8.
The Discourse on the Elder
88.
"Monks, an elder monk possessed of five qualities is practising for the harm of many people, for the unhappiness of many people, for the harm, detriment, and suffering of many people, of gods and humans.
"Which five? He is an elder of long standing, long gone forth; he is well-known and famous, with a large retinue among householders and those gone forth; he is an obtainer of the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging and medicine for the sick; he is very learned, remembering what has been learnt, having great accumulation of learning; whatever teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing, that reveal the holy life that is complete in its entirety and pure - such teachings are very learned by him, retained, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, not penetrated by view; he holds wrong view, has perverted vision; he, having turned many people away from the Good Teaching, establishes them in what is not the Good Teaching. 'The elder monk is of long standing, long gone forth' - thus they follow the example of what they have seen in him; 'the elder monk is well-known and famous, with a large retinue among householders and those gone forth' - thus they follow the example of what they have seen in him; 'the elder monk is an obtainer of the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging and medicine for the sick' - thus they follow the example of what they have seen in him; 'the elder monk is very learned, remembering what has been learnt, having great accumulation of learning' - thus they follow the example of what they have seen in him. Monks, an elder monk possessed of these five qualities is practising for the harm of many people, for the unhappiness of many people, for the harm, detriment, and suffering of many people, of gods and humans.
"Monks, an elder monk possessed of five qualities is practising for the welfare of many people, for the happiness of many people, for the good, welfare, and happiness of many people, of gods and humans.
"Which five? He is an elder of long standing, long gone forth; he is well-known and famous, with a large retinue among householders and those gone forth; he is an obtainer of the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging and medicine for the sick; he is very learned, remembering what has been learnt, having great accumulation of learning; whatever teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing, that reveal the holy life that is complete in its entirety and pure - such teachings are very learned by him, retained, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, thoroughly penetrated by view; he holds right view, has undistorted vision; he, having turned many people away from what is not the Good Teaching, establishes them in the Good Teaching. 'The elder monk is of long standing, long gone forth' - thus they follow the example of what they have seen in him; 'the elder monk is well-known and famous, with a large retinue among householders and those gone forth' - thus they follow the example of what they have seen in him; 'the elder monk is an obtainer of the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging and medicine for the sick' - thus they follow the example of what they have seen in him; 'the elder monk is very learned, remembering what has been learnt, having great accumulation of learning' - thus they follow the example of what they have seen in him. Monks, an elder monk possessed of these five qualities is practising for the welfare of many people, for the happiness of many people, for the good, welfare, and happiness of many people, of gods and humans." The eighth.