Blameworthy

AN 4.135 · Sāvajjasutta

Dew-covered meadow grasses beneath the first pale light of morning.

“Mendicants, these four individuals are found in the world. What four? The blameworthy, the mostly blameworthy, the slightly blameworthy, and the blameless.

And how is an individual blameworthy? It’s when an individual does things by way of body, speech, and mind that are blameworthy. That’s how an individual is blameworthy.

And how is an individual mostly blameworthy? It’s when an individual does things by way of body, speech, and mind that are mostly blameworthy, but occasionally blameless. That’s how an individual is mostly blameworthy.

And how is an individual slightly blameworthy? It’s when an individual does things by way of body, speech, and mind that are mostly blameless, but occasionally blameworthy. That’s how an individual is slightly blameworthy.

And how is an individual blameless? It’s when an individual does things by way of body, speech, and mind that are blameless. That’s how an individual is blameless.

These are the four individuals found in the world.”

Connections

Collection & context

Aṅguttara NikāyaThe collection containing this text
The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting

Books

The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Aṅguttara NikāyaBhikkhu Bodhi; Bhikkhu Bodhi (translator) · Complete collection edition

About this edition

Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.