Avakujjasuttaṃ [AN 3.30, PTS 1.131]

10.

The Discourse on Facing Downwards

30. "Monks, there are these three persons existing and found in the world. Which three? The person of overturned wisdom, the person of lap-like wisdom, the person of broad wisdom. And what, monks, is the person of overturned wisdom? Here, monks, a certain person is one who goes to the monastery often to the monks for the hearing of the Teaching. The monks expound the Teaching to him, good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing; they reveal the holy life that is complete in its entirety and pure. He, seated on that seat, does not attend to the beginning of that talk, does not attend to the middle, does not attend to the end. Even having risen from that seat, he does not attend to the beginning of that talk, does not attend to the middle, does not attend to the end. Just as, monks, a water-pot turned upside down - water poured into it runs off, does not remain. So too, monks, here a certain person is one who goes to the monastery often to the monks for the hearing of the Teaching. The monks expound the Teaching to him, good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing; they reveal the holy life that is complete in its entirety and pure. He, seated on that seat, does not attend to the beginning of that talk, does not attend to the middle, does not attend to the end. Even having risen from that seat, he does not attend to the beginning of that talk, does not attend to the middle, does not attend to the end. This is called, monks, the person of overturned wisdom.

"And what, monks, is the person of lap-like wisdom? Here, monks, a certain person is one who goes to the monastery often to the monks for the hearing of the Teaching. The monks expound the Teaching to him, good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing; they reveal the holy life that is complete in its entirety and pure. He, seated on that seat, attends to the beginning of that talk, attends to the middle, attends to the end. But having risen from that seat, he does not attend to the beginning of that talk, does not attend to the middle, does not attend to the end. Just as, monks, various edibles are scattered on a person's lap - sesame seeds, rice grains, sweets, jujube fruits. He, rising from that seat, might scatter them due to a lapse of mindfulness. So too, monks, here a certain person is one who goes to the monastery often to the monks for the hearing of the Teaching. The monks expound the Teaching to him, good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing; they reveal the holy life that is complete in its entirety and pure. He, seated on that seat, attends to the beginning of that talk, attends to the middle, attends to the end. But having risen from that seat, he does not attend to the beginning of that talk, does not attend to the middle, does not attend to the end. This is called, monks, the person of lap-like wisdom.

"And what, monks, is the person of broad wisdom? Here, monks, a certain person is one who goes to the monastery often to the monks for the hearing of the Teaching. The monks expound the Teaching to him, good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing; they reveal the holy life that is complete in its entirety and pure. He, seated on that seat, attends to the beginning of that talk, attends to the middle, attends to the end. Even having risen from that seat, he attends to the beginning of that talk, attends to the middle, attends to the end. Just as, monks, a water-pot set upright - water poured into it remains, does not run off. So too, monks, here a certain person is one who goes to the monastery often to the monks for the hearing of the Teaching. The monks expound the Teaching to him, good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing; they reveal the holy life that is complete in its entirety and pure. He, seated on that seat, attends to the beginning of that talk, attends to the middle, attends to the end. Even having risen from that seat, he attends to the beginning of that talk, attends to the middle, attends to the end. This is called, monks, the person of broad wisdom. These, monks, are the three persons existing and found in the world."