Reading guide
Self-blame, before external judgment
The first drawback named isn't a reputation cost imposed by others; it's internal — blaming oneself. Only the second drawback introduces outside judgment: sensible people, after examination, criticize you.
Five drawbacks, in sequence
Self-blame; criticism from sensible people after examination; a bad reputation; a confused death; and rebirth in hell — a progression from private conscience through public judgment to final consequence.
Five matching benefits
Not blaming yourself; praise from sensible people after examination; a good reputation; a death without confusion; and rebirth in heaven — the same exact structure, reversed.
A pointed phrase: 'after examination'
Both the criticism and its positive counterpart, praise, are qualified as arising anuvicca — ‘after examination’, not from snap judgment. Sensible people's assessment, whether critical or approving, is presented as considered, not casual.
A second discourse follows with a different emphasis
AN 5.218, immediately following, shares this discourse's title and basic contrast but names an entirely different set of five items — shifting from personal and social consequence to the impact one's conduct has on others' confidence.
Key terms
The text
Five drawbacks of unimpressive conduct
§1“Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks of unimpressive conduct. What five? You blame yourself. After examination, sensible people criticize you. You get a bad reputation. You feel lost when you die. And when your body breaks up, after death, you’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. These are the five drawbacks of unimpressive conduct.
Five benefits of impressive conduct
§2There are these five benefits of impressive conduct. What five? You don’t blame yourself. After examination, sensible people praise you. You get a good reputation. You don’t feel lost when you die. And when the body breaks up, after death, you’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. These are the five benefits of impressive conduct.”
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