AN 5.167

Codanāsutta

Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi: “codakena, āvuso, bhikkhunā paraṁ codetukāmena pañca dhamme ajjhattaṁ upaṭṭhāpetvā paro codetabbo.

Accusation

There Sāriputta addressed the mendicants: “Reverends, a mendicant who wants to accuse another should first establish five things in themselves.

Katame pañca? Kālena vakkhāmi, no akālena; bhūtena vakkhāmi, no abhūtena; saṇhena vakkhāmi, no pharusena; atthasaṁhitena vakkhāmi, no anatthasaṁhitena; mettacitto vakkhāmi, no dosantaro. Codakena, āvuso, bhikkhunā paraṁ codetukāmena ime pañca dhamme ajjhattaṁ upaṭṭhāpetvā paro codetabbo.

What five? I will speak at the right time, not at the wrong time. I will speak truthfully, not falsely. I will speak gently, not harshly. I will speak beneficially, not harmfully. I will speak lovingly, not from secret hate. A mendicant who wants to accuse another should first establish these five things in themselves.

Idhāhaṁ, āvuso, ekaccaṁ puggalaṁ passāmi akālena codiyamānaṁ no kālena kupitaṁ, abhūtena codiyamānaṁ no bhūtena kupitaṁ, pharusena codiyamānaṁ no saṇhena kupitaṁ, anatthasaṁhitena codiyamānaṁ no atthasaṁhitena kupitaṁ, dosantarena codiyamānaṁ no mettacittena kupitaṁ.

Take a case where I see a certain individual being accused at the wrong time, not being disturbed at the right time. They’re accused falsely, not disturbed truthfully. They’re accused harshly, not disturbed gently. They’re accused harmfully, not disturbed beneficially. They’re accused with secret hate, not disturbed lovingly.

Adhammacuditassa, āvuso, bhikkhuno pañcahākārehi avippaṭisāro upadahātabbo: ‘akālenāyasmā cudito no kālena, alaṁ te avippaṭisārāya; abhūtenāyasmā cudito no bhūtena, alaṁ te avippaṭisārāya; pharusenāyasmā cudito no saṇhena, alaṁ te avippaṭisārāya; anatthasaṁhitenāyasmā cudito no atthasaṁhitena, alaṁ te avippaṭisārāya; dosantarenāyasmā cudito no mettacittena, alaṁ te avippaṭisārāyā’ti. Adhammacuditassa, āvuso, bhikkhuno imehi pañcahākārehi avippaṭisāro upadahātabbo.

The mendicant who is accused improperly should be reassured in five ways. ‘Venerable, you were accused at the wrong time, not at the right time. There’s no need for you to feel remorse. You were accused falsely, not truthfully. … You were accused harshly, not gently. … You were accused harmfully, not beneficially. … You were accused with secret hate, not lovingly. There’s no need for you to feel remorse.’ A mendicant who is accused improperly should be reassured in these five ways.

Adhammacodakassa, āvuso, bhikkhuno pañcahākārehi vippaṭisāro upadahātabbo: ‘akālena te, āvuso, codito no kālena, alaṁ te vippaṭisārāya; abhūtena te, āvuso, codito no bhūtena, alaṁ te vippaṭisārāya; pharusena te, āvuso, codito no saṇhena, alaṁ te vippaṭisārāya; anatthasaṁhitena te, āvuso, codito no atthasaṁhitena, alaṁ te vippaṭisārāya; dosantarena te, āvuso, codito no mettacittena, alaṁ te vippaṭisārāyā’ti. Adhammacodakassa, āvuso, bhikkhuno imehi pañcahākārehi vippaṭisāro upadahātabbo. Taṁ kissa hetu? Yathā na aññopi bhikkhu abhūtena codetabbaṁ maññeyyāti.

The mendicant who makes improper accusations should be chastened in five ways. ‘Reverend, you made an accusation at the wrong time, not at the right time. There’s a reason for you to feel remorse. You made an accusation falsely, not truthfully. … You made an accusation harshly, not gently. … You made an accusation harmfully, not beneficially. … You made an accusation with secret hate, not lovingly. There’s a reason for you to feel remorse.’ The mendicant who makes improper accusations should be chastened in these five ways. Why is that? So that another mendicant wouldn’t think to make a false accusation.

Idha panāhaṁ, āvuso, ekaccaṁ puggalaṁ passāmi kālena codiyamānaṁ no akālena kupitaṁ, bhūtena codiyamānaṁ no abhūtena kupitaṁ, saṇhena codiyamānaṁ no pharusena kupitaṁ, atthasaṁhitena codiyamānaṁ no anatthasaṁhitena kupitaṁ, mettacittena codiyamānaṁ no dosantarena kupitaṁ.

Take a case where I see a certain individual being accused at the right time, not being disturbed at the wrong time. They’re accused truthfully, not disturbed falsely. They’re accused gently, not disturbed harshly. They’re accused beneficially, not disturbed harmfully. They’re accused lovingly, not disturbed with secret hate.

Dhammacuditassa, āvuso, bhikkhuno pañcahākārehi vippaṭisāro upadahātabbo: ‘kālenāyasmā cudito no akālena, alaṁ te vippaṭisārāya; bhūtenāyasmā cudito no abhūtena, alaṁ te vippaṭisārāya; saṇhenāyasmā cudito no pharusena, alaṁ te vippaṭisārāya; atthasaṁhitenāyasmā cudito no anatthasaṁhitena, alaṁ te vippaṭisārāya; mettacittenāyasmā cudito no dosantarena, alaṁ te vippaṭisārāyā’ti. Dhammacuditassa, āvuso, bhikkhuno imehi pañcahākārehi vippaṭisāro upadahātabbo.

The mendicant who is accused properly should be chastened in five ways. ‘Venerable, you were accused at the right time, not at the wrong time. There’s a reason for you to feel remorse. You were accused truthfully, not falsely. … You were accused gently, not harshly. … You were accused beneficially, not harmfully. … You were accused lovingly, not with secret hate. There’s a reason for you to feel remorse.’ The mendicant who is accused properly should be chastened in these five ways.

Dhammacodakassa, āvuso, bhikkhuno pañcahākārehi avippaṭisāro upadahātabbo: ‘kālena te, āvuso, codito no akālena, alaṁ te avippaṭisārāya; bhūtena te, āvuso, codito no abhūtena, alaṁ te avippaṭisārāya; saṇhena te, āvuso, codito no pharusena, alaṁ te avippaṭisārāya; atthasaṁhitena te, āvuso, codito no anatthasaṁhitena, alaṁ te avippaṭisārāya; mettacittena te, āvuso, codito no dosantarena, alaṁ te avippaṭisārāyā’ti. Dhammacodakassa, āvuso, bhikkhuno imehi pañcahākārehi avippaṭisāro upadahātabbo. Taṁ kissa hetu? Yathā aññopi bhikkhu bhūtena coditabbaṁ maññeyyāti.

The mendicant who makes proper accusations should be reassured in five ways. ‘Reverend, you made an accusation at the right time, not at the wrong time. There’s no need for you to feel remorse. You made an accusation truthfully, not falsely. … You made an accusation gently, not harshly. … You made an accusation beneficially, not harmfully. … You made an accusation lovingly, not with secret hate. There’s no need for you to feel remorse.’ The mendicant who makes proper accusations should be reassured in these five ways. Why is that? So that another mendicant would think to make a true accusation.

Cuditena, āvuso, puggalena dvīsu dhammesu patiṭṭhātabbaṁ— sacce ca, akuppe ca. Mañcepi, āvuso, pare codeyyuṁ kālena vā akālena vā bhūtena vā abhūtena vā saṇhena vā pharusena vā atthasaṁhitena vā anatthasaṁhitena vā mettacittā vā dosantarā vā, ahampi dvīsuyeva dhammesu patiṭṭhaheyyaṁ— sacce ca, akuppe ca. Sace jāneyyaṁ: ‘attheso mayi dhammo’ti, ‘atthī’ti naṁ vadeyyaṁ: ‘saṁvijjateso mayi dhammo’ti. Sace jāneyyaṁ: ‘nattheso mayi dhammo’ti, ‘natthī’ti naṁ vadeyyaṁ: ‘neso dhammo mayi saṁvijjatī’”ti.

An individual who is accused should ground themselves in two things: truth and an even temper. Even if others accuse me—at the right time or the wrong time, truthfully or falsely, gently or harshly, beneficially or harmfully, lovingly or with secret hate—I will still ground myself in two things: truth and an even temper. If I know that that quality is found in me, I will tell them that it is. If I know that that quality is not found in me, I will tell them that it is not.”

“Evampi kho te, sāriputta, vuccamānā atha ca panidhekacce moghapurisā na padakkhiṇaṁ gaṇhantī”ti.

“Even when you speak like this, Sāriputta, there are still some futile people here who do not respectfully take it up.”

“Ye te, bhante, puggalā assaddhā jīvikatthā na saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitā saṭhā māyāvino ketabino uddhatā unnaḷā capalā mukharā vikiṇṇavācā indriyesu aguttadvārā bhojane amattaññuno jāgariyaṁ ananuyuttā sāmaññe anapekkhavanto sikkhāya na tibbagāravā bāhulikā sāthalikā okkamane pubbaṅgamā paviveke nikkhittadhurā kusītā hīnavīriyā muṭṭhassatino asampajānā asamāhitā vibbhantacittā duppaññā eḷamūgā, te mayā evaṁ vuccamānā na padakkhiṇaṁ gaṇhanti.

“Sir, there are those faithless individuals who went forth from the lay life to homelessness not out of faith but to earn a livelihood. They’re devious, deceitful, and sneaky. They’re haughty, insolent, fickle, scurrilous, and loose-tongued. They do not guard their sense doors or eat in moderation, and they are not dedicated to wakefulness. They don’t care about the ascetic life, and don’t keenly respect the training. They’re indulgent and slack, leaders in backsliding, neglecting seclusion, lazy, and lacking energy. They’re unmindful, lacking situational awareness and immersion, with straying minds, witless and idiotic. When I speak to them like this, they don’t respectfully take it up.

Ye pana te, bhante, kulaputtā saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitā asaṭhā amāyāvino aketabino anuddhatā anunnaḷā acapalā amukharā avikiṇṇavācā indriyesu guttadvārā bhojane mattaññuno jāgariyaṁ anuyuttā sāmaññe apekkhavanto sikkhāya tibbagāravā na bāhulikā na sāthalikā okkamane nikkhittadhurā paviveke pubbaṅgamā āraddhavīriyā pahitattā upaṭṭhitassatino sampajānā samāhitā ekaggacittā paññavanto aneḷamūgā, te mayā evaṁ vuccamānā padakkhiṇaṁ gaṇhantī”ti.

Sir, there are those gentlemen who went forth from the lay life to homelessness out of faith. They’re not devious, deceitful, and sneaky. They’re not haughty, insolent, fickle, scurrilous, and loose-tongued. They guard their sense doors and eat in moderation, and they are dedicated to wakefulness. They care about the ascetic life, and keenly respect the training. They’re not indulgent or slack, nor are they leaders in backsliding, neglecting seclusion. They’re energetic and determined. They’re mindful, with situational awareness, immersion, and unified minds; wise and clever. When I speak to them like this, they do respectfully take it up.”

“Ye te, sāriputta, puggalā assaddhā jīvikatthā na saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitā saṭhā māyāvino ketabino uddhatā unnaḷā capalā mukharā vikiṇṇavācā indriyesu aguttadvārā bhojane amattaññuno jāgariyaṁ ananuyuttā sāmaññe anapekkhavanto sikkhāya na tibbagāravā bāhulikā sāthalikā okkamane pubbaṅgamā paviveke nikkhittadhurā kusītā hīnavīriyā muṭṭhassatino asampajānā asamāhitā vibbhantacittā duppaññā eḷamūgā, tiṭṭhantu te.

“Sāriputta, those faithless individuals who went forth from the lay life to homelessness not out of faith but to earn a livelihood … Leave them be.

Ye pana te, sāriputta, kulaputtā saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitā asaṭhā amāyāvino aketabino anuddhatā anunnaḷā acapalā amukharā avikiṇṇavācā indriyesu guttadvārā bhojane mattaññuno jāgariyaṁ anuyuttā sāmaññe apekkhavanto sikkhāya tibbagāravā na bāhulikā na sāthalikā okkamane nikkhittadhurā paviveke pubbaṅgamā āraddhavīriyā pahitattā upaṭṭhitassatino sampajānā samāhitā ekaggacittā paññavanto aneḷamūgā, te tvaṁ, sāriputta, vadeyyāsi. Ovada, sāriputta, sabrahmacārī; anusāsa, sāriputta, sabrahmacārī: ‘asaddhammā vuṭṭhāpetvā saddhamme patiṭṭhāpessāmi sabrahmacārī’ti. Evañhi te, sāriputta, sikkhitabban”ti.

But those gentlemen who went forth from the lay life to homelessness out of faith … You should speak to them. Sāriputta, you should advise your spiritual companions! You should instruct your spiritual companions! Thinking: ‘I will draw my spiritual companions away from false teachings and ground them in true teachings.’ That’s how you should train.”