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Numbered Discourses · AN 4.139

  • Numbered Discourses 4.139Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.139
  • 14. Individuals14. Puggalavagga

Dhamma SpeakersDhammakathikasutta

“Mendicants, there are these four Dhamma speakers.“Cattārome, bhikkhave, dhammakathikā. What four?Katame cattāro?

One Dhamma speaker speaks little and off topic.Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco dhammakathiko appañca bhāsati asahitañca; And their assembly can’t tell what’s on topic and what’s off topic.parisā cassa na kusalā hoti sahitāsahitassa. Such an assembly regards such a Dhamma speaker simply as a Dhamma speaker.Evarūpo, bhikkhave, dhammakathiko evarūpāya parisāya dhammakathikotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

One Dhamma speaker speaks little but stays on topic.Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco dhammakathiko appañca bhāsati sahitañca; And their assembly can tell what’s on topic and what’s off topic.parisā cassa kusalā hoti sahitāsahitassa. Such an assembly regards such a Dhamma speaker simply as a Dhamma speaker.Evarūpo, bhikkhave, dhammakathiko evarūpāya parisāya dhammakathikotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

One Dhamma speaker speaks much but off topic.Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco dhammakathiko bahuñca bhāsati asahitañca; And their assembly can’t tell what’s on topic and what’s off topic.parisā cassa na kusalā hoti sahitāsahitassa. Such an assembly regards such a Dhamma speaker simply as a Dhamma speaker.Evarūpo, bhikkhave, dhammakathiko evarūpāya parisāya dhammakathikotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

One Dhamma speaker speaks much and stays on topic.Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco dhammakathiko bahuñca bhāsati sahitañca; And their assembly can tell what’s on topic and what’s off topic.parisā cassa kusalā hoti sahitāsahitassa. Such an assembly regards such a Dhamma speaker simply as a Dhamma speaker.Evarūpo, bhikkhave, dhammakathiko evarūpāya parisāya dhammakathikotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

These are the four Dhamma speakers.”Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro dhammakathikā”ti.

Similar passages elsewhere

Found by meaning, not by citation: the passages in other texts whose wording sits closest to a passage here.

  1. SN 22.115 A Dhamma speaker 0.58near 0.1Linked Discourses 22.115 12. A Dhamma speaker A Dhamma speaker At Sāvatthī. Seated to one side, that mendicant said to the Buddha: “Sir, they speak of a ‘Dhamma speaker’. How is a Dhamma speaker defined?” “Mendicant, if…
  2. AN 4.140 Speaker 0.55near 0.1Numbered Discourses 4.140 14. Individuals Speaker “Mendicants, there are these four speakers. What four? There’s a speaker who runs out of meaningful things to say, but not of ways of phrasing things. There’s a speaker w…
  3. SN 22.116 A Dhamma speaker (2nd) 0.55near 0.1Linked Discourses 22.116 12. A Dhamma speaker A Dhamma speaker (2nd) At Sāvatthī. Seated to one side, that mendicant said to the Buddha: “Sir, they speak of a ‘Dhamma speaker’. How is a Dhamma speaker defined? How is a m…
  4. SN 35.155 A Dhamma Speaker 0.54near 0.1Linked Discourses 35.155 15. The Old and the New A Dhamma Speaker Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha … and asked him, “Sir, they speak of a ‘Dhamma speaker’. How is a Dhamma speaker defined?” “If a mendicant teaches…
  5. SN 12.16 A Dhamma Speaker 0.53near 0.1Linked Discourses 12.16 2. Fuel A Dhamma Speaker At Sāvatthī. Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Sir, they speak of a ‘Dhamma speaker’. How is a Dhamma speaker defined?…