Sappurisasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 113

A True Person · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
Bhagavā etadavoca:

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“sappurisadhammañca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi asappurisadhammañca.
Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Mendicants, I will teach you the qualities of a true person and the qualities of an untrue person. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappurisadhammo?
Idha, bhikkhave, asappuriso uccākulā pabbajito hoti.
So iti paṭisañcikkhati:
‘ahaṁ khomhi uccākulā pabbajito, ime panaññe bhikkhū na uccākulā pabbajitā’ti.
So tāya uccākulīnatāya attānukkaṁseti, paraṁ vambheti.
Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, asappurisadhammo.
Sappuriso ca kho, bhikkhave, iti paṭisañcikkhati:
‘na kho uccākulīnatāya lobhadhammā vā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti, dosadhammā vā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti, mohadhammā vā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti.
No cepi uccākulā pabbajito hoti;
so ca hoti dhammānudhammappaṭipanno sāmīcippaṭipanno anudhammacārī, so tattha pujjo, so tattha pāsaṁso’ti.
So paṭipadaṁyeva antaraṁ karitvā tāya uccākulīnatāya nevattānukkaṁseti na paraṁ vambheti.
Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, sappurisadhammo.

“And what is a quality of an untrue person? Take an untrue person who has gone forth from an eminent family. They reflect: ‘I have gone forth from an eminent family, unlike these other mendicants.’ And they glorify themselves and put others down on account of that. This is a quality of an untrue person. A true person reflects: ‘It’s not because of one’s eminent family that thoughts of greed, hate, or delusion come to an end. Even if someone has not gone forth from an eminent family, if they practice in line with the teaching, practice properly, and live in line with the teaching, they are worthy of honor and praise for that.’ Keeping the practice to themselves, they don’t glorify themselves and put others down on account of their eminent family. This is a quality of a true person.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, asappuriso mahākulā pabbajito hoti …pe…
mahābhogakulā pabbajito hoti …pe…
uḷārabhogakulā pabbajito hoti.
So iti paṭisañcikkhati:
‘ahaṁ khomhi uḷārabhogakulā pabbajito, ime panaññe bhikkhū na uḷārabhogakulā pabbajitā’ti.
So tāya uḷārabhogatāya attānukkaṁseti, paraṁ vambheti.
Ayampi, bhikkhave, asappurisadhammo.
Sappuriso ca kho, bhikkhave, iti paṭisañcikkhati:
‘na kho uḷārabhogatāya lobhadhammā vā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti, dosadhammā vā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti, mohadhammā vā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti.
No cepi uḷārabhogakulā pabbajito hoti;
so ca hoti dhammānudhammappaṭipanno sāmīcippaṭipanno anudhammacārī, so tattha pujjo, so tattha pāsaṁso’ti.
So paṭipadaṁyeva antaraṁ karitvā tāya uḷārabhogatāya nevattānukkaṁseti, na paraṁ vambheti.
Ayampi, bhikkhave, sappurisadhammo.

Furthermore, take an untrue person who has gone forth from a great family … from a wealthy family … from an exceptionally wealthy family. They reflect: ‘I have gone forth from an exceptionally wealthy family, unlike these other mendicants.’ And they glorify themselves and put others down on account of that. This too is a quality of an untrue person. A true person reflects: ‘It’s not because of one’s exceptionally wealthy family that thoughts of greed, hate, or delusion come to an end. Even if someone has not gone forth from an exceptionally wealthy family, if they practice in line with the teaching, practice properly, and live in line with the teaching, they are worthy of honor and praise for that.’ Keeping the practice to themselves, they don’t glorify themselves and put others down on account of their exceptionally wealthy family. This too is a quality of a true person.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, asappuriso ñāto hoti yasassī.
So iti paṭisañcikkhati:
‘ahaṁ khomhi ñāto yasassī, ime panaññe bhikkhū appaññātā appesakkhā’ti.
So tena ñattena attānukkaṁseti, paraṁ vambheti.
Ayampi, bhikkhave, asappurisadhammo.
Sappuriso ca kho, bhikkhave, iti paṭisañcikkhati:
‘na kho ñattena lobhadhammā vā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti, dosadhammā vā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti, mohadhammā vā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti.
No cepi ñāto hoti yasassī;
so ca hoti dhammānudhammappaṭipanno sāmīcippaṭipanno anudhammacārī, so tattha pujjo, so tattha pāsaṁso’ti.
So paṭipadaṁyeva antaraṁ karitvā tena ñattena nevattānukkaṁseti, na paraṁ vambheti.
Ayampi, bhikkhave, sappurisadhammo.

Furthermore, take an untrue person who is well-known and famous. They reflect: ‘I’m well-known and famous. These other mendicants are obscure and insignificant.’ And they glorify themselves and put others down on account of that. This too is a quality of an untrue person. A true person reflects: ‘It’s not because of one’s fame that thoughts of greed, hate, or delusion come to an end. Even if someone is not well-known and famous, if they practice in line with the teaching, practice properly, and live in line with the teaching, they are worthy of honor and praise for that.’ Keeping the practice to themselves, they don’t glorify themselves and put others down on account of their fame. This too is a quality of a true person.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, asappuriso lābhī hoti cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ.
So iti paṭisañcikkhati:
‘ahaṁ khomhi lābhī cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ, ime panaññe bhikkhū na lābhino cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānan’ti.
So tena lābhena attānukkaṁseti, paraṁ vambheti.
Ayampi, bhikkhave, asappurisadhammo.
Sappuriso ca kho, bhikkhave, iti paṭisañcikkhati:
‘na kho lābhena lobhadhammā vā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti, dosadhammā vā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti, mohadhammā vā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti.
No cepi lābhī hoti cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ;
so ca hoti dhammānudhammappaṭipanno sāmīcippaṭipanno anudhammacārī, so tattha pujjo, so tattha pāsaṁso’ti.
So paṭipadaṁyeva antaraṁ karitvā tena lābhena nevattānukkaṁseti, na paraṁ vambheti.
Ayampi, bhikkhave, sappurisadhammo.

Furthermore, take an untrue person who receives robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. They reflect: ‘I receive robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick, unlike these other mendicants.’ And they glorify themselves and put others down on account of that. This too is a quality of an untrue person. A true person reflects: ‘It’s not because of one’s material things that thoughts of greed, hate, or delusion come to an end. Even if someone doesn’t receive robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick, if they practice in line with the teaching, practice properly, and live in line with the teaching, they are worthy of honor and praise for that.’ Keeping the practice to themselves, they don’t glorify themselves and put others down on account of their material things. This too is a quality of a true person.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, asappuriso bahussuto hoti.
So iti paṭisañcikkhati:
‘ahaṁ khomhi bahussuto, ime panaññe bhikkhū na bahussutā’ti.
So tena bāhusaccena attānukkaṁseti, paraṁ vambheti.
Ayampi, bhikkhave, asappurisadhammo.
Sappuriso ca kho, bhikkhave, iti paṭisañcikkhati:
‘na kho bāhusaccena lobhadhammā vā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti, dosadhammā vā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti, mohadhammā vā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti.
No cepi bahussuto hoti;
so ca hoti dhammānudhammappaṭipanno sāmīcippaṭipanno anudhammacārī, so tattha pujjo, so tattha pāsaṁso’ti.
So paṭipadaṁyeva antaraṁ karitvā tena bāhusaccena nevattānukkaṁseti, na paraṁ vambheti.
Ayampi, bhikkhave, sappurisadhammo.

Furthermore, take an untrue person who is very learned …

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