7.
The Discourse on Quick Peace
97.
"Monks, there are these four persons existing and found in the world.
Which four?
One practising for personal welfare but not for the welfare of others, one practising for the welfare of others but not for personal welfare, one practising neither for personal welfare nor for the welfare of others, one practising both for personal welfare and for the welfare of others.
And how, monks, is a person practising for personal welfare but not for the welfare of others? Here, monks, a certain person is quick to understand wholesome mental states, and is one who retains the teachings heard, and is an investigator of the meaning of the teachings retained, having understood the meaning and having understood the Teaching, is practising in accordance with the Teaching; but he is not of good speech, of good conversation, endowed with polished speech, distinct, free from drooling, capable of making the meaning clear, and he is not one who shows, an instigator, an inciter, a gladdener of his fellows in the holy life. Thus, monks, a person is practising for personal welfare but not for the welfare of others.
And how, monks, is a person practising for the welfare of others but not for personal welfare? Here, monks, a certain person is not indeed quick to understand wholesome mental states, and is not one who retains the teachings heard, and is not an investigator of the meaning of the teachings retained, and not having understood the meaning and not having understood the Teaching, is not practising in accordance with the Teaching; but he is of good speech, of good conversation, endowed with polished speech, distinct, free from drooling, capable of making the meaning clear, and he is one who shows, an instigator, an inciter, a gladdener of his fellows in the holy life. Thus, monks, a person is practising for the welfare of others but not for personal welfare.
And how, monks, is a person practising neither for personal welfare nor for the welfare of others? Here, monks, a certain person is not indeed quick to understand wholesome mental states, and is not one who retains the teachings heard, and is not an investigator of the meaning of the teachings retained, and not having understood the meaning and not having understood the Teaching, is not practising in accordance with the Teaching; but he is not of good speech, of good conversation, endowed with polished speech, distinct, free from drooling, capable of making the meaning clear, and he is not one who shows, an instigator, an inciter, a gladdener of his fellows in the holy life. Thus, monks, a person is practising neither for personal welfare nor for the welfare of others.
And how, monks, is a person practising both for personal welfare and for the welfare of others? Here, monks, a certain person is quick to understand wholesome mental states, and is one who retains the teachings heard, and is an investigator of the meaning of the teachings retained, having understood the meaning and having understood the Teaching, is practising in accordance with the Teaching; but he is of good speech, of good conversation, endowed with polished speech, distinct, free from drooling, capable of making the meaning clear, and he is one who shows, an instigator, an inciter, a gladdener of his fellows in the holy life. Thus, monks, a person is practising both for personal welfare and for the welfare of others. These, monks, are the four persons existing and found in the world." The seventh.