7.
The Discourse on the Comparison of the Faithless
101.
He was dwelling at Sāvatthī, etc.
"Monks, beings flow together and meet according to element.
The faithless flow together and meet with the faithless;
the shameless flow together and meet with the shameless;
those without moral fear flow together and meet with those without moral fear;
those of little learning flow together and meet with those of little learning;
the lazy flow together and meet with the lazy;
the unmindful flow together and meet with the unmindful;
the unwise flow together and meet with the unwise."
"In the past too, monks, beings flowed together and met according to element. The faithless flowed together and met with the faithless; the shameless flowed together and met with the shameless; those without moral fear flowed together and met with those without moral fear; those of little learning flowed together and met with those of little learning; the lazy flowed together and met with the lazy; the unmindful flowed together and met with the unmindful; the unwise flowed together and met with the unwise.
"In the future too, monks, beings will flow together and meet according to element. The faithless will flow together and meet with the faithless; the shameless will flow together and meet with the shameless; those without moral fear together with those without moral fear, etc. those of little learning together with those of little learning, etc. the lazy together with the lazy, etc. the unmindful together with the unmindful, etc. the unwise will flow together and meet with the unwise.
"At present too, monks, in the present period of time, beings flow together and meet according to element. The faithless flow together and meet with the faithless; the shameless together with the shameless, etc. those without moral fear together with those without moral fear, etc. those of little learning together with those of little learning, etc. the lazy together with the lazy, etc. the unmindful flow together and meet with the unmindful; the unwise flow together and meet with the unwise.
"Monks, beings flow together and meet according to element. Those with faith flow together and meet with those with faith; those with shame flow together and meet with those with shame; those with moral fear flow together and meet with those with moral fear; those very learned flow together and meet with those very learned; those putting forth strenuous energy flow together and meet with those putting forth strenuous energy; those mindful flow together and meet with those mindful; those wise flow together and meet with those wise. In the past too, monks, etc. In the future too, monks, etc. at present too, monks, in the present period of time, beings flow together and meet according to element. Those with faith flow together and meet with those with faith; those wise flow together and meet with those wise." The seventh.