The Buddha teaches on faithless, presenting a fourfold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 4.202 Faithless

“Asappurisañca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi, asappurisena asappurisatarañca; sappurisañca, sappurisena sappurisatarañca. Taṁ suṇātha …pe….

“Katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappuriso? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco assaddho hoti, ahiriko hoti, anottappī hoti, appassuto hoti, kusīto hoti, muṭṭhassati hoti, duppañño hoti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, asappuriso.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappurisena asappurisataro? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco attanā ca assaddho hoti, parañca assaddhiye samādapeti; attanā ca ahiriko hoti, parañca ahirikatāya samādapeti; attanā ca anottappī hoti, parañca anottappe samādapeti; attanā ca appassuto hoti, parañca appassute samādapeti; attanā ca kusīto hoti, parañca kosajje samādapeti; attanā ca muṭṭhassati hoti, parañca muṭṭhassacce samādapeti; attanā ca duppañño hoti, parañca duppaññatāya samādapeti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, asappurisena asappurisataro.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sappuriso? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco saddho hoti, hirimā hoti, ottappī hoti, bahussuto hoti, āraddhavīriyo hoti, satimā hoti, paññavā hoti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sappuriso.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sappurisena sappurisataro? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco attanā ca saddhāsampanno hoti, parañca saddhāsampadāya samādapeti; attanā ca hirimā hoti, parañca hirimatāya samādapeti; attanā ca ottappī hoti, parañca ottappe samādapeti; attanā ca bahussuto hoti, parañca bāhusacce samādapeti; attanā ca āraddhavīriyo hoti, parañca vīriyārambhe samādapeti; attanā ca upaṭṭhitassati hoti, parañca satiupaṭṭhāne samādapeti; attanā ca paññāsampanno hoti, parañca paññāsampadāya samādapeti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sappurisena sappurisataro”ti.

Dutiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Asappurisañca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi, asappurisena asappurisatarañca;

“Mendicants, I will teach you an untrue person and an even more untrue person,

sappurisañca, sappurisena sappurisatarañca. Taṁ suṇātha …pe….

a true person and an even truer person.

“Katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappuriso?

And what is an untrue person?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco assaddho hoti, ahiriko hoti, anottappī hoti, appassuto hoti, kusīto hoti, muṭṭhassati hoti, duppañño hoti.

It’s someone who is faithless, shameless, imprudent, with little learning, lazy, unmindful, and witless.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, asappuriso.

This is called an untrue person.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappurisena asappurisataro?

And what is an even more untrue person?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco attanā ca assaddho hoti, parañca assaddhiye samādapeti;

It’s someone who is faithless, shameless, imprudent, with little learning, lazy, unmindful, and witless. And they encourage others in these same qualities.

attanā ca ahiriko hoti, parañca ahirikatāya samādapeti;

attanā ca anottappī hoti, parañca anottappe samādapeti;

attanā ca appassuto hoti, parañca appassute samādapeti;

attanā ca kusīto hoti, parañca kosajje samādapeti;

attanā ca muṭṭhassati hoti, parañca muṭṭhassacce samādapeti;

attanā ca duppañño hoti, parañca duppaññatāya samādapeti.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, asappurisena asappurisataro.

This is called an even more untrue person.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sappuriso?

And what is a true person?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco saddho hoti, hirimā hoti, ottappī hoti, bahussuto hoti, āraddhavīriyo hoti, satimā hoti, paññavā hoti.

It’s someone who is faithful, conscientious, prudent, learned, energetic, mindful, and wise.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sappuriso.

This is called a true person.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sappurisena sappurisataro?

And what is an even truer person?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco attanā ca saddhāsampanno hoti, parañca saddhāsampadāya samādapeti;

It’s someone who is personally accomplished in faith, conscience, prudence, learning, energy, mindfulness, and wisdom. And they encourage others in these same qualities.

attanā ca hirimā hoti, parañca hirimatāya samādapeti;

attanā ca ottappī hoti, parañca ottappe samādapeti;

attanā ca bahussuto hoti, parañca bāhusacce samādapeti;

attanā ca āraddhavīriyo hoti, parañca vīriyārambhe samādapeti;

attanā ca upaṭṭhitassati hoti, parañca satiupaṭṭhāne samādapeti;

attanā ca paññāsampanno hoti, parañca paññāsampadāya samādapeti.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sappurisena sappurisataro”ti.

This is called an even truer person.”

Dutiyaṁ.

Qualities:

Conscience

Conscience

An inner moral sensitivity that shrinks from wrongdoing out of self-respect and personal integrity. It is the voice within that knows what is beneath one's dignity, guarding conduct through an inward standard of honor.

Also known as: with sense of right and wrong, sense of shame, modesty, (comm) originating from inside
Pāli: hirī
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Faith

Faith

Confidence in the Buddha's awakening and the efficacy of the path. It brightens and steadies the mind, removing doubt and inspiring energy toward wholesome practice. True faith rests on clarity and direct experience rather than mere belief.

Also known as: confidence, trust, belief, conviction, self-assurance
Pāli: saddha, pasanna
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Fear of wrongdoing

Fear of wrongdoing

A wholesome dread of misconduct that considers consequences and the censure of the wise. It looks outward—aware of blame, loss of reputation, and the suffering that follows unskillful action—and holds the mind back from crossing ethical boundaries.

Also known as: conscientious, moral dread, respect for others, (comm) originating from outside
Pāli: ottappa
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Learning

Learning

One who has broad learning and retention of the Dhamma, gained through hearing, reciting, and carefully investigating the teachings. Such learning penetrates their meaning through discernment and serves as a strong support for practice.

Also known as: having knowledge, well studied
Pāli: bahussuta, suta
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Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Active presence of mind and lucid retention; the faculty that remembers the Dhamma, anchors attention to the chosen object or present experience, and guards the mind against unwholesome states.

Also known as: recollecting, remembering, keeping in mind, presence, awareness
Pāli: sati, anussati
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Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026