Aṅguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka Nipāta
9. Thera Vagga

The Book of the Fives

IX. The Elder

Sutta 81

Rājaniya Suttaṃ

Enticing

[87]

Thus have I heard:

Once the Exalted One dwelt near Sāvatthī
and there he addressed the monks,
saying:

"Monks."

'Yes, lord,' they replied;
and the Exalted One said:

"Monks, if an elder monk be possessed of five qualities,
among his fellows in the godly life
he becomes neither dear
nor pleasant
nor respected
nor what he ought to become.¹

What five?

He² is enticed by the enticing;
corrupted by the corrupting;
infatuated by the infatuating;
angered by the angering;
maddened by the maddening.

Monks, if he be possessed of these five qualities,
among his fellows in the godly life
he becomes neither dear
nor pleasant
nor respected
nor what he ought to become.

■

"Monks, if an elder monk be possessed of five qualities,
among his fellows in the godly life
he becomes dear
pleasant
respected
and what he ought to become.

What five?

He is not enticed by the enticing;
not corrupted by the corrupting;
not infatuated by the infatuating;
not angered by the angering;
not maddened by the maddening.

Monks, if he be possessed of these five qualities,
among his fellows in the godly life
he becomes dear
pleasant
respected
and what he ought to become.

¹ Bhāvanīyo. See Introduction.