Beginning With the Faithless

At Sāvatthī.

“Mendicants, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element:

the faithless with the faithless,

the unconscientious with the unconscientious,

the witless with the witless,

the faithful with the faithful,

the conscientious with the conscientious,

and the wise with the wise.

In the past …

In the future …

At present, too, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element. …

Sentient beings join together and converge because of an element:

the faithless with the faithless,

the imprudent with the imprudent,

the witless with the witless,

the faithful with the faithful,

the prudent with the prudent,

and the wise with the wise.

(The following should be told in full like the first section.)

Sentient beings come together because of an element:

the faithless …

unlearned …

witless …

the faithful …

Sentient beings come together because of an element:

the faithless …

lazy …

witless.

the faithful …

energetic … wise.

Sentient beings come together because of an element:

the faithless …

unmindful …

witless.

the faithful …

mindful … wise.”