

If you don’t learn much, and you are steady in ethics, they’ll praise your ethical conduct, since your learning has succeeded.

Bahussutopi ce hoti, sīlesu asamāhito; Sīlato naṁ garahanti, nāssa sampajjate sutaṁ.

If you learn much, but aren’t steady in ethics, they’ll criticize your ethical conduct, for your learning hasn’t succeeded.

Bahussutopi ce hoti, sīlesu susamāhito; Ubhayena naṁ pasaṁsanti, sīlato ca sutena ca.

If you learn much, and you are steady in ethics, they’ll praise you on both counts, for your ethics and your learning.

Bahussutaṁ dhammadharaṁ, sappaññaṁ buddhasāvakaṁ; Nekkhaṁ jambonadasseva, ko taṁ ninditumarahati; Devāpi naṁ pasaṁsanti, brahmunāpi pasaṁsito”ti.

A wise disciple of the Buddha who is learned and has memorized the teachings; like a pendant of Black Plum River gold, who is worthy to criticize them? Even the gods praise them, and by the Divinity, too, they’re praised.”