The Buddha describes the four ways of making prejudiced decisions.
“Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, agatigamanāni. Katamāni cattāri? Chandāgatiṁ gacchati, dosāgatiṁ gacchati, mohāgatiṁ gacchati, bhayāgatiṁ gacchati— Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri agatigamanānīti.
Chandā dosā bhayā mohā,
yo dhammaṁ ativattati;
Nihīyati tassa yaso,
kāḷapakkheva candimā”ti.
Sattamaṁ.
Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
“Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, agatigamanāni.
“Mendicants, there are these four ways of making prejudiced decisions.
Katamāni cattāri?
What four?
Chandāgatiṁ gacchati, dosāgatiṁ gacchati, mohāgatiṁ gacchati, bhayāgatiṁ gacchati—
Making decisions prejudiced by favoritism, hostility, stupidity, and cowardice.
Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri agatigamanānīti.
These are the four ways of making prejudiced decisions.
Chandā dosā bhayā mohā,
If you act against the teaching
yo dhammaṁ ativattati;
out of favoritism, hostility, cowardice, or stupidity,
Nihīyati tassa yaso,
your fame fades away,
kāḷapakkheva candimā”ti.
like the moon in the waning fortnight.”
Sattamaṁ.
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Last updated on July 27, 2026