Numbered Discourses 4.20

1. Walking

A Meal Assigner

“Mendicants, a meal assigner who has four qualities is placed in hell as if delivered there.

What four?

They make decisions prejudiced by favoritism, hostility, stupidity, and cowardice.

A meal assigner who has these four qualities is placed in hell as if delivered there.

A meal designator who has four qualities is placed in heaven as if delivered there.

What four?

They make decisions unprejudiced by favoritism, hostility, stupidity, and cowardice.

A meal assigner who has these four qualities is placed in heaven as if delivered there.

All those people with unbridled sensuality,

unprincipled, with no respect for principle,

led astray by favoritism, hostility, stupidity, or cowardice,

are called ‘an assembly of the dregs’:

that’s what was said by the ascetic who knows.

And so those praiseworthy true persons,

standing on principle, doing nothing wrong,

not led astray by favoritism, hostility, stupidity, or cowardice,

are called ‘an assembly of the cream’:

that’s what was said by the ascetic who knows.”