Aṅguttara-Nikāya
III. Tika Nipāta
I. Bāla Vagga

III. The Book of the Threes

I. The Fool

Sutta 2

Lakkhana Suttaṃ

The Fool (2)

[88]

"Monks, by his deeds the fool is marked,
by his deeds the wise man is marked.

Wisdom shines forth by one's behaviour.¹

By three characteristics
a fool is to be known.

What three?

Immorality in deed,
speech
and thought.

These are the three characteristics
by which a fool is to be known.

By three characteristics
a wise man is to be known.

What three?

Morality in deed,
speech
and thought.

These are the three characteristics
by which a wise man is to be known.

■

Wherefore, monks, thus must ye train yourselves:

'Abandoning those three conditions
by which the fool is to be known,
we will acquire and practice
those three conditions
by which the wise man is to be known.'

That is how ye must train yourselves, monks."