“Mendicants, I will teach you an untrue person and an even more untrue person, “Asappurisañca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi, asappurisena asappurisatarañca; a true person and an even truer person. sappurisañca, sappurisena sappurisatarañca. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Yes, sir,” they replied. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. The Buddha said this: Bhagavā etadavoca:

“And what is an untrue person? “Katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappuriso? It’s someone who kills living creatures, steals, commits sexual misconduct, lies, and consumes beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants. Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pāṇātipātī hoti, adinnādāyī hoti, kāmesumicchācārī hoti, musāvādī hoti, surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhāyī hoti. This is called an untrue person. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, asappuriso.

And what is an even more untrue person? Katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappurisena asappurisataro? It’s someone who kills living creatures, steals, commits sexual misconduct, lies, and consumes beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants. And they encourage others to do these things. Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco attanā ca pāṇātipātī hoti, parañca pāṇātipāte samādapeti; attanā ca adinnādāyī hoti, parañca adinnādāne samādapeti; attanā ca kāmesumicchācārī hoti, parañca kāmesumicchācāre samādapeti; attanā ca musāvādī hoti, parañca musāvāde samādapeti; attanā ca surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhāyī hoti, parañca surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhāne samādapeti. This is called an even more untrue person. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, asappurisena asappurisataro.

And what is a true person? Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sappuriso? It’s someone who doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants. Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato hoti, musāvādā paṭivirato hoti, surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭivirato hoti. This is called a true person. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sappuriso.

And what is an even truer person? Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sappurisena sappurisataro? It’s someone who doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants. And they encourage others to refrain from these things. Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco attanā ca pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, parañca pāṇātipātā veramaṇiyā samādapeti; attanā ca adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, parañca adinnādānā veramaṇiyā samādapeti; attanā ca kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato hoti, parañca kāmesumicchācārā veramaṇiyā samādapeti; attanā ca musāvādā paṭivirato hoti, parañca musāvādā veramaṇiyā samādapeti; attanā ca surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭivirato hoti, parañca surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā veramaṇiyā samādapeti. This is called an even truer person.” Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sappurisena sappurisataro”ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.