[44] On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Kusinārā, in the Baliharaṇa forest grove. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus." "Venerable sir," those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: "Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu who is an accuser, wishing to reprove another, should reprove the other only after reviewing five qualities (dhammā) within himself and establishing five qualities within himself.
"What five qualities should be reviewed within himself? Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu who is an accuser, wishing to reprove another, should review thus: 'Am I one of purified bodily conduct? Am I possessed of purified bodily conduct, unbroken and irreproachable? Is this quality found in me, or not?' If, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is not one of purified bodily conduct, not possessed of purified bodily conduct, unbroken and irreproachable, there will be those who say to him: 'Come now, let the venerable one first train in what pertains to the body' — thus there will be those who say this to him.
"Furthermore, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu who is an accuser, wishing to reprove another, should review thus: 'Am I one of purified verbal conduct? Am I possessed of purified verbal conduct, unbroken and irreproachable? Is this quality found in me, or not?' If, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is not one of purified verbal conduct, not possessed of purified verbal conduct, unbroken and irreproachable, there will be those who say to him: 'Come now, let the venerable one first train in what pertains to speech' — thus there will be those who say this to him.
"Furthermore, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu who is an accuser, wishing to reprove another, should review thus: 'Is a mind (citta) of loving-kindness (mettā), free from resentment, established in me toward my companions in the holy life? Is this quality found in me, or not?' If, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu's mind of loving-kindness, free from resentment, is not established toward his companions in the holy life, there will be those who say to him: 'Come now, let the venerable one establish a mind of loving-kindness toward his companions in the holy life' — thus there will be those who say this to him.
"Furthermore, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu who is an accuser, wishing to reprove another, should review thus: 'Am I learned, a retainer of what I have heard, a storer-up of what I have heard? Those teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, which, with their meaning and phrasing, proclaim the holy life utterly complete and pure — have such teachings been much learned by me, retained, consolidated by recitation, examined with the mind, and well penetrated by view? Is this quality found in me, or not?' If, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is not learned, not a retainer of what he has heard, not a storer-up of what he has heard; and if those teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, which, with their meaning and phrasing, proclaim the holy life utterly complete and pure — if such teachings have not been much learned by him, retained, consolidated by recitation, examined with the mind, and well penetrated by view, there will be those who say to him: 'Come now, let the venerable one first master the scriptural heritage (āgama)' — thus there will be those who say this to him.
"Furthermore, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu who is an accuser, wishing to reprove another, should review thus: 'Have both Pātimokkhas been well transmitted to me in detail, well analyzed, well mastered, well determined, sutta by sutta and in detail as to the letter? Is this quality found in me, or not?' If, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu has not both Pātimokkhas well transmitted to him in detail, well analyzed, well mastered, well determined, sutta by sutta and in detail as to the letter, then, being asked, 'But, venerable one, where was this spoken by the Blessed One?' he cannot answer. There will be those who say to him: 'Come now, let the venerable one first train in the Discipline (Vinaya)' — thus there will be those who say this to him. These five qualities should be reviewed within himself.
"What five qualities should be established within himself? 'I shall speak at a proper time, not at an improper time; I shall speak about what is true, not about what is untrue; I shall speak gently, not harshly; I shall speak what is connected with the good, not what is unconnected with the good; I shall speak with a mind of loving-kindness, not harboring hatred within.' These five qualities should be established within himself.
"Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu who is an accuser, wishing to reprove another, should reprove the other only after reviewing these five qualities within himself and establishing these five qualities within himself."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.