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How to treat a person with virtue - sutta reference etc?

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 2:57 am
by Ordinaryperson
Hi Bhantes and All,

Could you provide me some references on sutta that mention the way to treat a person with virtue please? i.e. a person that has no more sin.

Thank you

:anjali:

Re: How to treat a person with virtue - sutta reference etc?

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 12:12 pm
by genkaku
Dear OP -- Could you clarify the question a little? Do you mean how do you exercise your own sinless virtue when dealing with others? Or do you mean, how do you treat someone you imagine to be without sin?

Sorry if my head is muddled.

My own question is, is there any difference between these two?

Re: How to treat a person with virtue - sutta reference etc?

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 12:22 pm
by Macavity
  • [The Buddha] “Great king, suppose you were to see that Angulimala had shaved off his hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and gone forth from the home life into homelessness; that he was abstaining from killing living beings, from taking what is not given and from false speech; that he was refraining from eating at night, ate only in one part of the day, and was celibate, virtuous, of good character. If you were to see him thus, how would you treat him?”

    [King Pasenadi] “Venerable sir, we would pay homage to him, or rise up for him, or invite him to be seated; or we would invite him to accept robes, almsfood, a resting place, or medicinal requisites; or we would arrange for him lawful guarding, defence, and protection.”
    – Angulimala Sutta, MN. 86

Re: How to treat a person with virtue - sutta reference etc?

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 2:23 pm
by Ordinaryperson
genkaku wrote:Dear OP -- Could you clarify the question a little? Do you mean how do you exercise your own sinless virtue when dealing with others? Or do you mean, how do you treat someone you imagine to be without sin?

Sorry if my head is muddled.

My own question is, is there any difference between these two?
This question does not refer to me (i.e. this person is not me) as a sinless virtue person but another person I know who is not a monk.

My question refers to "how do you treat someone you imagine (not imagine and not assume in this case but was told) to be without sin?", I just need to read some sutta or related references in dealing with such situation. What is the best way to engage the person?

Macavity,

This person is not a monk by the way.

:anjali:

Re: How to treat a person with virtue - sutta reference etc?

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 11:18 pm
by BlackBird
At a guess, just be respectful?
If this person is virtuous they are likely to be compassionate.
Listen intently to their every word?