“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of viper. What four?
- One whose venom is fast-acting but not lethal,
- one whose venom is lethal but not fast-acting,
- one whose venom is both fast-acting and lethal, and
- one whose venom is neither fast-acting nor lethal.
These are the four kinds of viper. In the same way, these four people similar to vipers are found in the world. What four?
- One whose venom is fast-acting but not lethal,
- one whose venom is lethal but not fast-acting,
- one whose venom is both fast-acting and lethal, and
- one whose venom is neither fast-acting nor lethal.
And how is a person’s venom fast-acting but not lethal? It’s when a person is often angry, but their anger doesn’t linger long. That’s how a person’s venom is fast-acting but not lethal. That person is like a viper whose venom is fast-acting but not lethal.
And how is a person’s venom lethal but not fast-acting? It’s when a person is not often angry, but their anger lingers for a long time.
And how is a person’s venom both fast-acting and lethal? It’s when a person is often angry, and their anger lingers for a long time.
And how is a person’s venom neither fast-acting nor lethal? It’s when a person is not often angry, and their anger doesn’t linger long.
These four people similar to vipers are found in the world.”
Read this translation of Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.110 Āsīvisasutta: Vipers by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or listen on PaliAudio.com or SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.