[657] "'One should know what flattering (ussādana) is, and one should know what rebuking (apasādana) is; and having known flattering and having known rebuking, one should neither flatter nor rebuke, but should teach only the Dhamma.' So it was said. And with reference to what was this said?
And how, Bhikkhus, is there flattering and rebuking, but no teaching of the Dhamma? When one says: 'All those who are devoted to the pursuit of the joy of one whose happiness is linked to sensuality — low, vulgar, of the common worldling, ignoble, and unconnected with benefit — all of them are beset by suffering (dukkha), beset by harm, beset by despair, beset by fever; they are practicing wrongly' — speaking thus, one rebukes certain people.
When one says: 'All those who are not devoted to the pursuit of the joy of one whose happiness is linked to sensuality — low, vulgar, of the common worldling, ignoble, and unconnected with benefit — all of them are free from suffering, free from harm, free from despair, free from fever; they are practicing rightly' — speaking thus, one flatters certain people.
When one says: 'All those who are devoted to the pursuit of self-mortification — painful, ignoble, and unconnected with benefit — all of them are beset by suffering, beset by harm, beset by despair, beset by fever; they are practicing wrongly' — speaking thus, one rebukes certain people.
When one says: 'All those who are not devoted to the pursuit of self-mortification — painful, ignoble, and unconnected with benefit — all of them are free from suffering, free from harm, free from despair, free from fever; they are practicing rightly' — speaking thus, one flatters certain people.
When one says: 'All those in whom the fetter (saṃyojana) of existence is unabandoned — all of them are beset by suffering, beset by harm, beset by despair, beset by fever; they are practicing wrongly' — speaking thus, one rebukes certain people.
When one says: 'All those in whom the fetter of existence is abandoned — all of them are free from suffering, free from harm, free from despair, free from fever; they are practicing rightly' — speaking thus, one flatters certain people.
Thus indeed, Bhikkhus, there is flattering and there is rebuking, but no teaching of the Dhamma."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.