{"collection":"Anguttara Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_an4.192/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_an4.192","id":"suttacentral_an4.192","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/an4.192/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Anguttara Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"\u201cMendicants, these four things can be known in four situations. What four? You can get to know a person\u2019s ethics by living with them. But only after a long time, not casually; only when attentive, not when inattentive; and only by the wise, not the witless. You can get to know a person\u2019s purity by dealing with them. \u2026 You can get to know a person\u2019s resilience in times of trouble. \u2026 You can get to know a person\u2019s wisdom by discussion. But only after a long time, not casually; only when attentive, not when inattentive; and only by the wise, not the witless. \u2018You can get to know a person\u2019s ethics by living with them. But only after a long time, not casually; only when attentive, not when inattentive; and only by the wise, not the witless.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, but why did I say it? Take an individual who\u2019s living with someone else. They come to know: \u2018For a long time this venerable\u2019s deeds have been broken, tainted, spotty, and marred. Their deeds and behavior are inconsistent. This venerable is unethical, not ethical.\u2019 Take another individual who\u2019s living with someone else. They come to know: \u2018For a long time this venerable\u2019s deeds have been intact, impeccable, spotless, and unmarred. Their deeds and behavior are consistent. This venerable is ethical, not unethical.\u2019 That\u2019s why I said that you can get to know a person\u2019s ethics by living with them. But only after a long time, not a short time; only when attentive, not when inattentive; and only by the wise, not the witless. \u2018You can get to know a person\u2019s purity by dealing with them. \u2026\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, but why did I say it? Take an individual who has dealings with someone else. They come to know: \u2018This venerable deals with one person in one way. Then they deal with two, three, or many people each in different ways. They\u2019re not consistent from one deal to the next. This venerable\u2019s dealings are impure, not pure.\u2019 Take another individual who has dealings with someone else. They come to know: \u2018This venerable deals with one person in one way. Then they deal with two, three, or many people each in the same way. They\u2019re consistent from one deal to the next. This venerable\u2019s dealings are pure, not impure.\u2019 That\u2019s why I said that you can get to know a person\u2019s purity by dealing with them. \u2026 \u2018You can get to know a person\u2019s resilience in times of trouble. \u2026\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, but why did I say it? Take someone who experiences loss of family, wealth, or health. But they don\u2019t reflect: \u2018Worldly life is like that. Incarnation is like that. That\u2019s why the eight worldly conditions revolve around the world, and the world revolves around the eight worldly conditions: gain and loss, fame and disgrace, blame and praise, pleasure and pain.\u2019 They sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. Take someone else who experiences loss of family, wealth, or health. But they reflect: \u2018Worldly life is like that. Incarnation is like that. That\u2019s why the eight worldly conditions revolve around the world, and the world revolves around the eight worldly conditions: gain and loss, fame and disgrace, blame and praise, pleasure and pain.\u2019 They don\u2019t sorrow or wail or lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. That\u2019s why I said that you can get to know a person\u2019s resilience in times of trouble. \u2026 \u2018You can get to know a person\u2019s wisdom by discussion. But only after a long time, not casually; only when attentive, not when inattentive; and only by the wise, not the witless.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, but why did I say it? Take an individual who is discussing with someone else. They come to know: \u2018Judging by this venerable\u2019s approach, by what they\u2019re getting at, and by how they discuss a question, they\u2019re witless, not wise. Why is that? This venerable does not bring up a deep and meaningful saying that is peaceful, sublime, beyond the scope of logic, subtle, comprehensible to the astute. When this venerable speaks on Dhamma they\u2019re not able to explain the meaning, either briefly or in detail. They can\u2019t teach it, assert it, establish it, clarify it, analyze it, or reveal it. This venerable is witless, not wise.\u2019 Suppose a person with clear eyes was standing on the bank of a lake. They\u2019d see a little fish rising, and think: \u2018Judging by this fish\u2019s approach, by the ripples it makes, and by its force, it\u2019s a little fish, not a big one.\u2019 In the same way, an individual who is discussing with someone else would come to know: \u2018Judging by this venerable\u2019s approach, by what they\u2019re getting at, and by how they discuss a question, they\u2019re witless, not wise. \u2026\u2019 Take another individual who is discussing with someone else. They come to know: \u2018Judging by this venerable\u2019s approach, by what they\u2019re getting at, and by how they discuss a question, they\u2019re wise, not witless. Why is that? This venerable brings up a deep and meaningful saying that is peaceful, sublime, beyond the scope of logic, subtle, comprehensible to the astute. When this venerable speaks on Dhamma they\u2019re able to explain the meaning, either briefly or in detail. They teach it, assert it, establish it, clarify it, analyze it, and reveal it. This venerable is wise, not witless.\u2019 Suppose a man with clear eyes was standing on the bank of a lake. He\u2019d see a big fish rising, and think: \u2018Judging by this fish\u2019s approach, by the ripples it makes, and by its force, it\u2019s a big fish, not a little one.\u2019 In the same way, an individual who is discussing with someone else would come to know: \u2018Judging by this venerable\u2019s approach, by what they\u2019re getting at, and by how they articulate a question, they\u2019re wise, not witless. \u2026\u2019 That\u2019s why I said that you can get to know a person\u2019s wisdom by discussion. But only after a long time, not casually; only when attentive, not when inattentive; and only by the wise, not the witless. These are the four things that can be known in four situations.\u201d","title":"Facts","tradition":"Anguttara Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1037}