The Buddha describes the four individuals—the blameworthy, the mostly blameworthy, the slightly blameworthy, and the blameless, and how is an individual blameworthy?, it’s when an individual does things by way of body, speech, and and mind that are blameworthy.

AN 4.135 Blameworthy

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame cattāro? Sāvajjo, vajjabahulo, appavajjo, anavajjo.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo sāvajjo hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sāvajjena kāyakammena samannāgato hoti, sāvajjena vacīkammena samannāgato hoti, sāvajjena manokammena samannāgato hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo sāvajjo hoti.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo vajjabahulo hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sāvajjena bahulaṁ kāyakammena samannāgato hoti, appaṁ anavajjena; sāvajjena bahulaṁ vacīkammena samannāgato hoti, appaṁ anavajjena; sāvajjena bahulaṁ manokammena samannāgato hoti, appaṁ anavajjena. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo vajjabahulo hoti.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo appavajjo hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo anavajjena bahulaṁ kāyakammena samannāgato hoti, appaṁ sāvajjena; anavajjena bahulaṁ vacīkammena samannāgato hoti, appaṁ sāvajjena; anavajjena bahulaṁ manokammena samannāgato hoti, appaṁ sāvajjena. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo appavajjo hoti.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo anavajjo hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo anavajjena kāyakammena samannāgato hoti, anavajjena vacīkammena samannāgato hoti, anavajjena manokammena samannāgato hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo anavajjo hoti.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.

Pañcamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

“Mendicants, these four individuals are found in the world.

Katame cattāro?

What four?

Sāvajjo, vajjabahulo, appavajjo, anavajjo.

The blameworthy, the mostly blameworthy, the slightly blameworthy, and the blameless.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo sāvajjo hoti?

And how is an individual blameworthy?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sāvajjena kāyakammena samannāgato hoti, sāvajjena vacīkammena samannāgato hoti, sāvajjena manokammena samannāgato hoti.

It’s when an individual does things by way of body, speech, and mind that are blameworthy.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo sāvajjo hoti.

That’s how an individual is blameworthy.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo vajjabahulo hoti?

And how is an individual mostly blameworthy?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sāvajjena bahulaṁ kāyakammena samannāgato hoti, appaṁ anavajjena;

It’s when an individual does things by way of body, speech, and mind that are mostly blameworthy, but occasionally blameless.

sāvajjena bahulaṁ vacīkammena samannāgato hoti, appaṁ anavajjena;

sāvajjena bahulaṁ manokammena samannāgato hoti, appaṁ anavajjena.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo vajjabahulo hoti.

That’s how an individual is mostly blameworthy.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo appavajjo hoti?

And how is an individual slightly blameworthy?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo anavajjena bahulaṁ kāyakammena samannāgato hoti, appaṁ sāvajjena;

It’s when an individual does things by way of body, speech, and mind that are mostly blameless, but occasionally blameworthy.

anavajjena bahulaṁ vacīkammena samannāgato hoti, appaṁ sāvajjena;

anavajjena bahulaṁ manokammena samannāgato hoti, appaṁ sāvajjena.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo appavajjo hoti.

That’s how an individual is slightly blameworthy.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo anavajjo hoti?

And how is an individual blameless?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo anavajjena kāyakammena samannāgato hoti, anavajjena vacīkammena samannāgato hoti, anavajjena manokammena samannāgato hoti.

It’s when an individual does things by way of body, speech, and mind that are blameless.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo anavajjo hoti.

That’s how an individual is blameless.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.

These are the four individuals found in the world.”

Pañcamaṁ.

Qualities:

Unwholesome

Unwholesome

Conducive to or suggestive of poor health and mental well-being.

Also known as: blameworthy, unhealthy, unskillful, unbeneficial, karmically unprofitable
Pāli: akusala
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Wholesome

Wholesome

Conducive to or suggestive of good health and mental well-being.

Also known as: blameless, skillful, beneficial, good, useful, healthy, nourishing, sustaining
Pāli: kusala
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Last updated on July 27, 2026