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Bhikkhu Sujato translation (CC0-1.0)
AN 2.48 Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato Source: https://suttacentral.net/an2.48/en/sujato License: CC0-1.0 48 “There are, mendicants, these two assemblies. What two? An assembly that values things of the flesh, not the true teaching, and an assembly that values the true teaching, not things of the flesh. And what is an assembly that values things of the flesh, not the true teaching? It is an assembly where the mendicants praise each other in front of the white-clothed laypeople, saying: ‘The mendicant so-and-so is freed both ways; so-and-so is freed by wisdom; so-and-so is a direct witness; so-and-so is attained to view; so-and-so is freed by faith; so-and-so is a follower of teachings; so-and-so is a follower by faith; so-and-so is ethical, of good character; so-and-so is unethical, of bad character.’ They thereby acquire material things. And when they get these things, they use them tied, infatuated, attached, blind to the drawbacks, and not understanding the escape. This is called an assembly that values things of the flesh, not the true teaching. And what is an assembly that values the true teaching, not things of the flesh? It is an assembly where the mendicants don’t praise each other in front of the white-clothed laypeople, saying: ‘The mendicant so-and-so is freed both ways; so-and-so is freed by wisdom; so-and-so is a direct witness; so-and-so is attained to view; so-and-so is freed by faith; so-and-so is a follower of teachings; so-and-so is a follower by faith; so-and-so is ethical, of good character; so-and-so is unethical, of bad character.’ They thereby acquire material things. And when they get these things, they use them untied, uninfatuated, unattached, seeing the drawbacks, and understanding the escape. This is called an assembly that values the true teaching, not things of the flesh. These are the two assemblies. The better of these two assemblies is the assembly that values the true teaching, not things of the flesh.”