Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
Whether a secluded mendicant tries for material things or not, and whether those things come or not, doesn't itself decide whether they've fallen from the true teaching — only their reaction does: sorrow at not getting, or indulgent negligence at getting, marks a fall, while equanimity in either outcome does not.
A matrix, not a simple list
This discourse crosses three variables — trying or not trying, getting or not getting, reacting badly or well — producing eight individuals rather than eight independent qualities. The first four combinations all react badly (sorrow when unsuccessful, indulgence when successful) and are declared fallen; the identical four combinations of trying and getting, but reacting with equanimity instead, are declared not fallen.
Trying and getting turn out not to matter
The discourse's real point emerges only once all eight cases are laid out side by side: whether someone tries hard for material things, and whether those things actually arrive, make no difference at all to whether they've fallen from the true teaching. A mendicant who tries and fails but stays equanimous hasn't fallen; a mendicant who never even tries but sorrows anyway when nothing comes has.
Reaction as the single load-bearing variable
Read as a complete set, these eight cases isolate reaction — sorrow and indulgence versus equanimity — as the only variable that actually determines spiritual standing. Effort and outcome are real, and both are named explicitly in every one of the eight cases, but neither one is what the discourse is actually testing for.
Key terms
The text
Four individuals who have fallen from the true teaching
§1“Mendicants, these eight individuals are found in the world. What eight? First, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But material things don’t come to them. And so they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion because they don’t get those material things. This is called a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But when they do not acquire material things, they sorrow and lament. They’ve fallen from the true teaching. Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And material things do come to them. And so they become indulgent and fall into negligence regarding those material things. This is called a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And when they acquire material things, they become intoxicated and negligent. They’ve fallen from the true teaching. Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And material things don’t come to them. And so they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion because they don’t get those material things. This is called a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And when they do not acquire material things, they sorrow and lament. They’ve fallen from the true teaching. Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But material things do come to them. And so they become indulgent and fall into negligence regarding those material things. This is called a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But when they acquire material things, they become intoxicated and negligent. They’ve fallen from the true teaching.
Four individuals who have not fallen
§2Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But material things don’t come to them. But they don’t sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion because they don’t get those material things. This is called a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But when they do not acquire material things, they don’t sorrow and lament. They haven’t fallen from the true teaching. Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And material things do come to them. But they don’t become indulgent and fall into negligence regarding those material things. This is called a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But when they acquire material things, they don’t become intoxicated and negligent. They haven’t fallen from the true teaching. Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And material things don’t come to them. But they don’t sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion because they don’t get those material things. This is called a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And when they do not acquire material things, they don’t sorrow and lament. They haven’t fallen from the true teaching. Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But material things do come to them. But they don’t become indulgent and fall into negligence regarding those material things. This is called a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And when they acquire material things, they don’t become intoxicated and negligent. They haven’t fallen from the true teaching. These are the eight individuals found in the world.”
Self-check quiz
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