Cattāri Brahmavihārā

116. Then Venerable Sariputta said: “There are these five ways of putting away malice that arises. What five?
“Take the case of a person whose ways are impure in deed but not in word. Suppose a monk who wears robes made from rags were to see a rag on the road, he would hold it with his left foot and spread it out with his right foot and try to make the best use of it and then go on his way. In the same way, one whose ways are impure in deed but not in word, his deed ought to be disregarded. Think instead about his ways that are pure.
“And concerning one whose words are impure but who is pure in deed, how should malice be put away? Suppose a man, tortured by heat, by heat overspent, wearied, craving and thirsty were to come upon a pond overgrown with mossy slime and water plants. He would plunge into the pond, scatter the water plants this way and that, cup his hands, drink and then go his way refreshed. In the same way, one whose words are impure but who is pure in deed, his words ought to be disregarded. Think instead about his ways that are pure.
“And what of one who is impure in both words and deed, but who can attain mental clarity and calm from time to time? Suppose a man, tortured by heat, by heat overspent, wearied, craving and thirsty, were to come upon a puddle in a cow’s footprint. He might think to himself: ‘Here is a puddle in a cow’s footprint, but if I drink using my hands or a cup I will stir and churn up the mud and make it unfit to drink. What if I were to crouch down on all fours, bend low and drink as does a cow?’ And so he does this. In the same way, one who is impure in both word and deed but who can attain mental clarity and calm from time to time, his words and deeds ought to be disregarded. Think only of his clarity and calm.
“And what of one whose ways are impure and who cannot even attain mental clarity and calm? Suppose a sick and ailing man, grievously ill, were going along a highway with no village in front or behind, unable to get proper food, medicine or attention, or a guide to the next village. If another man were to see him, he might feel pity and he might say to himself: ‘This poor man, he should get help or he will suffer to his destruction. ‘ In the same way, for one whose ways are impure and who cannot even attain mental clarity and calm, pity, compassion and commiseration ought to arise and you should think: ‘This poor man, he should give up the bad and develop the good, or else after death he will have a bad rebirth.’
“And concerning one whose words and deeds are pure and who has mental clarity and calm, how should malice be put away? Suppose a man, tortured by heat, by heat overspent, wearied, craving and thirsty were to come upon a pool of sweet, cool, limpid water, a lovely resting place shaded by all kinds of trees. He would plunge into the pond, bathe, drink and come out and lie there in the shade. In the same way, of this person, think about his purity and mental clarity and calm.”

Anguttara Nikaya III.185

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