24. Āvāsikavaggo | 5 | Aṅguttara

Aṅguttara Nikāya

024. Aavāsikavaggo
IV. Resident

231 (1) Not to Be Esteemed

Bhikkhus, possessing 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is not to be esteemed. What 5?

1) He is not accomplished in manners and duties;
2) he is not learned or an expert in learning;
3) he is not given to effacement nor is he one who delights in seclusion;
4) he is not a good speaker and he lacks a good delivery;
5) he is unwise, stupid, and obtuse.

- Possessing these 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is not to be esteemed.

Bhikkhus, possessing 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is to be esteemed. What 5?

1) He is accomplished in manners and duties;
2) he is learned and an expert in learning;
3) he is given to effacement and delights in seclusion;
4) he is a good speaker with a good delivery;
5) he is wise, intelligent, and astute.

- Possessing these 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is to be esteemed.

232 (2) Pleasing

Bhikkhus, possessing 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is pleasing and agreeable to his fellow monks and is respected and esteemed by them. What 5?

1) He is virtuous; he dwells restrained by the Pātimokkha, possessed of good conduct and resort, seeing danger in minute faults.

Having undertaken the training rules, he trains in them.

2) He has learned much, remembers what he has learned, and accumulates what he has learned.

Those teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing,

- which proclaim the perfectly complete and pure spiritual life

—such teachings as these he has learned much of, retained in mind, recited verbally, mentally investigated, and penetrated well by view.

3) He is a good speaker with a good delivery; he is gifted with speech that is polished, clear, articulate, expressive of the meaning.

4) He gains at will, without trouble or difficulty, the 4 jhānas that constitute the higher mind and are pleasant dwellings in this very life.

5) With the destruction of the taints,

he has realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, he dwells in it.

- Possessing these 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is pleasing and agreeable to his fellow monks and is respected and esteemed by them.

233 (3) Beautifying

Bhikkhus, possessing 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu beautifies a monastery. What 5?

1) He is virtuous; he dwells restrained by the Pātimokkha ... he trains in them.

2) He has learned much ... and penetrated well by view.

3) He is a good speaker with a good delivery; he is gifted with speech that is polished, clear, articulate, expressive of the meaning.

4) He is able to instruct, encourage, inspire, and gladden with a Dhamma talk those who approach him.

5) He gains at will, without trouble or difficulty, the four jhānas that constitute the higher mind and are pleasant dwellings in this very life.

- Possessing these 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu beautifies a monastery.

234 (4) Very Helpful

Bhikkhus, possessing 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is very helpful to a monastery.

What 5?

1) He is virtuous; he dwells restrained by the Pātimokkha ... he trains in them.

2) He has learned much ... and penetrated well by view.

3) He repairs what is broken and split.

4) When a large Saṅgha of Bhikkhus has arrived including Bhikkhus from various states, he approaches laypeople and informs them:

‘Friends, a large Saṅgha of Bhikkhus has arrived including Bhikkhus from various states. Make merit. It is an occasion to make merit.’

5) He gains at will, without trouble or difficulty, the 4 jhānas that constitute the higher mind and are pleasant dwellings in this very life.

- Possessing these 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is very helpful to a monastery.

235 (5) Compassionate

Bhikkhus, possessing 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu shows compassion to laypeople.

What 5?

1) He encourages them in regard to virtuous behaviour.

2) He settles them in the vision of the Dhamma.

3) When they are ill he approaches them and arouses mindfulness in them, saying: ‘Let the honourable ones establish mindfulness on that which is worthy.’

4) When a large Saṅgha of Bhikkhus has arrived, including Bhikkhus from various states, he approaches laypeople and informs them:

‘Friends, a large Saṅgha of Bhikkhus has arrived including Bhikkhus from various states. Make merit. It is an occasion to make merit.’

5) He himself eats whatever food they give him, whether coarse or excellent; he does not squander what has been given out of faith.

- Possessing these 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu shows compassion to laypeople.

236 (6) One Who Deserves Dispraise (1)

Bhikkhus, possessing 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in hell as if brought there.

What 5?

1) Without investigating and scrutinizing, he speaks praise of one who deserves dispraise.

2) Without investigating and scrutinizing, he speaks dispraise of one who deserves praise.

3) Without investigating and scrutinizing, he believes a matter that merits suspicion.

4) Without investigating and scrutinizing, he is suspicious about a matter that merits belief.

5) He squanders what has been given out of faith.

- Possessing these 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in hell as if brought there.

Bhikkhus, possessing 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in heaven as if brought there. What 5?

1) Having investigated and scrutinized, he speaks dispraise of one who deserves dispraise.

2) Having investigated and scrutinized, he speaks praise of one who deserves praise.

3) Having investigated and scrutinized, he is suspicious about a matter that merits suspicion.

4) Having investigated and scrutinized, he believes a matter that merits belief.

5) He does not squander what has been given out of faith. Possessing these 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in heaven as if brought there.

237 (7) One Who Deserves Dispraise (2)

Bhikkhus, possessing 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in hell as if brought there.

What 5?

1) Without investigating and scrutinizing, he speaks praise of one who deserves dispraise.

2) Without investigating and scrutinizing, he speaks dispraise of one who deserves praise.

3) He is miserly and greedy with regard to dwellings.
4) He is miserly and greedy with regard to families.
5) He squanders what has been given out of faith.

- Possessing these 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in hell as if brought there.

Bhikkhus, possessing 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in heaven as if brought there. What 5?

1) Having investigated and scrutinized, he speaks dispraise of one who deserves dispraise.

2) Having investigated and scrutinized, he speaks praise of one who deserves praise.

3) He is not miserly and greedy with regard to dwellings.
4) He is not miserly and greedy with regard to families.
5) He does not squander what has been given out of faith.

- Possessing these 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in heaven as if brought there.

238 (8) One Who Deserves Dispraise (3)

Bhikkhus, possessing 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in hell as if brought there.

What 5?

1) Without investigating and scrutinizing, he speaks praise of one who deserves dispraise.

2) Without investigating and scrutinizing, he speaks dispraise of one who deserves praise.

3) He is miserly with regard to dwellings.
4) He is miserly with regard to families.
5) He is miserly with regard to gains.

- Possessing these 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in hell as if brought there.

Bhikkhus, possessing 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in heaven as if brought there. What 5?

1) Having investigated and scrutinized, he speaks dispraise of one who deserves dispraise.

2) Having investigated and scrutinized, he speaks praise of one who deserves praise.

3) He is not miserly with regard to dwellings.
4) He is not miserly with regard to families.
5) He is not miserly with regard to gains.

- Possessing these 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in heaven as if brought there.

239 (9) Miserliness (1)

Bhikkhus, possessing 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in hell as if brought there. What 5?

1) He is miserly with regard to dwellings.
2) He is miserly with regard to families.
3) He is miserly with regard to gains.
4) He is miserly with regard to praise.
5) He squanders what has been given out of faith.

- Possessing these 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in hell as if brought there.

Bhikkhus, possessing 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in heaven as if brought there. What 5?

1) He is not miserly with regard to dwellings.
2) He is not miserly with regard to families.
3) He is not miserly with regard to gains.
4) He is not miserly with regard to praise.
5) He does not squander what has been given out of faith.

- Possessing these 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in heaven as if brought there.

240 (10) Miserliness (2)

Bhikkhus, possessing 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in hell as if brought there. What 5?

1) He is miserly with regard to dwellings.
2) He is miserly with regard to families.
3) He is miserly with regard to gains.
4) He is miserly with regard to praise.
5) He is miserly with regard to the Dhamma.

- Possessing these 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in hell as if brought there.

Bhikkhus, possessing 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in heaven as if brought there. What 5?

1) He is not miserly with regard to dwellings.
2) He is not miserly with regard to families.
3) He is not miserly with regard to gains.
4) He is not miserly with regard to praise.
5) He is not miserly with regard to the Dhamma.

- Possessing these 5 qualities, a resident Bhikkhu is deposited in heaven as if brought there.