The Buddha teaches on kinds of expression (1st), presenting a fourfold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 4.227 Kinds of Expression (1st)

…pe… Adiṭṭhe diṭṭhavādī hoti, asute sutavādī hoti, amute mutavādī hoti, aviññāte viññātavādī hoti …pe… adiṭṭhe adiṭṭhavādī hoti, asute asutavādī hoti, amute amutavādī hoti, aviññāte aviññātavādī hoti …pe…. Sattamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

…pe… Adiṭṭhe diṭṭhavādī hoti, asute sutavādī hoti, amute mutavādī hoti, aviññāte viññātavādī hoti …pe… adiṭṭhe adiṭṭhavādī hoti, asute asutavādī hoti, amute amutavādī hoti, aviññāte aviññātavādī hoti …pe….

“A foolish person … brims with much wickedness. … They say they’ve seen, heard, thought, or known something, but they haven’t. … An astute person … brims with much merit. … They say they haven’t seen, heard, thought, or known something, and they haven’t. …”

Sattamaṁ.

Qualities:

Merit

Merit

Wholesome result of good conduct, generosity, and right intention. Merit brightens the mind and supports happiness and favorable conditions for practice.

Also known as: good deeds, spiritual wealth
Pāli: puñña, kalyāṇa
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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