[764] *One should not flatter people out of desire for gain* — herein, what is flattering talk (lapanā)? For one who is dependent on gain, honor, and fame, of evil desires, overcome by desire, with an eye to material things, who gives weight to worldly conditions (lokadhamma), there is toward others: addressing, flattering talk, conversing insinuatingly, talking up, thorough talking up, wheedling, thorough wheedling, coaxing, thorough coaxing (ukkāpanā, samukkāpanā),¹ speaking pleasing words, fawning, bean-soupery (muggasūpatā), dandling (pāribhaṭyatā), backbiting (eating the flesh of another's back, parapiṭṭhimaṃsikatā) — whatever therein is smooth speech, kindly speech, affectionate speech, unharsh speech: this is called flattering talk. Moreover, one flatters people for two reasons: one flatters people placing oneself low and placing others high, or one flatters people placing oneself high and placing others low.
How does one flatter people placing oneself low and placing others high? "You are of great help to me; relying on you I obtain robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicinal requisites for the sick; those others too who think to give to me or to do for me — it is relying on you, out of regard for you, that they do so. Even that old name of mine given by my mother and father has vanished; because of you I am known as 'the family frequenter (kulupaka) of so-and-so, the family frequenter of such-and-such a woman.'" Thus one flatters people placing oneself low and placing others high.
How does one flatter people placing oneself high and placing others low? "I am of great help to you; owing to me you have gone to the Buddha for refuge, gone to the Dhamma for refuge, gone to the Saṅgha for refuge; you abstain from the destruction of life, abstain from taking what is not given, abstain from sexual misconduct, abstain from false speech, abstain from intoxicants causing heedlessness. I give you the recitation, I give you the interrogation, I announce the uposatha, I supervise the new building work — and yet you, having cast me aside,² honor, respect, esteem, and venerate others." Thus too one flatters people placing oneself high and placing others low.
*One should not flatter people out of desire for gain* — for the sake of gain, by reason of gain, for the production of gain, bringing gain to ripeness, one should not flatter people; one should abandon flattering talk, dispel it, make an end of it, bring it to non-existence; one should be far removed from flattering address, abstaining, refraining, gone out from it, released, freed, detached from it, and should dwell with a mind rid of barriers. Therefore, "one should not flatter people out of desire for gain." Hence the Blessed One said:
One should not take part in buying and selling;
a bhikkhu should not incur blame in any way;
he should not linger attached in a village;
he should not flatter people out of desire for gain.
¹ Footnote in the edition: the Ma. reading is *ukkācanā samukkācanā*.
² Footnote in the edition: Po. and Ma. read *ujjhitvā* for *ussajjitvā*.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.