Reading guide
A second departure from Sāvatthī
Like SN 14.13, this discourse moves away from Sāvatthī — here to Rājagaha's Vulture's Peak, a setting associated with several major discourses elsewhere in the canon.
Proof by roster, not by argument
Rather than reasoning toward SN 14.14's claim, this discourse simply points: the Buddha has the mendicants look, one by one, at eight real groups already sorted by quality, letting them see the pattern directly.
Seven admirable qualities, evenly distributed
Wisdom, psychic power, ascetic rigor, clairvoyance, skill in teaching, expertise in monastic law, and learning — seven distinct excellences, each concentrated in its own group rather than spread evenly across the whole assembly.
Devadatta named without comment
The eighth entry, pāpicchā, corrupt wishes, is stated in exactly the same flat form as the other seven, with no editorial aside marking it as different in kind — this reading guide notes the discomfort without asserting what the discourse itself doesn't say about later events.
The abstract teaching, now doubly earned
Having just watched the pattern play out among named, known figures, the reader meets SN 14.14's formula again in this discourse's closing section, this time landing as a conclusion already demonstrated rather than an assertion still to be tested.
Key terms
The text
§1At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain. Now at that time Venerable Sāriputta was walking together with several mendicants not far from the Buddha. Venerable Mahāmoggallāna was doing likewise, as were Venerable Mahākassapa, Venerable Anuruddha, Venerable Puṇṇa son of Mantāṇī, Venerable Upāli, Venerable Ānanda, and Devadatta.
§2Then the Buddha said to the mendicants, “Mendicants, do you see Sāriputta walking together with several mendicants?” “Yes, sir.” “All of those mendicants have great wisdom. Do you see Moggallāna walking together with several mendicants?” “Yes, sir.” “All of those mendicants have great psychic power. Do you see Kassapa walking together with several mendicants?” “Yes, sir.” “All of those mendicants advocate austerities. Do you see Anuruddha walking together with several mendicants?” “Yes, sir.” “All of those mendicants have clairvoyance. Do you see Puṇṇa son of Mantāṇī walking together with several mendicants?” “Yes, sir.” “All of those mendicants are Dhamma speakers. Do you see Upāli walking together with several mendicants?” “Yes, sir.” “All of those mendicants are experts in monastic law. Do you see Ānanda walking together with several mendicants?” “Yes, sir.” “All of those mendicants are very learned. Do you see Devadatta walking together with several mendicants?” “Yes, sir.” “All of those mendicants have corrupt wishes.
§3Sentient beings join together and converge because of an element. Those who have inferior convictions join together and converge with those who have inferior convictions. Those who have good convictions join together and converge with those who have good convictions. In the past,
§4in the future,
§5and also in the present, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element. Those who have inferior convictions join together and converge with those who have inferior convictions. Those who have good convictions join together and converge with those who have good convictions.”
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