Definition of Sathpurisha

Question

What is the definition of "Sathpurisa/Sathpurusha" according to the Buddha?

Please provide sutta references.

Metta.

Answer 1

How about the eponymous Sappurisa Sutta (AN 4.73):

"Now, a person endowed with these four qualities can be known as 'a person of integrity.' Which four?

"There is the case where a person of integrity, when asked, does not reveal another person's bad points, to say nothing of when unasked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of another person's bad points not in full, not in detail, with omissions, holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of integrity.'

"Then again, a person of integrity, when unasked, reveals another person's good points, to say nothing of when asked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of another person's good points in full & in detail, without omissions, without holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of integrity.'

"Then again, a person of integrity, when unasked, reveals his own bad points, to say nothing of when asked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of his own bad points in full & in detail, without omissions, without holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of integrity.'

"Then again, a person of integrity, when asked, does not reveal his own good points, to say nothing of when unasked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of his own good points not in full, not in detail, with omissions, holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of integrity.'

"Monks, a person endowed with these four qualities can be known as 'a person of integrity.'"

And also the eponymous Sappurisa Sutta (MN 113):

"But a person of integrity notices, 'It's not through having a high-ranking family that the quality of greed goes to its end; it's not through having a high-ranking family that the quality of aversion... the quality of delusion goes to its end. Even though one has not gone forth from a high-ranking family, if — practicing the Dhamma in line with the Dhamma, practicing masterfully — he is one who follows the Dhamma, he is to be honored for that, praised for that.' So, giving priority just to the practice, he neither exalts himself for having a high-ranking family nor disparages others. This is the quality of a person of integrity.

"But a person of integrity notices, 'It's not through having a family of extensive wealth that the quality of greed goes to its end; it's not through having a family of extensive wealth that the quality of aversion... the quality of delusion goes to its end. Even though one has not gone forth from a family of extensive wealth, if — practicing the Dhamma in line with the Dhamma, practicing masterfully — he is one who follows the Dhamma, he is to be honored for that, praised for that.' So, giving priority just to the practice, he neither exalts himself for having a family of extensive wealth nor disparages others. This is the quality of a person of integrity.

"But a person of integrity notices, 'It's not through being well-known & highly regarded that the quality of greed goes to its end; it's not through being well-known & highly regarded that the quality of aversion... the quality of delusion goes to its end. Even though one is not well-known & highly regarded, if — practicing the Dhamma in line with the Dhamma, practicing masterfully — he is one who follows the Dhamma, he is to be honored for that, praised for that.' So, giving priority just to the practice, he neither exalts himself for being well-known nor disparages others. This is the quality of a person of integrity.

"But a person of integrity notices, 'It's not through gains that the quality of greed goes to its end; it's not through gains that the quality of aversion... the quality of delusion goes to its end. Even though one is not one who gains robe-cloth, alms-food, lodgings, & medicinal requisites for the sick, if — practicing the Dhamma in line with the Dhamma, practicing masterfully — he is one who follows the Dhamma, he is to be honored for that, praised for that.' So, giving priority just to the practice, he neither exalts himself for his gains nor disparages others. This is the quality of a person of integrity.

"But a person of integrity notices, 'It's not through being a Dhamma-speaker that the quality of greed goes to its end; it's not through being a Dhamma-speaker that the quality of aversion... the quality of delusion goes to its end. Even though one is not a Dhamma-speaker, if — practicing the Dhamma in line with the Dhamma, practicing masterfully — he is one who follows the Dhamma, he is to be honored for that, praised for that.' So, giving priority just to the practice, he neither exalts himself for being a Dhamma-speaker nor disparages others. This is the quality of a person of integrity.

"But a person of integrity notices, 'It's not through being a wilderness dweller that the quality of greed goes to its end; it's not through being a wilderness dweller that the quality of aversion... the quality of delusion goes to its end. Even though one is not a wilderness dweller, if — practicing the Dhamma in line with the Dhamma, practicing masterfully — he is one who follows the Dhamma, he is to be honored for that, praised for that.' So, giving priority just to the practice, he neither exalts himself for being a wilderness dweller nor disparages others. This is the quality of a person of integrity.

"But a person of integrity notices, 'It's not through being one who eats only one meal a day that the quality of greed goes to its end; it's not through being one who eats only one meal a day that the quality of aversion... the quality of delusion goes to its end. Even though one is not one who eats only one meal a day, if — practicing the Dhamma in line with the Dhamma, practicing masterfully — he is one who follows the Dhamma, he is to be honored for that, praised for that.' So, giving priority just to the practice, he neither exalts himself for being one who eats only one meal a day nor disparages others. This is the quality of a person of integrity.

"But a person of integrity notices, 'The Blessed One has spoken of non-fashioning even with regard to the attainment of the first jhāna, for by whatever means they construe it, it becomes otherwise from that.' So, giving priority to non-fashioning, he neither exalts himself for the attainment of the first jhāna nor disparages others. This is the quality of a person of integrity.

"A person of integrity notices, 'The Blessed One has spoken of non-fashioning even with regard to the attainment of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, for by whatever means they construe it, it becomes otherwise from that.' So, giving priority to non-fashioning, he neither exalts himself for the attainment of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception nor disparages others. This is the quality of a person of integrity.

"A person of integrity, completely transcending the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, enters & remains in the cessation of feeling & perception. When he sees with discernment, his effluents are ended. This is a monk who does not construe anything, does not construe anywhere, does not construe in any way."