Beings come together and associate according to disposition. Those with little learning come together and associate with those with little learning; and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.

SN 14.21  Appassutamūlaka sutta - Beginning With Little Learning

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

At Sāvatthi.

“Dhātusova, bhikkhave, sattā saṁsandanti samenti. Appassutā appassutehi saddhiṁ saṁsandanti samenti; kusītā kusītehi saddhiṁ saṁsandanti samenti; duppaññā duppaññehi saddhiṁ saṁsandanti samenti; bahussutā bahussutehi saddhiṁ saṁsandanti samenti; āraddhavīriyā āraddhavīriyehi saddhiṁ saṁsandanti samenti; paññavanto paññavantehi saddhiṁ saṁsandanti samenti …pe….

“Bhikkhus, beings come together and associate |according to disposition::in line with their mental qualities or inclinations [dhātuso]|. Those |with little learning::with little learning [appassutā]| come together and associate with those with little learning; the |indolent::lazy, inactive person, indolent [kusītā]| come together and associate with the indolent; the |undiscerning::without wisdom [duppaññā]| come together and associate with the undiscerning; the |very learned::well educated, knowledgeable [bahussutā]| come together and associate with those with much learning; those |with energy aroused::with initiative [āraddhavīriyā]| come together and associate with those with energy aroused; the |wise::discerning, percipient [paññavanto]| come together and associate with the wise.

Appassutā appassutehi saddhiṁ saṁsandanti samenti; muṭṭhassatino muṭṭhassatīhi saddhiṁ saṁsandanti samenti; duppaññā duppaññehi saddhiṁ saṁsandanti samenti; bahussutā bahussutehi saddhiṁ saṁsandanti samenti; upaṭṭhitassatino upaṭṭhitassatīhi saddhiṁ saṁsandanti samenti; paññavanto paññavantehi saddhiṁ saṁsandanti samentī”ti …pe….

Those with little learning come together and associate with those with little learning; the |unmindful::forgetful, muddle-minded [muṭṭhassatī]| come together and associate with the unmindful; the undiscerning come together and associate with the undiscerning; the very learned come together and associate with the very learned; those |attending mindfully::with presence of mind [upaṭṭhitassatī]| come together and associate with those attending mindfully; the wise come together and associate with the wise.”

Last updated on June 10, 2026