Beings come together and associate according to disposition. The unprincipled come together and associate with the unprincipled, the virtuous come together and associate with the virtuous, and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.

Dussīla sutta - Unprincipled

At Sāvatthi.

“Bhikkhus, beings come together and associate |according to disposition::in line with their mental qualities or inclinations [dhātuso]|. The |faithless::without confidence, without conviction [assaddhā]| come together and associate with the faithless; the |unashamed::shameless, without conscience [ahirikā]| come together and associate with the unashamed; the |morally reckless::fearlessness of wrongdoing, lack of prudence [anottappa]| come together and associate with the morally reckless; the |unprincipled::without regard for ethical conduct [dussīlā]| come together and associate with the unprincipled; the |undiscerning::without wisdom [duppaññā]| come together and associate with the undiscerning.

The |faithful::confident, believing, devoted, trusting [saddhā]| come together and associate with the faithful; the |conscientious::honorable [hirimā]| come together and associate with the conscientious; the |virtuous::ethical, moral [sīlavant]| come together and associate with the virtuous; the |wise::discerning, percipient [paññavanto]| come together and associate with the wise.”

Last updated on March 27, 2025

CC0 License Button