The Man of Principle

He is not a ‘man of principle’ (dhammaṭṭha) who rashly judges what is advantageous (attha). The spiritually mature person who judges both what is advantageous and disadvantageous –

who judges others impartially, carefully, and in accordance with principle – that man of understanding, guarded of principle, is said to be ‘a man of principle’.

A man is not spiritually mature (or: learned) merely because he talks a lot. He is said to be spiritually mature who is secure (in himself), friendly, and without fear.

He is not a vessel of the Teaching (dhammadhara) merely because he talks a lot. He who, having heard only a little, personally sees the Truth, he (truly) is a ‘vessel of the Teaching’, that man who is not neglectful of the Teaching.

A man is not an elder (among almsmen) because his head is grey. Though of mature age, he is called ‘grown old in vain’.

He is (truly) called an elder (among almsmen) in whom are truth and principle, (together with) harmlessness (ahiṃsā), (self-)control (and) restraint, (and) who is without stain and wise.

One who is jealous, miserly, and dishonest is not accounted ‘good’ (sādhurūpa) merely by reason of his speechifying or beautiful complexion.

He is said to be ‘good’ (sādhurūpa), that fault-free man of understanding, in whom this (kind of behaviour) is extirpated, it being destroyed at its roots (and) abolished.

A man who is without (religious) observances (and) who speaks what is false is not an asketic (merely) by reason of his shaven head.

He who stills (sameti) all his evils, small and great, is said to be an asketic (samaṇa) because those evils have been stilled.

One is not an almsman (merely) because he begs (alms) from others. One is not an almsman (merely) because of having adopted a bad (teaching).

He is said to be an almsman who lives in the world with discrimination (saṅkhā), having by means of the spiritual life (brahmacariya) set aside merit and demerit.

One who is confused and ignorant does not become a silent sage (munῑ) merely by observing silence. But that spiritually mature person who, as if holding a pair of scales, accepts the best and rejects the evil, he is a silent sage. He is a silent sage for that (very) reason. He is (also) called a silent sage (munῑ) because he understands (munāti) both worlds.

One who is confused and ignorant does not become a silent sage (munῑ) merely by observing silence. But that spiritually mature person who, as if holding a pair of scales, accepts the best and rejects the evil, he is a silent sage. He is a silent sage for that (very) reason. He is (also) called a silent sage (munῑ) because he understands (munāti) both worlds.

A man who harms living beings is not one who is spiritually developed (ariya). He is said to be spiritually developed who is harmless towards all living beings.

Without having attained to the destruction of the defilements (āsava-s), almsman, you should not rest content with rules of conduct and religious observances, or with much learning, with the attainment of concentration (samādhi), or with living in seclusion, nor with (thinking) ‘I enjoy the bliss of renunciation (that is) unknown to ordinary people.’

Without having attained to the destruction of the defilements (āsava-s), almsman, you should not rest content with rules of conduct and religious observances, or with much learning, with the attainment of concentration (samādhi), or with living in seclusion, nor with (thinking) ‘I enjoy the bliss of renunciation (that is) unknown to ordinary people.’