[399] **Not impudent, not contemptible** — "impudence (pāgabbhiya)": there are three kinds of impudence: bodily impudence, verbal impudence, and mental impudence.
What is bodily impudence? Here someone, when in the Saṅgha, displays bodily impudence; when in a group (gaṇa), too, he displays bodily impudence; in the refectory, too, he displays bodily impudence; in the bathhouse (jantāghara), too, he displays bodily impudence; at the bathing place, too, he displays bodily impudence; while entering among the houses, too, he displays bodily impudence; having entered among the houses, too, he displays bodily impudence.
How does one in the Saṅgha display bodily impudence? Here someone in the Saṅgha, acting without deference, stands jostling the elder bhikkhus, sits jostling them, stands in front of them, sits in front of them, sits on a high seat, sits with his head covered, speaks while standing, speaks gesticulating with his arms. Thus one in the Saṅgha displays bodily impudence.
How does one in a group display bodily impudence? Here someone in a group, acting without deference, walks wearing sandals while the elder bhikkhus are walking without sandals; walks on a high walking path (caṅkama) while they are walking on a low walking path; walks on the walking path while they are walking on the bare ground; stands jostling them, sits jostling them, stands in front of them, sits in front of them, sits on a high seat, sits with his head covered, speaks while standing, speaks gesticulating with his arms. Thus one in a group displays bodily impudence.
How does one in the refectory display bodily impudence? Here someone in the refectory, acting without deference, sits encroaching upon the elder bhikkhus, and blocks the newly ordained bhikkhus from a seat; he stands jostling them, sits jostling them, stands in front of them, sits in front of them, sits on a high seat, sits with his head covered, speaks while standing, speaks gesticulating with his arms. Thus one in the refectory displays bodily impudence.
How does one in the bathhouse display bodily impudence? Here someone in the bathhouse, acting without deference, stands jostling the elder bhikkhus, sits jostling them, stands in front of them, sits in front of them, sits on a high seat, throws in firewood without asking leave, and closes the door without asking leave. Thus one in the bathhouse displays bodily impudence.
How does one at the bathing place display bodily impudence? Here someone at the bathing place, acting without deference, goes down into the water jostling the elder bhikkhus, goes down in front of them; bathes jostling them, bathes in front of them, bathes upstream of them; comes out jostling them, comes out in front of them, comes out upstream of them. Thus one at the bathing place displays bodily impudence.
How does one entering among the houses display bodily impudence? Here someone entering among the houses, acting without deference, goes along jostling the elder bhikkhus, goes in front of them, and, swerving past, goes ahead of the elder bhikkhus. Thus one entering among the houses displays bodily impudence.
How does one who has entered among the houses display bodily impudence? Here someone who has entered among the houses, though not being told "Enter, venerable sir," enters; though not being told "Stand, venerable sir," stands; though not being told "Sit, venerable sir," sits; he intrudes, too, where it is not fitting, stands where it is not fitting, sits where it is not fitting; and into those inner chambers of families which are secluded and concealed, where the women of the family, the daughters of the family, the daughters-in-law of the family, and the girls of the family sit — even there he rushes in headlong; and he strokes a boy's head. Thus one who has entered among the houses displays bodily impudence. This is bodily impudence.
What is verbal impudence? Here someone, when in the Saṅgha, displays verbal impudence; when in a group, too, he displays verbal impudence; having entered among the houses, too, he displays verbal impudence.
How does one in the Saṅgha display verbal impudence? Here someone in the Saṅgha, acting without deference, without having asked leave of the elder bhikkhus, or without having been invited, speaks Dhamma to the bhikkhus dwelling in the monastery, answers questions, recites the Pātimokkha; he speaks while standing, speaks gesticulating with his arms. Thus one in the Saṅgha displays verbal impudence.
How does one in a group display verbal impudence? Here someone in a group, acting without deference, without having asked leave of the elder bhikkhus, or without having been invited, speaks Dhamma to the bhikkhus dwelling in the monastery, answers questions, speaks while standing, speaks gesticulating with his arms; he speaks Dhamma to the bhikkhunīs, to the laymen, to the laywomen dwelling in the monastery, answers questions, speaks while standing, speaks gesticulating with his arms. Thus one in a group displays verbal impudence.
How does one who has entered among the houses display verbal impudence? Here someone who has entered among the houses says to a woman or to a girl: "You of such-and-such a name, of such-and-such a clan, what is there? Is there gruel? Is there rice? Is there anything to chew? What shall we drink? What shall we eat? What shall we chew? Or what is there? Or what will you give me?" — so he prattles on. Thus one who has entered among the houses displays verbal impudence. This is verbal impudence.
What is mental impudence? Here someone, not being one gone forth from a high family, conceives himself in mind (citta) as equal to one gone forth from a high family. Not being one gone forth from a great family, he conceives himself in mind as equal to one gone forth from a great family. Not being one gone forth from a family of great wealth, he conceives himself in mind as equal to one gone forth from a family of great wealth. Not being one gone forth from a family of eminent wealth … . Not being one versed in the Suttantas, he conceives himself in mind as equal to one versed in the Suttantas. Not being an upholder of the Vinaya … . Not being a speaker on Dhamma … . Not being a forest-dweller … . Not being an almsfood-eater … . Not being a rag-robe wearer … . Not being a wearer of only the three robes … . Not being one who goes for alms without skipping houses … . Not being one who refuses food offered afterwards … . Not being one who keeps the sitter's practice … . Not being one who uses whatever lodging is allotted … . Not being an obtainer of the first jhāna, he conceives himself in mind as equal to an obtainer of the first jhāna … not being an obtainer of the attainment of the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, he conceives himself in mind as equal to an obtainer of the attainment of the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. This is mental impudence. One in whom these three impudences are abandoned, cut off, stilled, tranquilized, rendered incapable of arising, burnt by the fire of knowledge (ñāṇa) — he is called "not impudent." Hence: **not impudent (appagabbha)**.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.