DiscoverANAN 10AN 10.136

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

AN 10.136 Unskillful

“Akusalañca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi kusalañca. Taṁ suṇātha …pe… katamañca, bhikkhave, akusalaṁ? Micchādiṭṭhi …pe… micchāvimutti— idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, akusalaṁ. Katamañca, bhikkhave, kusalaṁ? Sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāvimutti— idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, kusalan”ti.

Tatiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Akusalañca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi kusalañca.

“I will teach you the skillful and the unskillful …

Taṁ suṇātha …pe…

katamañca, bhikkhave, akusalaṁ?

And what is the unskillful?

Micchādiṭṭhi …pe… micchāvimutti—

Wrong view, wrong purpose, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, wrong immersion, wrong knowledge, and wrong freedom.

idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, akusalaṁ.

This is called the unskillful.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, kusalaṁ?

And what is the skillful?

Sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāvimutti—

Right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right immersion, right knowledge, and right freedom.

idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, kusalan”ti.

This is called the skillful.”

Tatiyaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Liberation

Liberation

topic
☀️ bright quality

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
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Mindfulness

Mindfulness

☀️ bright quality

Active presence of mind and lucid retention; the faculty that remembers the Dhamma, anchors attention to the chosen object or present experience, and guards the mind against unwholesome states.

Also known as: recollecting, remembering, keeping in mind, presence, awareness
Pāli: sati, anussati
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Right effort

Right effort

☀️ bright quality

Energy and resolve directed toward preventing unwholesome states from arising, abandoning arisen unwholesome states, cultivating wholesome states, and maintaining arisen wholesome states; persistent application of the mind aligned with the path.

Also known as: right endeavor, right striving
Pāli: sammāvāyāma, padhāna
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Unwholesome

Unwholesome

☁️ dark quality

Conducive to or suggestive of poor health and mental well-being.

Also known as: blameworthy, unhealthy, unskillful, unbeneficial, karmically unprofitable
Pāli: akusala
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Vigour

Vigour

☀️ bright quality

Energetic effort and resilience in practice. It is the refusal to shrink back, the 'uphill' force that initiates and sustains wholesome actions against the gravity of habit.

Also known as: energy, effort, enthusiasm, zeal, application of will, persistence
Pāli: vīriya
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Wholesome

Wholesome

☀️ bright quality

Conducive to or suggestive of good health and mental well-being.

Also known as: blameless, skillful, beneficial, good, useful, healthy, nourishing, sustaining
Pāli: kusala
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Last updated on July 27, 2026

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