1"Bhikkhus, there are these five dangers in basing one's confidence on a person. What five?

(1) "The person in whom another has complete confidence may commit an offense because of which the Saṅgha suspends him. It occurs to the one who had such confidence in him: ‘The person who is pleasing and agreeable to me has been suspended by the Saṅgha.’ He then loses much of his confidence in bhikkhus. Since he has lost much of his confidence in them, he does not associate with other bhikkhus. Since he does not associate with other bhikkhus, he does not get to hear the good Dhamma. Since he does not get to hear the good Dhamma, he falls away from the good Dhamma. This is the first danger in basing one's confidence on a person.

2(2) "Again, the person in whom another has complete confidence may commit an offense because of which the Saṅgha makes him sit at the end. [n.1233] This is one of the penalties to be observed by those who have committed a saṅghādisesa offense. It occurs to the one who had such confidence in him: ‘The Saṅgha has made the person who is pleasing and agreeable to me sit at the end.’ He then loses much of his confidence in bhikkhus …. Since he does not get to hear the good Dhamma, he falls away from the good Dhamma. This is the second danger in basing one's confidence on a person.

3(3) "Again, the person in whom another has complete confidence may depart for some other quarter … (4) … may disrobe … (5) … may pass away. It occurs to the one who had such confidence in him: ‘The person who was pleasing and agreeable to me has departed for some other quarter … has disrobed … has passed away.’ [n.1234] The ellipsis points in the Pāli may give the impression that in §3 and §4 the devoted person loses confidence in bhikkhus. However, since the person in whom he had confidence was not penalized in any way by other bhikkhus, it is clear that the statement about the devoted person losing his confidence in bhikkhus does not pertain to these two sections. That is, the continuation of §5 should be applied retroactively to §3 and §4 as well. He does not associate with other bhikkhus, not out of resentment toward them, but simply because of the exclusivity of his trust. He does not associate with other bhikkhus. Since he does not associate with other bhikkhus, he does not get to hear the good Dhamma. Since he does not get to hear the good Dhamma, he falls away from the good Dhamma. This is the fifth danger in basing one's confidence on a person.

"These, bhikkhus, are the five dangers in basing one's confidence on a person."

1"Pañcime, bhikkhave, ādīnavā puggalappasāde. Katame pañca?

Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, puggale puggalo abhippasanno hoti, so tathārūpaṁ āpattiṁ āpanno hoti yathārūpāya āpattiyā saṅgho ukkhipati. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘yo kho myāyaṁ puggalo piyo manāpo so saṅghena ukkhitto’ti. Bhikkhūsu appasādabahulo hoti. Bhikkhūsu appasādabahulo samāno aññe bhikkhū na bhajati. Aññe bhikkhū abhajanto saddhammaṁ na suṇāti. Saddhammaṁ asuṇanto saddhammā parihāyati. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo ādīnavo puggalappasāde.

2Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ puggale puggalo abhippasanno hoti, so tathārūpaṁ āpattiṁ āpanno hoti yathārūpāya āpattiyā saṅgho ante nisīdāpeti. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘yo kho myāyaṁ puggalo piyo manāpo so saṅghena ante nisīdāpito’ti. Bhikkhūsu appasādabahulo hoti. Bhikkhūsu appasādabahulo samāno aññe bhikkhū na bhajati. Aññe bhikkhū abhajanto saddhammaṁ na suṇāti. Saddhammaṁ asuṇanto saddhammā parihāyati. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo ādīnavo puggalappasāde.

3Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ puggale puggalo abhippasanno hoti, so disāpakkanto hoti … pe … so vibbhanto hoti … pe … so kālaṅkato hoti. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘yo kho myāyaṁ puggalo piyo manāpo so kālaṅkato’ti. Aññe bhikkhū na bhajati. Aññe bhikkhū abhajanto saddhammaṁ na suṇāti. Saddhammaṁ asuṇanto saddhammā parihāyati. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, pañcamo ādīnavo puggalappasāde.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca ādīnavā puggalappasāde"ti.

Dasamaṁ.
Duccaritavaggo pañcamo.

4Duccaritaṁ kāyaduccaritaṁ,
Vacīduccaritaṁ manoduccaritaṁ;
Catūhi pare dve sivathikā,
Puggalappasādena cāti.

Pañcamo paṇṇāsako samatto.