Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.27

Translators: sujato

Numbered Discourses 3.27

3. Puggalavagga
3. Persons

Jigucchitabbasutta

You Should be Disgusted

“Tayome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
“These three people are found in the world.

Katame tayo?
What three?

Atthi, bhikkhave, puggalo jigucchitabbo na sevitabbo na bhajitabbo na payirupāsitabbo.
There is a person who you should be disgusted by, and you shouldn’t associate with, accompany, or attend them.

Atthi, bhikkhave, puggalo ajjhupekkhitabbo na sevitabbo na bhajitabbo na payirupāsitabbo.
There is a person you should regard with equanimity, and you shouldn’t associate with, accompany, or attend them.

Atthi, bhikkhave, puggalo sevitabbo bhajitabbo payirupāsitabbo.
There is a person you should associate with, accompany, and attend.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo jigucchitabbo na sevitabbo na bhajitabbo na payirupāsitabbo?
Who is the person you should be disgusted by, and not associate with, accompany, or attend?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dussīlo hoti pāpadhammo asuci saṅkassarasamācāro paṭicchannakammanto, assamaṇo samaṇapaṭiñño, abrahmacārī brahmacāripaṭiñño, antopūti avassuto kasambujāto.
It’s a person who is unethical, of bad qualities, filthy, with suspicious behavior, underhand, no true ascetic or spiritual practitioner—though claiming to be one—rotten inside, festering, and depraved.

Evarūpo, bhikkhave, puggalo jigucchitabbo na sevitabbo na bhajitabbo na payirupāsitabbo.
You should be disgusted by such a person, and you shouldn’t associate with, accompany, or attend them.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Kiñcāpi, bhikkhave, evarūpassa puggalassa na diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjati, atha kho naṁ pāpako kittisaddo abbhuggacchati:
Even if you don’t follow the example of such a person, you still get a bad reputation:

‘pāpamitto purisapuggalo pāpasahāyo pāpasampavaṅko’ti.
‘That individual has bad friends, companions, and associates.’

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ahi gūthagato kiñcāpi na daṁsati, atha kho naṁ makkheti;
They’re like a snake that’s been living in a pile of dung. Even if it doesn’t bite, it’ll still rub off on you.

evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, kiñcāpi evarūpassa puggalassa na diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjati, atha kho naṁ pāpako kittisaddo abbhuggacchati:
In the same way, even if you don’t follow the example of such a person, you still get a bad reputation:

‘pāpamitto purisapuggalo pāpasahāyo pāpasampavaṅko’ti.
‘That individual has bad friends, companions, and associates.’

Tasmā evarūpo puggalo jigucchitabbo na sevitabbo na bhajitabbo na payirupāsitabbo.
That’s why you should be disgusted by such a person, and you shouldn’t associate with, accompany, or attend them.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo ajjhupekkhitabbo na sevitabbo na bhajitabbo na payirupāsitabbo?
Who is the person you should regard with equanimity, and not associate with, accompany, or attend?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo kodhano hoti upāyāsabahulo,
It’s a person who is irritable and bad-tempered.

appampi vutto samāno abhisajjati kuppati byāpajjati patitthīyati, kopañca dosañca appaccayañca pātukaroti.
Even when lightly criticized they lose their temper, becoming annoyed, hostile, and hard-hearted, and they display annoyance, hate, and bitterness.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, duṭṭhāruko kaṭṭhena vā kaṭhalāya vā ghaṭṭito bhiyyoso mattāya āsavaṁ deti;
They’re like a festering sore, which, when you hit it with a stick or a stone, discharges even more.

evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave …pe…
In the same way, someone is irritable and bad-tempered.

seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, tindukālātaṁ kaṭṭhena vā kaṭhalāya vā ghaṭṭitaṁ bhiyyoso mattāya cicciṭāyati ciṭiciṭāyati;
They’re like a firebrand of pale-moon ebony, which, when you hit it with a stick or a stone, sizzles and crackles even more.

evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave …pe…
In the same way, someone is irritable and bad-tempered.

seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gūthakūpo kaṭṭhena vā kaṭhalāya vā ghaṭṭito bhiyyoso mattāya duggandho hoti;
They’re like a sewer, which, when you stir it with a stick or a stone, stinks even more.

evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco puggalo kodhano hoti upāyāsabahulo,
In the same way, a person is irritable and bad-tempered.

Evarūpo, bhikkhave, puggalo ajjhupekkhitabbo na sevitabbo na bhajitabbo na payirupāsitabbo.
You should regard such a person with equanimity, and you shouldn’t associate with, accompany, or attend them.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Akkoseyyapi maṁ paribhāseyyapi maṁ anatthampi maṁ kareyyāti.
Thinking, ‘They might abuse or insult me, or do me harm.’

Tasmā evarūpo puggalo ajjhupekkhitabbo na sevitabbo na bhajitabbo na payirupāsitabbo.
That’s why you should regard such a person with equanimity, and you shouldn’t associate with, accompany, or attend them.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo sevitabbo bhajitabbo payirupāsitabbo?
Who is the person you should associate with, accompany, and attend?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sīlavā hoti kalyāṇadhammo.
It’s a person who is ethical, of good character.

Evarūpo, bhikkhave, puggalo sevitabbo bhajitabbo payirupāsitabbo.
You should associate with, accompany, and attend such a person.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Kiñcāpi, bhikkhave, evarūpassa puggalassa na diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjati, atha kho naṁ kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggacchati:
Even if you don’t follow the example of such a person, you still get a good reputation:

‘kalyāṇamitto purisapuggalo kalyāṇasahāyo kalyāṇasampavaṅko’ti.
‘That individual has good friends, companions, and associates.’

Tasmā evarūpo puggalo sevitabbo bhajitabbo payirupāsitabbo.
That’s why you should associate with, accompany, and attend such a person.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasminti.
These are the three people found in the world.

Nihīyati puriso nihīnasevī,
A man who associates with an inferior goes downhill,

Na ca hāyetha kadāci tulyasevī;
but associating with an equal, you’ll never decline;

Seṭṭhamupanamaṁ udeti khippaṁ,
following the best, you’ll quickly rise up,

Tasmā attano uttariṁ bhajethā”ti.
so you should keep company <j>with people better than you.”

Sattamaṁ.