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- Anguttara Nikaya IV.73
- Sappurisa Sutta
- A Person of Integrity
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
"Monks, a person endowed with these four qualities can be known as 'a person of no
integrity.' Which four?
"There is the case where a person of no integrity, when unasked, reveals another
person's bad points, to say nothing of when asked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed
with questions, he is one who speaks of another person's bad points in full & in
detail, without omission, without holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This
venerable one is a person of no integrity.'
"Then again, a person of no integrity, when asked, does not reveal another
person's good points, to say nothing of when unasked. Furthermore, when asked, when
pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of another person's good points not in full,
not in detail, with omissions, holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable
one is a person of no integrity.'
"Then again, a person of no integrity, when asked, does not reveal his own bad
points, to say nothing of when unasked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with
questions, he is one who speaks of his own bad points not in full, not in detail, with
omissions, holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of
no integrity.'
"Then again, a person of no integrity, when unasked, reveals his own good points,
to say nothing of when asked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is
one who speaks of his own good points in full & in detail, without omissions, without
holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of no
integrity.'
"Monks, a person endowed with these four qualities can be known as 'a person of no
integrity.'
"Now, a person endowed with these four qualities can be known as 'a person of
integrity.' Which four?
"There is the case where a person of integrity, when asked, does not reveal
another person's bad points, to say nothing of when unasked. Furthermore, when asked, when
pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of another person's bad points not in full,
not in detail, with omissions, holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable
one is a person of integrity.'
"Then again, a person of integrity, when unasked, reveals another person's good
points, to say nothing of when asked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with
questions, he is one who speaks of another person's good points in full & in detail,
without omissions, without holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one
is a person of integrity.'
"Then again, a person of integrity, when unasked, reveals his own bad points, to
say nothing of when asked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one
who speaks of his own bad points in full & in detail, without omissions, without
holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of integrity.'
"Then again, a person of integrity, when asked, does not reveal his own good
points, to say nothing of when unasked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with
questions, he is one who speaks of his own good points not in full, not in detail, with
omissions, holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of
integrity.'
"Monks, a person endowed with these four qualities can be known as 'a person of
integrity.'"