Untitled in the source — Sāmaññavagga — the twenty-second chapter of the Tens, one core pattern multiplied across four bases and four escalating counts, closing this chapter
Setting
None stated in the source
Speakers
The Buddha alone, addressing the mendicants
Form
A fourth and final base statement (how a fool or an astute person is known) run through the identical 10/20/30/40-quality escalation
Length
under 1 minute to read the compressed text; the full four-discourse expansion would take about three
Closing this chapter
This page closes Sāmaññavagga, the twenty-second chapter, with its own untranslated colophon ‘Sāmaññavaggo dutiyo’ (the second chapter of the Fifth Fifty)
Difficulty
★★☆☆☆ — brief text, but tracking the escalation against a new base takes care
Why this discourse
Closing this chapter, this final compressed page applies the same familiar escalation to a fourth base statement — not rebirth destination or bodily integrity, but how a fool or an astute person is known, judged by others through the same underlying pattern of conduct.
Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
A fool is known by the ten unskillful qualities (escalating to twenty, thirty, and forty through encouraging, approving, and praising them); an astute person is known by the ten skillful qualities, at the same escalating counts.
A shift to social recognition, closing the chapter's own range of framings
Across its four base statements, this chapter has now framed the same underlying ten-and-escalation pattern as rebirth destination (AN 10.221–224), bodily integrity (AN 10.225–228), rebirth destination again in more standard language (AN 10.229–232), and now, closing the chapter, as a matter of how others come to recognize and judge a person's character.
Bāla and paṇḍita, vocabulary from across this project
Bāla, fool, and paṇḍita, astute person or sage, are recurring evaluative categories already met constantly throughout this nipāta; this discourse anchors both terms explicitly to the same escalating ten-quality standard already used for hell/heaven and bodily integrity earlier in this chapter.
A closing colophon confirming the Fifth Fifty's own continuation
This page's own colophon, ‘Sāmaññavaggo dutiyo’ (the Similarity Chapter, the second [of the Fifth Fifty]), carries no larger fifty-closing declaration — unlike AN 10.154 or AN 10.198, the Fifth Fifty continues for one more chapter (ch23) before its own eventual close, and with it, the completion of this entire project.
Key terms
dasahi dhammehi samannāgato bālo veditabbo — “a fool is known by ten qualities” — this compressed range's own base phrase, shifting from rebirth or bodily integrity to social recognition.
paṇḍito veditabbo — “an astute person is known” — the mirrored positive phrase.
bāla, paṇḍita — “fool” and “astute person” — recurring evaluative categories already met constantly throughout this nipāta, here anchored to the same escalating ten-quality standard.
samādapeti, samanuñño hoti, vaṇṇaṁ bhāsati — “encourages, approves of, speaks in praise of” — the same three escalation verbs completing all four of this chapter's base statements.
Sāmaññavaggo dutiyo — “the Similarity Chapter, the second” — this chapter's own closing colophon, confirming its position as the second chapter of the Fifth Fifty, with no larger fifty-closing declaration.
The text
The compressed text in full: how a fool or an astute person is known, run through the same ten/twenty/thirty/forty-quality escalation, closing this chapter. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
Fool, and astute person, across four escalating counts
§1“A fool is known by ten qualities … astute person … twenty … thirty … forty …”
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Self-check quiz
6 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.
Question 1 of 6
What does this compressed page stand for, and what does it close?
Correct: B. The fourth and final base statement, closing this chapter's own sixteen-discourse run.
Question 2 of 6
What base statement does this compressed range use, distinct from the other three in this chapter?
Correct: B. Judged by others through the same underlying pattern of conduct.
Question 3 of 6
According to the guide, what four framings has this chapter now applied to the same underlying pattern, counting this final one?
Correct: B. Four distinct lenses applied to the same ten-and-escalation structure.
Question 4 of 6
What does this page's closing colophon state, according to the guide?
Correct: B. The Fifth Fifty continues for one more chapter before its own eventual close.
Question 5 of 6
What two recurring evaluative terms does this discourse anchor to the escalating ten-quality standard, according to the guide?
Correct: B. Categories already met constantly throughout this nipāta, here given explicit ten-quality content.
Question 6 of 6
Where is this compressed passage set?
Correct: D. No location is given for this compressed passage.
