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← Saṃyutta Nikāya

Transgression

SN 11.24 · Accayasutta

A single sharp thorn rises from a weathered twig against a soft woodland background.

At Sāvatthī.

Now at that time two mendicants had clashed. One of them transgressed against the other. The transgressor confessed to the other mendicant, but they didn’t accept it. Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.

“Mendicants, there are two fools. One who doesn’t recognize when they’ve made a mistake. And one who doesn’t properly accept the confession of someone who’s made a mistake. These are the two fools.

There are two who are astute. One who recognizes when they’ve made a mistake. And one who properly accepts the confession of someone who’s made a mistake. These are the two who are astute.

Once upon a time, mendicants, Sakka, lord of gods, guiding the gods of the thirty-three, spoke this verse:

‘Control your anger; don’t let friendships decay. Don’t blame the blameless, and don’t backbite. For anger crushes bad people like a mountain.’”

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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.