Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
Raising disciplinary issues without praising their settlement, not wanting to train, having corrupt wishes, being irritable, denigrating others, being devious or deceitful, ignoring the teachings, avoiding retreat, and being inhospitable all block a mendicant's companions from honoring them — and the ten exact opposites earn that honor, wished for or not.
Who this discourse concerns, and a translation puzzle
The English translation states this discourse concerns “the mendicant Kalandaka,” but the underlying Pāli phrase, kālaṅkataṁ bhikkhuṁ, literally means simply “a mendicant who had died” — the same word used generically elsewhere in this canon for “deceased.” Whether “Kalandaka” names a specific individual or the phrase is being read as an ordinary adjective is left genuinely uncertain here, and this guide does not resolve it either way.
Respect as observed, not granted
The discourse's central claim is almost sociological: companions do not arbitrarily decide to withhold or grant honor; they simply notice, correctly, whether the ten bad qualities have actually been given up, and respond accordingly — wishing for respect changes nothing if the underlying qualities remain unaddressed.
A wild colt and a thoroughbred, precisely matched
The discourse's two similes mirror the two halves of its own teaching exactly: a wild, untrained colt wishing for a thoroughbred's treatment receives none, because sensible people see it hasn't given up its “tricks, bluffs, ruses, and feints”; a genuine thoroughbred, needing to wish for nothing, receives that same treatment simply because those qualities were never there to begin with.
Key terms
The text
Ten qualities that block respect
§1There the Buddha addressed the mendicants concerning the mendicant Kalandaka: “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this: “Firstly, a mendicant raises disciplinary issues and doesn’t praise the settlement of disciplinary issues. This quality doesn’t conduce to fondness, respect, esteem, harmony, and unity. Furthermore, a mendicant doesn’t want to train, and doesn’t praise taking up the training. … Furthermore, a mendicant has corrupt wishes, and doesn’t praise getting rid of wishes. … Furthermore, a mendicant is irritable, and doesn’t praise getting rid of anger. … Furthermore, a mendicant denigrates others, and doesn’t praise getting rid of denigration. … Furthermore, a mendicant is devious, and doesn’t praise getting rid of deviousness. … Furthermore, a mendicant is deceitful, and doesn’t praise getting rid of deceitfulness. … Furthermore, a mendicant doesn’t pay attention to the teachings, and doesn’t praise attending to the teachings. … Furthermore, a mendicant is not in retreat, and doesn’t praise retreat. … Furthermore, a mendicant is inhospitable to their spiritual companions, and doesn’t praise hospitality. This quality doesn’t conduce to fondness, respect, esteem, harmony, and unity.
A wild colt's futile wish
§2Even though a mendicant such as this might wish: ‘If only my spiritual companions would honor, respect, esteem, and venerate me!’ Still they don’t honor, respect, esteem, and venerate them. Why is that? Because their sensible spiritual companions see that they haven’t given up those bad unskillful qualities. Suppose a wild colt was to wish: ‘If only the humans would put me in a thoroughbred’s place, feed me a thoroughbred’s food, and give me a thoroughbred’s grooming.’ Still the humans wouldn’t put them in a thoroughbred’s place, feed them a thoroughbred’s food, or give them a thoroughbred’s grooming. Why is that? Because sensible humans see that they haven’t given up their tricks, bluffs, ruses, and feints. In the same way, even though a mendicant such as this might wish: ‘If only my spiritual companions would honor, respect, esteem, and venerate me!’ Still they don’t honor, respect, esteem, and venerate them. Why is that? Because their sensible spiritual companions see that they haven’t given up those bad unskillful qualities.
Ten qualities that earn respect
§3Next, a mendicant doesn’t raise disciplinary issues and praises the settlement of disciplinary issues. This quality conduces to fondness, respect, esteem, harmony, and unity. Furthermore, a mendicant wants to train, and praises taking up the training. … Furthermore, a mendicant has few desires, and praises getting rid of desires. … Furthermore, a mendicant is not irritable, and praises getting rid of anger. … Furthermore, a mendicant doesn’t denigrate others, and praises getting rid of denigration. … Furthermore, a mendicant isn’t devious, and praises getting rid of deviousness. … Furthermore, a mendicant isn’t deceitful, and praises getting rid of deceitfulness. … Furthermore, a mendicant pays attention to the teachings, and praises attending to the teachings. … Furthermore, a mendicant is in retreat, and praises retreat. … Furthermore, a mendicant is hospitable to their spiritual companions, and praises hospitality. This quality conduces to fondness, respect, esteem, harmony, and unity.
A thoroughbred's needless wish
§4Even though a mendicant such as this might never wish: ‘If only my spiritual companions would honor, respect, esteem, and venerate me!’ Still they honor, respect, esteem, and venerate them. Why is that? Because their sensible spiritual companions see that they’ve given up those bad unskillful qualities. Suppose a fine thoroughbred never wished: ‘If only the humans would put me in a thoroughbred’s place, feed me a thoroughbred’s food, and give me a thoroughbred’s grooming.’ Still the humans would put them in a thoroughbred’s place, feed them a thoroughbred’s food, and give them a thoroughbred’s grooming. Why is that? Because sensible humans see that they’ve given up their tricks, bluffs, ruses, and feints. In the same way, even though a mendicant such as this might never wish: ‘If only my spiritual companions would honor, respect, esteem, and venerate me!’ Still they honor, respect, esteem, and venerate them. Why is that? Because their sensible spiritual companions see that they’ve given up those bad unskillful qualities.”
Self-check quiz
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