“It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing! For I couldn’t fully express the question, but Venerable Ānanda’s answer completed it for me. I don’t believe that praise or criticism of others spoken by incompetent fools, without examining or scrutinizing, is the most important thing. Rather, I believe that praise or criticism of others spoken by competent and intelligent people after examining and scrutinizing is the most important thing.

But Honorable Ānanda, what kind of bodily behavior is faulted by sensible ascetics and brahmins?” “Unskillful behavior.” “But what kind of bodily behavior is unskillful?” “Blameworthy behavior.” “But what kind of bodily behavior is blameworthy?” “Hurtful behavior.” “But what kind of bodily behavior is hurtful?” “Behavior that results in suffering.” “But what kind of bodily behavior results in suffering?” “Bodily behavior that leads to hurting yourself, hurting others, and hurting both, and which makes unskillful qualities grow while skillful qualities decline. That kind of bodily behavior is faulted by sensible ascetics and brahmins.”

“But what kind of verbal behavior … mental behavior is faulted by sensible ascetics and brahmins?” …