The Buddha describes the four ways of making prejudiced decisions.

AN 4.19 Prejudice (3rd)

“Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, agatigamanāni. Katamāni cattāri? Chandāgatiṁ gacchati, dosāgatiṁ gacchati, mohāgatiṁ gacchati, bhayāgatiṁ gacchati Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri agatigamanāni.

Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, nāgatigamanāni. Katamāni cattāri? Na chandāgatiṁ gacchati, na dosāgatiṁ gacchati, na mohāgatiṁ gacchati, na bhayāgatiṁ gacchati Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri nāgatigamanānīti.

Chandā dosā bhayā mohā,
yo dhammaṁ ativattati;
Nihīyati tassa yaso,
kāḷapakkheva candimā.

Chandā dosā bhayā mohā,
yo dhammaṁ nātivattati;
Āpūrati tassa yaso,
sukkapakkheva candimā”ti.

Navamaṁ.

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 agatigamanāni.

These are the four ways of making prejudiced decisions.

Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, nāgatigamanāni.

There are these four ways of making unprejudiced decisions.

Katamāni cattāri?

What four?

Na chandāgatiṁ gacchati, na dosāgatiṁ gacchati, na mohāgatiṁ gacchati, na bhayāgatiṁ gacchati

Making decisions unprejudiced by favoritism, hostility, stupidity, and cowardice.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri nāgatigamanānīti.

These are the four ways of making unprejudiced 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.

like the moon in the waning fortnight.

Chandā dosā bhayā mohā,

If you don’t act against the teaching

yo dhammaṁ nātivattati;

out of favoritism, hostility, cowardice, and stupidity,

Āpūrati tassa yaso,

your fame swells,

sukkapakkheva candimā”ti.

like the moon in the waxing fortnight.”

Navamaṁ.

Qualities:

Aggressiveness

Aggressiveness

A pushing, forceful mental stance that seeks to overpower, threaten, or injure—physically or verbally. It often rides on anger and the urge to win, destroying safety and trust for oneself and others.

Also known as: hostility, antagonism, belligerence, combativeness, pugnacity, violence, injury causing behavior
Pāli: sārambha, caṇḍa
View all discourses →
Aversion

Aversion

A rejecting mental quality rooted in perception, where one instinctively turns away from or resists unpleasant experiences or objects; it manifests as a tendency to push away discomfort, obstructing patience and acceptance.

Also known as: animosity, hate, hostility, fault-finding mindset, upset
Pāli: dosa, paṭighasaññā, vera
View all discourses →

Last updated on July 27, 2026