Dhammapada 262–263

Fine speech alone or a beautiful appearance does not make someone good if they are jealous, stingy…

Fine speech alone or a beautiful appearance does not make someone good if they are jealous, stingy, and deceitful. But one in whom these faults have been cut off, uprooted and removed at the root, wise, with faults cast out, is called good.

Translated from the Pāli by Banya

In plain words

Fine speech and attractive appearance do not make someone good if jealousy, stinginess, and deceit remain. The paired verses locate goodness in removing those faults at the root.

Key words

vantadosa

with faults cast out — Here dosa summarizes the named faults, rather than aversion alone.

The story behind the verse

What is an accomplished gentleman?

In the commentary, some elders saw younger monks performing duties for their own teachers. The elders felt they deserved the same attention because they were skilled with words, and they planned to ask the Buddha to require the younger monks to learn again under them. They hoped the arrangement would increase their gain and honor, and they presented the proposal to the Buddha. He recognized the self-interested motive, and he taught that fine speech and appearance do not establish goodness while jealousy, stinginess, and deceit remain.

Retold by Banya from the traditional commentary, after E. W. Burlingame, Buddhist Legends (1921).

Explanation by Banya. Traditional readings vary.