{"collection":"Anguttara Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_an5.167/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_an5.167","id":"suttacentral_an5.167","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/an5.167/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Anguttara Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"There S\u0101riputta addressed the mendicants: \u201cReverends, a mendicant who wants to accuse another should first establish five things in themselves. What five? I will speak at the right time, not at the wrong time. I will speak truthfully, not falsely. I will speak gently, not harshly. I will speak beneficially, not harmfully. I will speak lovingly, not from secret hate. A mendicant who wants to accuse another should first establish these five things in themselves. Take a case where I see a certain individual being accused at the wrong time, not being disturbed at the right time. They\u2019re accused falsely, not disturbed truthfully. They\u2019re accused harshly, not disturbed gently. They\u2019re accused harmfully, not disturbed beneficially. They\u2019re accused with secret hate, not disturbed lovingly. The mendicant who is accused improperly should be reassured in five ways. \u2018Venerable, you were accused at the wrong time, not at the right time. There\u2019s no need for you to feel remorse. You were accused falsely, not truthfully. \u2026 You were accused harshly, not gently. \u2026 You were accused harmfully, not beneficially. \u2026 You were accused with secret hate, not lovingly. There\u2019s no need for you to feel remorse.\u2019 A mendicant who is accused improperly should be reassured in these five ways. The mendicant who makes improper accusations should be chastened in five ways. \u2018Reverend, you made an accusation at the wrong time, not at the right time. There\u2019s a reason for you to feel remorse. You made an accusation falsely, not truthfully. \u2026 You made an accusation harshly, not gently. \u2026 You made an accusation harmfully, not beneficially. \u2026 You made an accusation with secret hate, not lovingly. There\u2019s a reason for you to feel remorse.\u2019 The mendicant who makes improper accusations should be chastened in these five ways. Why is that? So that another mendicant wouldn\u2019t think to make a false accusation. Take a case where I see a certain individual being accused at the right time, not being disturbed at the wrong time. They\u2019re accused truthfully, not disturbed falsely. They\u2019re accused gently, not disturbed harshly. They\u2019re accused beneficially, not disturbed harmfully. They\u2019re accused lovingly, not disturbed with secret hate. The mendicant who is accused properly should be chastened in five ways. \u2018Venerable, you were accused at the right time, not at the wrong time. There\u2019s a reason for you to feel remorse. You were accused truthfully, not falsely. \u2026 You were accused gently, not harshly. \u2026 You were accused beneficially, not harmfully. \u2026 You were accused lovingly, not with secret hate. There\u2019s a reason for you to feel remorse.\u2019 The mendicant who is accused properly should be chastened in these five ways. The mendicant who makes proper accusations should be reassured in five ways. \u2018Reverend, you made an accusation at the right time, not at the wrong time. There\u2019s no need for you to feel remorse. You made an accusation truthfully, not falsely. \u2026 You made an accusation gently, not harshly. \u2026 You made an accusation beneficially, not harmfully. \u2026 You made an accusation lovingly, not with secret hate. There\u2019s no need for you to feel remorse.\u2019 The mendicant who makes proper accusations should be reassured in these five ways. Why is that? So that another mendicant would think to make a true accusation. An individual who is accused should ground themselves in two things: truth and an even temper. Even if others accuse me\u2014at the right time or the wrong time, truthfully or falsely, gently or harshly, beneficially or harmfully, lovingly or with secret hate\u2014I will still ground myself in two things: truth and an even temper. If I know that that quality is found in me, I will tell them that it is. If I know that that quality is not found in me, I will tell them that it is not.\u201d \u201cEven when you speak like this, S\u0101riputta, there are still some futile people here who do not respectfully take it up.\u201d \u201cSir, there are those faithless individuals who went forth from the lay life to homelessness not out of faith but to earn a livelihood. They\u2019re devious, deceitful, and sneaky. They\u2019re haughty, insolent, fickle, scurrilous, and loose-tongued. They do not guard their sense doors or eat in moderation, and they are not dedicated to wakefulness. They don\u2019t care about the ascetic life, and don\u2019t keenly respect the training. They\u2019re indulgent and slack, leaders in backsliding, neglecting seclusion, lazy, and lacking energy. They\u2019re unmindful, lacking situational awareness and immersion, with straying minds, witless and idiotic. When I speak to them like this, they don\u2019t respectfully take it up. Sir, there are those gentlemen who went forth from the lay life to homelessness out of faith. They\u2019re not devious, deceitful, and sneaky. They\u2019re not haughty, insolent, fickle, scurrilous, and loose-tongued. They guard their sense doors and eat in moderation, and they are dedicated to wakefulness. They care about the ascetic life, and keenly respect the training. They\u2019re not indulgent or slack, nor are they leaders in backsliding, neglecting seclusion. They\u2019re energetic and determined. They\u2019re mindful, with situational awareness, immersion, and unified minds; wise and clever. When I speak to them like this, they do respectfully take it up.\u201d \u201cS\u0101riputta, those faithless individuals who went forth from the lay life to homelessness not out of faith but to earn a livelihood \u2026 Leave them be. But those gentlemen who went forth from the lay life to homelessness out of faith \u2026 You should speak to them. S\u0101riputta, you should advise your spiritual companions! You should instruct your spiritual companions! Thinking: \u2018I will draw my spiritual companions away from false teachings and ground them in true teachings.\u2019 That\u2019s how you should train.\u201d","title":"Accusation","tradition":"Anguttara Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":939}