10.
The Discourse on Confidence in a Person
250.
"Monks, there are these five dangers of confidence in a person.
Which five?
Monks, a person has confidence in whatever person, and that person has committed such an offence for which the monastic community suspends him.
He thinks thus:
'This person who is dear and agreeable to me has been suspended by the monastic community.'
He becomes one with much distrust towards the monks.
Being one with much distrust towards the monks, he does not associate with other monks.
Not associating with other monks, he does not hear the Good Teaching.
Not hearing the Good Teaching, he falls away from the Good Teaching.
This, monks, is the first danger of confidence in a person.
"Furthermore, monks, a person has confidence in whatever person, and that person has committed such an offence for which the monastic community makes him sit at the end. He thinks thus: 'This person who is dear and agreeable to me has been made to sit at the end by the monastic community.' He becomes one with much distrust towards the monks. Being one with much distrust towards the monks, he does not associate with other monks. Not associating with other monks, he does not hear the Good Teaching. Not hearing the Good Teaching, he falls away from the Good Teaching. This, monks, is the second danger of confidence in a person.
"Furthermore, monks, a person has confidence in whatever person, and that person has departed to another direction, etc. he has left the monastic community, etc. he is deceased. He thinks thus: 'This person who is dear and agreeable to me is deceased.' He does not associate with other monks. Not associating with other monks, he does not hear the Good Teaching. Not hearing the Good Teaching, he falls away from the Good Teaching. This, monks, is the fifth danger of confidence in a person. These, monks, are the five dangers of confidence in a person." The tenth.