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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

5: The Book of the Fives

XVII. Resentment — AN 5.165: Asking Questions

1There Venerable Sāriputta addressed the mendicants: …

“Whoever asks a question of another, does so for one or other of these five reasons. What five? Someone asks a question of another from stupidity and folly. Or they ask from wicked desires, being naturally full of desires. Or they ask in order to disparage. Or they ask wanting to understand. Or they ask with the thought, ‘If they correctly answer the question I ask it’s good. If not, I’ll correctly answer it for them.’ Whoever asks a question of another, does so for one or other of these five reasons. As for myself, I ask with the thought, ‘If they correctly answer the question I ask it’s good. If not, I’ll correctly answer it for them.’”

1Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi … pe …

"yo hi koci, āvuso, paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati, sabbo so pañcahi ṭhānehi, etesaṁ vā aññatarena. Katamehi pañcahi? Mandattā momūhattā paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati, pāpiccho icchāpakato paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati, paribhavaṁ paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati, aññātukāmo paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati, atha vā panevaṁcitto paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati:  ‘sace me pañhaṁ puṭṭho sammadeva byākarissati iccetaṁ kusalaṁ, no ce me pañhaṁ puṭṭho sammadeva byākarissati ahamassa sammadeva byākarissāmī’ti. Yo hi koci, āvuso, paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati, sabbo so imehi pañcahi ṭhānehi, etesaṁ vā aññatarena. Ahaṁ kho panāvuso, evaṁcitto paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchāmi:  ‘sace me pañhaṁ puṭṭho sammadeva byākarissati iccetaṁ kusalaṁ, no ce me pañhaṁ puṭṭho sammadeva byākarissati, ahamassa sammadeva byākarissāmī’"ti.

Pañcamaṁ.