Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
A mendicant who wants to accuse another should first check whether their own bodily and verbal conduct is pure, whether their heart holds no resentment, whether they are sufficiently learned, and whether they know both monastic codes well enough — and should commit to speaking at the right time, truthfully, gently, beneficially, and lovingly.
A checklist with social teeth
Each of the first five self-checks comes with a consequence attached: if the accuser is found wanting in any one of them, the source states plainly what onlookers will say — “train your own bodily behavior first,” and so on — making this not merely an ideal but a socially enforced standard.
A famous quintet of speech
The second five — speaking at the right time, truthfully, gently, beneficially, and lovingly — closely track the well-known five factors of well-spoken speech taught elsewhere in the canon, here repurposed specifically for the moment of leveling an accusation.
A rare place-name setting
Kusinārā, the site of the Buddha's eventual extinguishment, appears here simply as an ordinary teaching location with no narrative weight attached — this discourse gives no indication of when in the Buddha's life it was spoken.
Key terms
The text
Setting
§1At one time the Buddha was staying near Kusinārā, in the Forest of Offerings. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:
Five things to check in oneself
§2“Mendicants, a mendicant who wants to accuse another should first check five things in themselves and establish five things in themselves. What five things should they check in themselves? A mendicant who wants to accuse another should check this: ‘Is my bodily behavior pure? Do I have pure bodily behavior that is impeccable and irreproachable? Is this thing found in me or not?’ If it’s not, there will be people who say: ‘Come on, venerable, train your own bodily behavior first.’ Furthermore, a mendicant who wants to accuse another should check this: ‘Is my verbal behavior pure? Do I have pure verbal behavior that is impeccable and irreproachable? Is this thing found in me or not?’ If it’s not, there will be people who say: ‘Come on, venerable, train your own verbal behavior first.’ Furthermore, a mendicant who wants to accuse another should check this: ‘Is my heart established in love for my spiritual companions, without resentment? Is this thing found in me or not?’ If it’s not, there will be people who say: ‘Come on, venerable, establish your heart in love for your spiritual companions first.’ Furthermore, a mendicant who wants to accuse another should check this: ‘Am I very learned, remembering and keeping what I’ve learned? These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. Am I very learned in such teachings, remembering them, rehearsing them, mentally scrutinizing them, and penetrating them theoretically? Is this thing found in me or not?’ If it’s not, there will be people who say: ‘Come on, venerable, memorize the scriptures first.’ Furthermore, a mendicant who wants to accuse another should check this: ‘Have both monastic codes been passed down to me in detail, well analyzed, well mastered, and well evaluated in both the rules and accompanying material? Is this thing found in me or not?’ If it’s not, and if they are unable to respond when asked “Venerable, where was this spoken by the Buddha?” there will be people who say: ‘Come on, venerable, train in the monastic code first.’ These are the five things they should check in themselves.
Five things to establish in oneself
§3What five things should they establish in themselves? ‘I will speak at the right time, not at the wrong time. I will speak truthfully, not falsely. I will speak gently, not harshly. I will speak beneficially, not harmfully. I will speak lovingly, not from secret hate.’ These are the five things they should establish in themselves. A mendicant who wants to accuse another should first check these five things in themselves and establish these five things in themselves.”
Self-check quiz
5 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.