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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

4: The Book of the Fours

II. Walking — AN 4.20: A Meal-allocator

1“Mendicants, a meal-allocator who has four qualities is cast down to hell. What four? They make decisions prejudiced by favoritism, hostility, stupidity, and cowardice. A meal-allocator who has these four qualities is cast down to hell.

2A meal-allocator who has four qualities is raised up to heaven. What four? They make decisions unprejudiced by favoritism, hostility, stupidity, and cowardice. A meal-allocator who has these four qualities is raised up to heaven.


3All those people with uncontrolled sensuality,
unprincipled, with no respect for principle,
led astray by favoritism, hatred, stupidity, or cowardice,
are called ‘an assembly of the dregs’:

4that’s what was said by the ascetic who knows.
And so those good, praiseworthy people,
standing on principle, doing nothing wrong,
not led astray by favoritism, hatred, stupidity, or cowardice,
are called ‘an assembly of the cream’:
that’s what was said by the ascetic who knows.”

1"Catūhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bhattuddesako yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ niraye. Katamehi catūhi? Chandāgatiṁ gacchati, dosāgatiṁ gacchati, mohāgatiṁ gacchati, bhayāgatiṁ gacchati – imehi kho, bhikkhave, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato bhattuddesako yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ niraye.

2Catūhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bhattuddesako yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ sagge. Katamehi catūhi? Na chandāgatiṁ gacchati, na dosāgatiṁ gacchati, na mohāgatiṁ gacchati, na bhayāgatiṁ gacchati – imehi kho, bhikkhave, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato bhattuddesako yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ saggeti.


3Ye keci kāmesu asaññatā janā,
Adhammikā honti adhammagāravā;
Chandā dosā mohā ca bhayā gāmino,
Parisākasaṭo ca panesa vuccati.

4Evañhi vuttaṁ samaṇena jānatā,
Tasmā hi te sappurisā pasaṁsiyā;
Dhamme ṭhitā ye na karonti pāpakaṁ,
Na chandā na dosā na mohā na bhayā ca gāmino;
Parisāya maṇḍo ca panesa vuccati,
Evañhi vuttaṁ samaṇena jānatā"ti.

Dasamaṁ.

Caravaggo dutiyo.

5Caraṁ sīlaṁ padhānāni,
saṁvaraṁ paññatti pañcamaṁ;
Sokhummaṁ tayo agatī,
bhattuddesena te dasāti.