Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
Six underlying qualities combine in eight different ways across this discourse's cases, and which subset a mendicant has determines whether they are good enough for themselves alone, for others alone, or for both — with comprehension-and-practice serving one function and eloquence-and-inspiration serving the other.
Six qualities, not eight, underlying eight cases
The material this discourse works with is six qualities: quick-wittedness, ready memory, examining meaning, practicing in line with understanding, eloquent speech, and the ability to inspire companions. The “eight” in this chapter's theme counts the cases the discourse builds from different combinations of these six, not the qualities themselves.
A pattern emerges: comprehension for self, eloquence for others
Working through all eight cases reveals a consistent split: memory, examining meaning, and practicing accordingly serve one's own benefit, while eloquent speech and the ability to inspire serve others' benefit. Quick-wittedness turns out to be optional in every single case — its presence or absence never changes which verdict a case reaches.
Not every combination is possible
The discourse doesn't test all mathematically possible subsets of six qualities; it selects eight specific combinations that actually occur, revealing through their particular pairings (comprehension without eloquence; eloquence without comprehension; both; neither) that self-benefit and other-benefit are functionally independent outcomes, not two names for the same underlying accomplishment.
Key terms
The text
Six and five qualities: good enough for both
§1“Mendicants, a mendicant with six qualities is good enough for themselves and others. What six? A mendicant is quick-witted when it comes to skillful teachings. They readily memorize the teachings they’ve heard. They examine the meaning of teachings they’ve memorized. Understanding the meaning and the teaching, they practice in line with the teaching. They’re a good speaker who enunciates well. Their voice is polished, clear, articulate, and expresses the meaning. They educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire their spiritual companions. A mendicant with these six qualities is good enough for themselves and others. A mendicant with five qualities is good enough for themselves and others. What five? A mendicant is not quick-witted when it comes to skillful teachings. They readily memorize the teachings they’ve heard. They examine the meaning of teachings they’ve memorized. Understanding the meaning and the teaching, they practice in line with the teaching. They’re a good speaker. Their voice is polished, clear, articulate, and expresses the meaning. They educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire their spiritual companions. A mendicant with these five qualities is good enough for themselves and others.
Four qualities, split two ways
§2A mendicant with four qualities is good enough for themselves but not for others. What four? A mendicant is quick-witted when it comes to skillful teachings. They readily memorize the teachings they’ve heard. They examine the meaning of teachings they’ve memorized. Understanding the meaning and the teaching, they practice in line with the teaching. But they’re not a good speaker and do not enunciate well. Their voice isn’t polished, clear, articulate, and doesn’t express the meaning. They don’t educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire their spiritual companions. A mendicant with these four qualities is good enough for themselves but not for others. A mendicant with four qualities is good enough for others but not for themselves. What four? A mendicant is quick-witted when it comes to skillful teachings. They readily memorize the teachings they’ve heard. But they don’t examine the meaning of teachings they’ve memorized. Not understanding the meaning and the teaching, they don’t practice in line with the teaching. They’re a good speaker who enunciates well. Their voice is polished, clear, articulate, and expresses the meaning. They educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire their spiritual companions. A mendicant with these four qualities is good enough for others but not for themselves.
Three qualities, split two ways
§3A mendicant with three qualities is good enough for themselves but not for others. What three? A mendicant is not quick-witted when it comes to skillful teachings. They readily memorize the teachings they’ve heard. They examine the meaning of teachings they’ve memorized. Understanding the meaning and the teaching, they practice in line with the teaching. But they’re not a good speaker and do not enunciate well. Their voice isn’t polished, clear, articulate, and doesn’t express the meaning. They don’t educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire their spiritual companions. A mendicant with these three qualities is good enough for themselves but not for others. A mendicant with three qualities is good enough for others but not for themselves. What three? A mendicant is not quick-witted when it comes to skillful teachings. They readily memorize the teachings they’ve heard. But they don’t examine the meaning of teachings they’ve memorized. Not understanding the meaning and the teaching, they don’t practice in line with the teaching. They’re a good speaker. Their voice is polished, clear, articulate, and expresses the meaning. They educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire their spiritual companions. A mendicant with these three qualities is good enough for others but not for themselves.
Two qualities, split two ways
§4A mendicant with two qualities is good enough for themselves but not for others. What two? A mendicant is not quick-witted when it comes to skillful teachings. And they don’t readily memorize the teachings they’ve heard. But they examine the meaning of teachings they have memorized. Understanding the meaning and the teaching, they practice in line with the teaching. They’re not a good speaker. Their voice isn’t polished, clear, articulate, and doesn’t express the meaning. They don’t educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire their spiritual companions. A mendicant with these two qualities is good enough for themselves but not for others. A mendicant with two qualities is good enough for others but not for themselves. What two? A mendicant is not quick-witted when it comes to skillful teachings. And they don’t readily memorize the teachings they’ve heard. Nor do they examine the meaning of teachings they’ve memorized. Not understanding the meaning and the teaching, they don’t practice in line with the teaching. But they’re a good speaker who enunciates well. Their voice is polished, clear, articulate, and expresses the meaning. They educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire their spiritual companions. A mendicant with these two qualities is good enough for others but not for themselves.”
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