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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

10: The Book of the Tens

IV. With Upāli — AN 10.33: A Judge

1“Sir, how many qualities should a mendicant have to be agreed on as a judge?”

“Upāli, a mendicant should have ten qualities to be agreed on as a judge. What ten? It’s when a mendicant is ethical, restrained in the monastic code, conducting themselves well and seeking alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken. They’re very learned, remembering and keeping what they’ve learned. These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. They are very learned in such teachings, remembering them, reinforcing them by recitation, mentally scrutinizing them, and comprehending them theoretically. Both monastic codes have been passed down to them in detail, well analyzed, well mastered, well judged in both the rules and accompanying material. They’re firm and unfaltering in the training. When there are opposing parties, they’re able to persuade, advocate, and convince them, make them see the other side and trust each other. They’re skilled in raising and settling disciplinary issues. They know what a disciplinary issue is. They know how a disciplinary issue originates. They know how a disciplinary issue ceases. They know the practical way leading to the cessation of a disciplinary issue. A mendicant should have these ten qualities to be agreed on as a judge.”

1"Katihi nu kho, bhante, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu ubbāhikāya sammannitabbo"ti?

"Dasahi kho, upāli, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu ubbāhikāya sammannitabbo. Katamehi dasahi? Idhupāli, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti; pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharati ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī, samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu; bahussuto hoti sutadharo sutasannicayo, ye te dhammā ādikalyāṇā majjhekalyāṇā pariyosānakalyāṇā sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ abhivadanti, tathārūpāssa dhammā bahussutā honti dhātā vacasā paricitā manasānupekkhitā diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā; ubhayāni kho panassa pātimokkhāni vitthārena svāgatāni honti suvibhattāni suppavattīni suvinicchitāni suttaso anubyañjanaso; vinaye kho pana ṭhito hoti asaṁhīro; paṭibalo hoti ubho atthapaccatthike saññāpetuṁ paññāpetuṁ nijjhāpetuṁ pekkhetuṁ pasādetuṁ; adhikaraṇasamuppādavūpasamakusalo hoti – adhikaraṇaṁ jānāti; adhikaraṇasamudayaṁ jānāti; adhikaraṇanirodhaṁ jānāti; adhikaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ jānāti. Imehi kho, upāli, dasahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu ubbāhikāya sammannitabbo"ti.

Tatiyaṁ.