an2.42:2.1 And what is a deep assembly?
an2.42:2.2 An assembly where the mendicants are not haughty, insolent, fickle, scurrilous, or loose-tongued, but have established mindfulness, situational awareness, immersion, unified minds, and restrained faculties.
an2.42:2.3 This is called a deep assembly.
an2.42:2.4 These are the two assemblies.
an2.42:2.5 The better of these two assemblies is the deep assembly.”
an2.43:2.1 And what is a harmonious assembly?
an2.43:2.2 An assembly where the mendicants live in harmony, appreciating each other, without dispute, blending like milk and water, and regarding each other with kindly eyes.
an2.43:2.3 This is called a harmonious assembly.
an2.43:2.4 These are the two assemblies.
an2.43:2.5 The better of these two assemblies is the harmonious assembly.”
an2.44:2.1 And what is an assembly of the best?
an2.44:2.2 An assembly where the senior mendicants are not indulgent or slack, nor are they backsliders; instead, they take the lead in seclusion, rousing energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.
an2.44:2.3 Those who come after follow their example.
an2.44:2.4 They too are not indulgent or slack, nor are they backsliders; instead, they take the lead in seclusion, rousing energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.
an2.44:2.5 This is called an assembly of the best.
an2.44:2.6 These are the two assemblies.
an2.44:2.7 The better of these two assemblies is the assembly of the best.”
an2.45:2.1 And what is a noble assembly?
an2.45:2.2 An assembly where the mendicants truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.
an2.45:2.3 This is called a noble assembly.
an2.45:2.4 These are the two assemblies.
an2.45:2.5 The better of these two assemblies is the noble assembly.”
an2.46:2.1 And what is an assembly of the cream?
an2.46:2.2 An assembly where the mendicants make decisions unprejudiced by favoritism, hostility, stupidity, and cowardice.
an2.46:2.3 This is called an assembly of the cream.
an2.46:2.4 These are the two assemblies.
an2.46:2.5 The better of these two assemblies is the assembly of the cream.”
an2.47:2.1 And what is an assembly educated in questioning, not in fancy talk?
an2.47:2.2 It is an assembly where, when discourses composed by poets—poetry, with fancy words and phrases, composed by outsiders or spoken by disciples—are being recited the mendicants do not want to listen. They don’t actively listen or try to understand, nor do they think those teachings are worth learning and memorizing.
an2.47:2.3 But when discourses spoken by the Realized One—deep, profound, transcendent, dealing with emptiness—are being recited the mendicants do want to listen. They actively listen and try to understand, and they think those teachings are worth learning and memorizing.
an2.47:2.4 And when they’ve memorized those teachings they question and examine each other, saying:
an2.47:2.5 ‘Why does it say this? What does that mean?’
an2.47:2.6 So they reveal what is hidden, clarify what is unclear, and dispel doubt regarding the many doubtful matters.
an2.47:2.7 This is called an assembly educated in questioning, not in fancy talk.
an2.47:2.8 These are the two assemblies.
an2.47:2.9 The better of these two assemblies is the assembly educated in questioning, not in fancy talk.”
an2.48:2.1 And what is an assembly that values the true teaching, not things of the flesh?
an2.48:2.2 It is an assembly where the mendicants don’t praise each other in front of the white-clothed laypeople, saying:
an2.48:2.3 ‘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.’
an2.48:2.4 They thereby acquire material things.
an2.48:2.5 And when they get these things, they use them untied, uninfatuated, unattached, seeing the drawbacks, and understanding the escape.
an2.48:2.6 This is called an assembly that values the true teaching, not things of the flesh.
an2.48:2.7 These are the two assemblies.
an2.48:2.8 The better of these two assemblies is the assembly that values the true teaching, not things of the flesh.”
an2.49:2.1 And what is a just assembly?
an2.49:2.2 An assembly where legal acts following the teaching proceed, while legal acts against the teaching don’t proceed. Legal acts following the training proceed, while legal acts against the training don’t proceed. Legal acts following the teaching are explained, while legal acts against the teaching aren’t explained. Legal acts in line with the training are explained, while legal acts following training aren’t explained.
an2.49:2.3 This is called a just assembly.
an2.49:2.4 These are the two assemblies.
an2.49:2.5 The better of these two assemblies is the just assembly.”
an2.51:2.1 And what is an assembly with principled speech?
an2.51:2.2 It is an assembly where the mendicants take up disciplinary issues, whether legitimate or not.
an2.51:2.3 Then they persuade each other or allow themselves to be persuaded, and they convince each other or allow themselves to be convinced.
an2.51:2.4 Since they are able to persuade and convince each other, they let go of their opinions. They don’t obstinately stick to that disciplinary issue or insist that:
an2.51:2.5 ‘This is the only truth, anything else is futile.’
an2.51:2.6 This is called an assembly with principled speech.
an2.51:2.7 These are the two assemblies.
an2.51:2.8 The better of these two assemblies is the assembly with principled speech.”
