14. Puggalavagga

Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.139

Numbered Discourses 4.139

14. Puggalavagga

14. Individuals

Dhammakathikasutta

Dhamma Speakers

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, dhammakathikā.

“Mendicants, there are these four Dhamma speakers.

Katame cattāro?

What four?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco dhammakathiko appañca bhāsati asahitañca;

One Dhamma speaker speaks little and off topic.

parisā cassa na kusalā hoti sahitāsahitassa.

And their assembly can’t tell what’s on topic and what’s off topic.

Evarūpo, bhikkhave, dhammakathiko evarūpāya parisāya dhammakathikotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

Such an assembly regards such a Dhamma speaker simply as a Dhamma speaker.

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco dhammakathiko appañca bhāsati sahitañca;

One Dhamma speaker speaks little but stays on topic.

parisā cassa kusalā hoti sahitāsahitassa.

And their assembly can tell what’s on topic and what’s off topic.

Evarūpo, bhikkhave, dhammakathiko evarūpāya parisāya dhammakathikotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

Such an assembly regards such a Dhamma speaker simply as a Dhamma speaker.

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco dhammakathiko bahuñca bhāsati asahitañca;

One Dhamma speaker speaks much but off topic.

parisā cassa na kusalā hoti sahitāsahitassa.

And their assembly can’t tell what’s on topic and what’s off topic.

Evarūpo, bhikkhave, dhammakathiko evarūpāya parisāya dhammakathikotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

Such an assembly regards such a Dhamma speaker simply as a Dhamma speaker.

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco dhammakathiko bahuñca bhāsati sahitañca;

One Dhamma speaker speaks much and stays on topic.

parisā cassa kusalā hoti sahitāsahitassa.

And their assembly can tell what’s on topic and what’s off topic.

Evarūpo, bhikkhave, dhammakathiko evarūpāya parisāya dhammakathikotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

Such an assembly regards such a Dhamma speaker simply as a Dhamma speaker.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro dhammakathikā”ti.

These are the four Dhamma speakers.”

Navamaṁ.