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Puggalapaññatti: Praise and Blame After Reflection, Truthfully and at the Right Time
Practice

Puggalapaññatti: Praise and Blame After Reflection, Truthfully and at the Right Time

Bhūtaṃ tacchaṃ kālena

Three sets from the section on fours: those who praise or blame, trust or distrust without reflecting; those who do so after reflecting; and four people who blame what deserves blame and praise what deserves praise, truthfully and at the right time.

6 points

In the Puggalapaññatti of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka, in the section on groups of four (Catukka-niddesa), three consecutive sets deal with praise and blame. The first describes people who, without examining or investigating, praise those who don't deserve praise, blame those who deserve praise, place confidence where it isn't warranted, and withhold it where it is. The second describes people who examine and investigate first, and so do the opposite.

The examples in the text belong to the Buddha's time: praising or blaming other sects' followers who practise wrongly, and the Buddha and his disciples who practise rightly. The principle is that our views of people and of any path should rest on examination, not on feelings or popular opinion.

The third set describes four people regarding someone who has both what deserves blame and what deserves praise, speaking "truthfully, factually, at the right time": one only blames, one only praises, one does both and knows the right time, and one does neither, dwelling in equanimity, mindful and clearly comprehending.

The Puggalapaññatti is the fourth book of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka, setting out designations of types of persons. The first two sets match the Khata Sutta (Bhaṇḍagāma Chapter, Book of the Fours), and the third appears in the Potaliya Sutta (Asura Chapter, Book of the Fours). There the wanderer Potaliya considers the equanimous person best, but the Buddha says the one who blames and praises truthfully at the right time is better, because knowing the right time in each case is excellent.

  1. 1

    Praising or blaming without reflecting Ananuvicca apariyogāhetvā

    Some people, without examining or investigating, praise those who practise wrongly as practising well and rightly, or blame those who practise well and rightly as practising badly and wrongly.

    Applying it in daily life

    Before sharing a post praising or attacking someone, ask yourself: have I read the whole story, and where do my facts come from?

  2. 2

    Misplaced confidence, and confidence withheld Appasādanīye ṭhāne pasādaṃ upadaṃsitā

    Some people, without examining or investigating, place confidence in a wrong practice as a good one, or feel no confidence in a good practice, calling it wrong.

    Applying it in daily life

    When you come across a course, a get-rich-quick method or a popular practice, look at the results for people who have actually done it before you believe in it or dismiss it.

  3. 3

    Praising, blaming and trusting after reflecting Anuvicca pariyogāhetvā

    Some people, after examining and investigating, blame those who practise wrongly, praise those who practise rightly, feel no confidence in a wrong practice, and place confidence in a good one.

    Applying it in daily life

    Practise giving opinions with reasons that can be checked, such as "I like this work because it really solves problem X", rather than just "great" or "terrible".

  4. 4

    Only blaming, or only praising Avaṇṇārahassa avaṇṇaṃ bhāsitā

    When someone has both what deserves praise and what deserves blame, some people speak of what deserves blame, truthfully and at the right time, but not of what deserves praise. Others speak of what deserves praise, truthfully and at the right time, but not of what deserves blame.

    Applying it in daily life

    Notice which side you lean towards. If you tend to criticise, find one genuine strength before speaking. If you tend to praise, find one point for improvement and say it politely.

  5. 5

    Blaming and praising truthfully, knowing the right time Kālaññū hoti

    Some people speak of what deserves blame and of what deserves praise, both truthfully and at the right time, knowing the right time to answer that question. In the Potaliya Sutta, the Buddha says this is the finest and most excellent of the four, because knowing the right time in each case is excellent.

    Applying it in daily life

    When reviewing your team's work, give specific praise in front of others, but choose a private moment when the person is ready to listen for criticism.

  6. 6

    Neither blaming nor praising, equanimous and mindful Upekkhako viharati sato sampajāno

    Some people speak neither of what deserves blame nor of what deserves praise, even truthfully and at the right time; they dwell in equanimity, mindful and clearly comprehending. In the Potaliya Sutta, the wanderer Potaliya considers this person the best, but the Buddha ranks the one who blames and praises at the right time higher.

    Applying it in daily life

    Before choosing to stay silent, ask whether it's because speaking would truly be useless, or because you're afraid of being disliked.

Try it in daily life

Online life has made praise and blame faster than ever. Many people share praise or condemnation before reading what actually happened, so reflecting before praising or blaming is a filter we can use every day.

The last set is useful for managers, parents and teachers. Someone who only criticises discourages those around them; someone who only praises leaves nobody knowing what to fix. Someone who praises when praise is due, criticises when criticism is due, and chooses the right time helps others grow.

Mindful equanimity isn't wrong; sometimes not speaking is the best course. But if you stay silent every time out of fear of conflict, you may miss a chance to help someone.

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