[6] Bhikkhus, these four persons are found existing in the world. Which four? One of little learning (appassuta) who is not accomplished by his learning; one of little learning who is accomplished by his learning; one of much learning (bahussuta) who is not accomplished by his learning; one of much learning who is accomplished by his learning.
And how, bhikkhus, is a person one of little learning who is not accomplished by his learning? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person has little learning — of the discourses (sutta), the discourses mixed with verses (geyya), the prose-expositions (veyyākaraṇa), the verses (gāthā), the exclamations (udāna), the thus-said discourses (itivuttaka), the birth-stories (jātaka), the marvellous ideas (abbhutadhamma), and the question-and-answer suttas (vedalla) — and he, not having understood the meaning and not having understood the Dhamma of that little learning, does not practice in accordance with the Dhamma. It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a person is one of little learning who is not accomplished by his learning.
And how, bhikkhus, is a person one of little learning who is accomplished by his learning? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person has little learning — of the discourses, the discourses mixed with verses, … the question-and-answer suttas — and he, having understood the meaning and having understood the Dhamma of that little learning, practices in accordance with the Dhamma. It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a person is one of little learning who is accomplished by his learning.
And how, bhikkhus, is a person one of much learning who is not accomplished by his learning? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person has much learning — of the discourses, the discourses mixed with verses, … the question-and-answer suttas — and he, not having understood the meaning and not having understood the Dhamma of that abundant learning, does not practice in accordance with the Dhamma. It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a person is one of much learning who is not accomplished by his learning.
And how, bhikkhus, is a person one of much learning who is accomplished by his learning? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person has much learning — of the discourses, the discourses mixed with verses, the prose-expositions, the verses, the exclamations, the thus-said discourses, the birth-stories, the marvellous ideas, and the question-and-answer suttas — and he, having understood the meaning and having understood the Dhamma of that abundant learning, practices in accordance with the Dhamma. It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a person is one of much learning who is accomplished by his learning.
These, bhikkhus, are the four persons found existing in the world.
If one is of little learning
and not settled in virtues,
they blame him on both counts —
for virtue and for learning.
If one is of little learning
but well settled in virtues,
they praise him for his virtue;
his learning is not perfected.
If one is of much learning
but not settled in virtues,
they blame him for his virtue;
his learning is perfected.
If one is of much learning
and well settled in virtues,
they praise him on both counts —
for virtue and for learning.
Who is worthy to blame him —
the disciple of the Buddha, of much learning,
a bearer of the Dhamma, endowed with wisdom,
like a coin of gold from the Jambu river?
Even the devas praise him;
by Brahmā too he is praised.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.