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Buddhist Perspective on the Development of Social Welfare

by Ashin Indacara | 2011 | 61,386 words

This page relates ‘Four Characteristics of the Wicked Person� of the study on the Buddhist perspective on the development of Social Welfare, employing primarily the concepts of Utthana-sampada (persistent effort) and Arakkha-sampada (watchfulness). Based on the teachings of the Buddha in the Dighajanu Sutta and other canonical texts, this essay emphasizes the importance of effort, knowledge, and good karma in achieving social welfare.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

13.1. Four Characteristics of the Wicked Person

First of all, the Lord Buddha demonstrated the characteristics of the wicked person in the following ways. They are:�

Asappuriso yo hoti parassa avaṇṇo ta� apuṭṭho pi ٳ karoti, ko pana vādo puṭṭhassa!
Puṭṭho kho pana pañhābhinīto aٱ aٱ 貹ū� vitthārena parassa ṇṇ� bhāsitā hoti

“Monks, a person endowed with four characteristics can be known as ‘a wicked one�. Which four?

“There is the case where the wicked one, when unasked, reveals another person’s bad points, to say nothing of when asked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of another’s bad points in full and detail, without omission, without holding back. Of this person you may know, ‘This venerable one is a person of the wicked.’�[1]

This is the first type of a person who is the wicked that can be known with the first misconduct.

The second type of the person who is the wicked one can be seen his bad quality as follow:-

Asapuriso yo hoti parassa vaṇṇo ta� puṭṭho pi na ٳ karoti, ko pana vādo apuṭṭhassa!
Puṭṭho kho pana pañhābhinīto ٱ ٱ a貹ū� avitthārena parassa ṇṇ� bhāsitā hoti
.�

They mean that: “Then again, a person of the wicked, when asked, does not reveal another person’s good points, to say nothing of unasked.

Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of another person’s good points not in full, not in detail, with omissions, holding back. Of this person you may know, ‘This venerable is a person of the wicked.’�[2]

The third type of the person who is included in the wicked one can be known as in the following way.

Asapuriso yo hoti attano vaṇṇo ta� apuṭṭho pi na ٳ karoti, ko pana vādo apuṭṭhassa!
Puṭṭho kho pana pañhābhinīto ٱ ٱ a貹ū� avitthārena attano ṇṇ� bhāsitā hoti
.�

“Then again, a person of the wicked, when asked, he does not reveal his own bad points, to say nothing of when unasked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of his own bad points not in full, not in detail, with omissions, with holding back. Of this person you may know, ‘This venerable one is a person of the wicked.’�[3]

The last type of a person who is the wicked one can be seen as demonstrated by the Buddha as below:-

Asapuriso yo hoti attano vaṇṇo ta� aapuṭṭho pi ٳ karoti, ko pana vādo puṭṭhassa!
Puṭṭho kho pana pañhābhinīto aٱ aٱ 貹ū� vitthārena attano ṇṇ� bhāsitā hoti
.�

These words mean that “Then again, a person of the wicked, when unasked, reveals his own good points, to say nothing of asked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of his own good points in full, in detail, without omissions, without holding back. Of this person you may know, ‘This venerable one is a person of the wicked.’�[4]

According to these four bad characteristics, the four types of the wicked persons can be understood and their bad attitude, bad-hearted, ill of mind, etc. can be understood. The reasons that they are included in the type of the wicked persons are their bad mental action called bad mind. They are more fearful than a foolish, violent, brutal and bad-behaved person. We can say that they are involved in the betrayed persons or traitors. Some people “are betrayed by their trusted persons or loyal supporters, confidant and so on. Thus they should be noticed much more than others because no one can foresee the situation of their bad mind and devious means. So everyone should associate them with caution.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

An. I, P. 390. Pali Text Society II, P. 78.

[2]:

An. I, P. 389. Pali Text Society II, P. 77.

[3]:

An. I, P. 389. Pali Text Society II, P. 77.

[4]:

Ibid, P. 389. Ibid, P. 77.

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