[1211] "Venerable sir, possessed of how many factors is a bhikkhu not competent to settle a legal issue (adhikaraṇa)?"
"Upāli, possessed of five factors a bhikkhu is not competent to settle a legal issue. Which five? He does not know the offense (āpatti); he does not know the origination of the offense; he does not know the course of conduct (payoga) of the offense; he does not know the settling of the offense; and he is not skilled in the adjudication of offenses. Possessed of these five factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is not competent to settle a legal issue.
"Upāli, possessed of five factors a bhikkhu is competent to settle a legal issue. Which five? He knows the offense; he knows the origination of the offense; he knows the course of conduct of the offense; he knows the settling of the offense; and he is skilled in the adjudication of offenses. Possessed of these five factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is competent to settle a legal issue.
"Possessed of five further factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is not competent to settle a legal issue. Which five? He does not know the legal issue; he does not know the origination of the legal issue; he does not know the course of conduct of the legal issue; he does not know the settling of the legal issue; and he is not skilled in the adjudication of legal issues. Possessed of these five factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is not competent to settle a legal issue.
"Upāli, possessed of five factors a bhikkhu is competent to settle a legal issue. Which five? He knows the legal issue; he knows the origination of the legal issue; he knows the course of conduct of the legal issue; he knows the settling of the legal issue; and he is skilled in the adjudication of legal issues. Possessed of these five factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is competent to settle a legal issue.
"Possessed of five further factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is not competent to settle a legal issue. Which five? He takes a wrong course out of desire; he takes a wrong course out of hatred; he takes a wrong course out of delusion; he takes a wrong course out of fear; and he is shameless (alajjī). Possessed of these five factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is not competent to settle a legal issue.
"Upāli, possessed of five factors a bhikkhu is competent to settle a legal issue. Which five? He does not take a wrong course out of desire; he does not take a wrong course out of hatred; he does not take a wrong course out of delusion; he does not take a wrong course out of fear; and he is conscientious (lajjī). Possessed of these five factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is competent to settle a legal issue.
"Possessed of five further factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is not competent to settle a legal issue. Which five? He takes a wrong course out of desire; he takes a wrong course out of hatred; he takes a wrong course out of delusion; he takes a wrong course out of fear; and he is of little learning. Possessed of these five factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is not competent to settle a legal issue.
"Upāli, possessed of five factors a bhikkhu is competent to settle a legal issue. Which five? He does not take a wrong course out of desire; he does not take a wrong course out of hatred; he does not take a wrong course out of delusion; he does not take a wrong course out of fear; and he is of great learning. Possessed of these five factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is competent to settle a legal issue.
"Possessed of five further factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is not competent to settle a legal issue. Which five? He does not know the case-matter (vatthu); he does not know the occasioning story (nidāna); he does not know the rule as laid down (paññatti); he does not know the wording added afterward (padapacchābhaṭṭha); and he does not know the sequence of connected discourse (anusandhivacanapatha). Possessed of these five factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is not competent to settle a legal issue.
"Upāli, possessed of five factors a bhikkhu is competent to settle a legal issue. Which five? He knows the case-matter; he knows the occasioning story; he knows the rule as laid down; he knows the wording added afterward; and he knows the sequence of connected discourse. Possessed of these five factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is competent to settle a legal issue.
"Possessed of five further factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is not competent to settle a legal issue. Which five? He takes a wrong course out of desire; he takes a wrong course out of hatred; he takes a wrong course out of delusion; he takes a wrong course out of fear; and he is unskilled in the Vinaya. Possessed of these five factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is not competent to settle a legal issue.
"Upāli, possessed of five factors a bhikkhu is competent to settle a legal issue. Which five? He does not take a wrong course out of desire; he does not take a wrong course out of hatred; he does not take a wrong course out of delusion; he does not take a wrong course out of fear; and he is skilled in the Vinaya. Possessed of these five factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is competent to settle a legal issue.
"Possessed of five further factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is not competent to settle a legal issue. Which five? He takes a wrong course out of desire; he takes a wrong course out of hatred; he takes a wrong course out of delusion; he takes a wrong course out of fear; and he gives weight to individuals, not to the Saṅgha. Possessed of these five factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is not competent to settle a legal issue.
"Upāli, possessed of five factors a bhikkhu is competent to settle a legal issue. Which five? He does not take a wrong course out of desire; he does not take a wrong course out of hatred; he does not take a wrong course out of delusion; he does not take a wrong course out of fear; and he gives weight to the Saṅgha, not to individuals. Possessed of these five factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is competent to settle a legal issue.
"Possessed of five further factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is not competent to settle a legal issue. Which five? He takes a wrong course out of desire; he takes a wrong course out of hatred; he takes a wrong course out of delusion; he takes a wrong course out of fear; and he gives weight to material things (āmisa), not to the true Dhamma (saddhamma). Possessed of these five factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is not competent to settle a legal issue.
"Upāli, possessed of five factors a bhikkhu is competent to settle a legal issue. Which five? He does not take a wrong course out of desire; he does not take a wrong course out of hatred; he does not take a wrong course out of delusion; he does not take a wrong course out of fear; and he gives weight to the true Dhamma, not to material things. Possessed of these five factors, Upāli, a bhikkhu is competent to settle a legal issue."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.