buddha daily wisdom image

an.3.3 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

Thinking

“Bhikkhus, the fool has these three characteristics of a fool, marks of a fool, manifestations of a fool. What three? Here, a fool thinks badly, speaks badly, and acts badly. If the fool did not think badly, speak badly, and act badly, how would wise people know of him: ‘This fellow is a fool, a bad person’? But because the fool thinks badly, speaks badly, and acts badly, wise people know of him: ‘This fellow is a fool, a bad person.’ These are the fool’s three characteristics of a fool, marks of a fool, manifestations of a fool.

“The wise person has these three characteristics of a wise person, marks of a wise person, manifestations of a wise person. What three? Here, a wise person thinks well, speaks well, and acts well. If the wise person did not think well, speak well, and act well, how would wise people know of him: ‘This fellow is wise, a good person’? But because the wise person thinks well, speaks well, and acts well, wise people know of him: ‘This fellow is wise, a good person.’ These are the wise person’s three characteristics of a wise person, marks of a wise person, manifestations of a wise person.

“Therefore … as in 3:2 … It is in this way that you should train yourselves.”

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh


Thinking

“There are these three characteristics, signs, and manifestations of a fool.
What three?
A fool thinks poorly, speaks poorly, and acts poorly.
If a fool didn’t think poorly, speak poorly, and act poorly, then how would the astute know of them:
‘This fellow is a fool, a bad person’?
But since a fool does think poorly, speak poorly, and act poorly, then the astute do know of them:
‘This fellow is a fool, a bad person’.
These are the three characteristics, signs, and manifestations of a fool.
There are these three characteristics, signs, and manifestations of an astute person.
What three?
An astute person thinks well, speaks well, and acts well.
If an astute person didn’t think well, speak well, and act well, then how would the astute know of them:
‘This fellow is astute, a good person’?
But since an astute person does think well, speak well, and act well, then the astute do know of them:
‘This fellow is astute, a good person’.
These are the three characteristics, signs, and manifestations of an astute person.
So you should train …”