sutta » an » an4 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.6

Appassutasutta

A Little Learning

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
“Mendicants, these four people are found in the world.

Katame cattāro?
What four? A person may have:

Appassuto sutena anupapanno,
Little learning and not get the point of learning.

appassuto sutena upapanno,
Little learning but get the point of learning.

bahussuto sutena anupapanno,
Much learning but not get the point of learning.

bahussuto sutena upapanno.
Much learning and get the point of learning.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo appassuto hoti sutena anupapanno?
And how has a person learned little and not got the point of learning?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa appakaṁ sutaṁ hoti—
It’s when a person has learned little of the

suttaṁ geyyaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ gāthā udānaṁ itivuttakaṁ jātakaṁ abbhutadhammaṁ vedallaṁ.
statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations.

So tassa appakassa sutassa na atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno hoti.
And with the little they’ve learned, they understand neither the meaning nor the text, nor do they practice in line with the teaching.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo appassuto hoti sutena anupapanno.
That’s how a person has learned little and not got the point of learning.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo appassuto hoti sutena upapanno?
And how has a person learned little but has got the point of learning?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa appakaṁ sutaṁ hoti—
It’s when a person has learned little of the

suttaṁ geyyaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ gāthā udānaṁ itivuttakaṁ jātakaṁ abbhutadhammaṁ vedallaṁ.
statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations.

So tassa appakassa sutassa atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno hoti.
But with the little they’ve learned, they understand the meaning and the text, and they practice in line with the teaching.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo appassuto hoti sutena upapanno.
That’s how a person has learned little but has got the point of learning.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo bahussuto hoti sutena anupapanno?
And how has a person learned much but hasn't got the point of learning?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa bahukaṁ sutaṁ hoti—
It’s when a person has learned much of the

suttaṁ geyyaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ gāthā udānaṁ itivuttakaṁ jātakaṁ abbhutadhammaṁ vedallaṁ.
statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations.

So tassa bahukassa sutassa na atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno hoti.
But even though they’ve learned much, they understand neither the meaning nor the text, nor do they practice in line with the teaching.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo bahussuto hoti sutena anupapanno.
That’s how a person has learned much but hasn't got the point of learning.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo bahussuto hoti sutena upapanno?
And how has a person learned much and has got the point of learning?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa bahukaṁ sutaṁ hoti—
It’s when a person has learned much of the

suttaṁ geyyaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ gāthā udānaṁ itivuttakaṁ jātakaṁ abbhutadhammaṁ vedallaṁ.
statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations.

So tassa bahukassa sutassa atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno hoti.
And with the large amount they’ve learned, they understand the meaning and the text, and they practice in line with the teaching.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo bahussuto hoti sutena upapanno.
That’s how a person has learned much and has got the point of learning.

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

Appassutopi ce hoti,
If you don’t learn much,

sīlesu asamāhito;
and aren’t steady in ethics,

Ubhayena naṁ garahanti,
they’ll criticize you on both counts,

sīlato ca sutena ca.
for your ethics and your learning.

Appassutopi ce hoti,
If you don’t learn much,

sīlesu susamāhito;
and you are steady in ethics,

Sīlato naṁ pasaṁsanti,
they’ll praise your ethical conduct,

tassa sampajjate sutaṁ.
since your learning has succeeded.

Bahussutopi ce hoti,
If you learn much,

sīlesu asamāhito;
but aren’t steady in ethics,

Sīlato naṁ garahanti,
they’ll criticize your ethical conduct,

nāssa sampajjate sutaṁ.
for your learning hasn’t succeeded.

Bahussutopi ce hoti,
If you learn much,

sīlesu susamāhito;
and you are steady in ethics,

Ubhayena naṁ pasaṁsanti,
they’ll praise you on both counts,

sīlato ca sutena ca.
for your ethics and your learning.

Bahussutaṁ dhammadharaṁ,
A wise disciple of the Buddha

sappaññaṁ buddhasāvakaṁ;
who is learned and has memorized the teachings;

Nekkhaṁ jambonadasseva,
like a pendant of river gold,

ko taṁ ninditumarahati;
who is worthy to criticize them?

Devāpi naṁ pasaṁsanti,
Even the gods praise them,

brahmunāpi pasaṁsito”ti.
and by Brahmā, too, they’re praised.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.