The Buddha teaches on five factors, presenting a tenfold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 10.12 Five Factors

“Pañcaṅgavippahīno, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcaṅgasamannāgato imasmiṁ dhammavinaye ‘kevalī vusitavā uttamapuriso’ti vuccati.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcaṅgavippahīno hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno kāmacchando pahīno hoti, byāpādo pahīno hoti, thinamiddhaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, uddhaccakukkuccaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, vicikicchā pahīnā hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcaṅgavippahīno hoti.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcaṅgasamannāgato hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu asekhena sīlakkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekhena samādhikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekhena paññākkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekhena vimuttikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekhena vimuttiñāṇadassanakkhandhena samannāgato hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcaṅgasamannāgato hoti.

Pañcaṅgavippahīno kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcaṅgasamannāgato imasmiṁ dhammavinaye ‘kevalī vusitavā uttamapuriso’ti vuccati.

Kāmacchando ca byāpādo,
thinamiddhañca bhikkhuno;
Uddhaccaṁ vicikicchā ca,
sabbasova na vijjati.

Asekhena ca sīlena,
asekhena samādhinā;
Vimuttiyā ca sampanno,
ñāṇena ca tathāvidho.

Sa ve pañcaṅgasampanno,
pañca aṅge vivajjayaṁ;
Imasmiṁ dhammavinaye,
kevalī iti vuccatī”ti.

Dutiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Pañcaṅgavippahīno, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcaṅgasamannāgato imasmiṁ dhammavinaye ‘kevalī vusitavā uttamapuriso’ti vuccati.

“Mendicants, in this teaching and training a mendicant who has given up five factors and possesses five factors is called consummate, accomplished, a supreme person.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcaṅgavippahīno hoti?

And how has a mendicant given up five factors?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno kāmacchando pahīno hoti, byāpādo pahīno hoti, thinamiddhaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, uddhaccakukkuccaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, vicikicchā pahīnā hoti.

It’s when a mendicant has given up sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcaṅgavippahīno hoti.

That’s how a mendicant has given up five factors.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcaṅgasamannāgato hoti?

And how does a mendicant have five factors?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu asekhena sīlakkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekhena samādhikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekhena paññākkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekhena vimuttikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekhena vimuttiñāṇadassanakkhandhena samannāgato hoti.

It’s when a mendicant has the entire spectrum of an adept’s ethics, immersion, wisdom, freedom, and knowledge and vision of freedom.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcaṅgasamannāgato hoti.

That’s how a mendicant has five factors.

Pañcaṅgavippahīno kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcaṅgasamannāgato imasmiṁ dhammavinaye ‘kevalī vusitavā uttamapuriso’ti vuccati.

In this teaching and training a mendicant who has given up five factors and possesses five factors is called consummate, accomplished, a supreme person.

Kāmacchando ca byāpādo,

Sensual desire, ill will,

thinamiddhañca bhikkhuno;

dullness and drowsiness,

Uddhaccaṁ vicikicchā ca,

restlessness, and doubt

sabbasova na vijjati.

are not found in a mendicant at all.

Asekhena ca sīlena,

That sort are accomplished

asekhena samādhinā;

in an adept’s ethics,

Vimuttiyā ca sampanno,

an adept’s immersion,

ñāṇena ca tathāvidho.

and freedom and knowledge.

Sa ve pañcaṅgasampanno,

Possessing these five factors,

pañca aṅge vivajjayaṁ;

and rid of five factors,

Imasmiṁ dhammavinaye,

in this teaching and training

kevalī iti vuccatī”ti.

they’re called ‘consummate’.”

Dutiyaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Doubt

Doubt

Paralyzing indecision about the path or practice. Doubt obstructs confidence and clarity.

Also known as: confusion, indecisiveness, uncertainty, wavering, perplexity
Pāli: vicikiccha, kaṅkhā, vimati
View all discourses →
Drowsiness

Drowsiness

A heaviness or stiffness of the mind that leads to sleepiness. It shrouds clarity like a fog, making the mind unwieldy and prone to drifting away from its object.

Also known as: sleepiness, torpor, feeling lethargic, lit. stiffness (of mind/body due to tiredness)
Pāli: middha
View all discourses →
Dullness

Dullness

Mental stagnation and lack of driving power. It is an inertia where the mind feels thick and incapable of active engagement or investigation.

Also known as: lack of mental clarity or alertness, inertia, mental sluggishness, inattentiveness or lack of sharpness
Pāli: thina
View all discourses →
Ill will

Ill will

A mental quality of actively opposing or rejecting others in thought, manifesting as deliberate thoughts or intentions that oppose kindness and compassion; it fuels conflict and obstructs goodwill.

Also known as: actively opposing or rejecting others in thought, thought of malevolence towards another, hostile reflections towards another
Pāli: byāpāda
View all discourses →
Liberation

Liberation

Liberation can imply a temporary release of the mind, i.e. liberated from certain unwholesome mental qualities or complete liberation from all unwholesome qualities of the mind, i.e. Nibbāna.

Also known as: freedom, release, emancipation, deliverance
Pāli: vimutti, vimokkha, cetovimutti, paññāvimutti, akuppā cetovimutti
View all discourses →
Vision

Vision

The corrective clarity that clearly sees into the true nature of things as they actually are.

Also known as: knowledge and vision, seeing clearly, seeing things as they are, seeing the truth, seeing the dhamma
Pāli: dassana, ñāṇadassana, yathābhūtañāṇadassana
View all discourses →

Last updated on July 27, 2026