The Buddha teaches a repeated formula on individuals with ten qualities—contrasting who mendicants should and should not frequent, honor, and revere—based on the ten path factors in this grouped discourse.

AN 10.199-210 Should Not Associate, Etc.

“Dasahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato puggalo na sevitabbo. Katamehi dasahi? Pāṇātipātī hoti, adinnādāyī hoti, kāmesumicchācārī hoti, musāvādī hoti, pisuṇavāco hoti, pharusavāco hoti, samphappalāpī hoti, abhijjhālu hoti, byāpannacitto hoti, micchādiṭṭhiko hoti imehi kho, bhikkhave, dasahi dhammehi samannāgato puggalo na sevitabbo.

Dasahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato puggalo sevitabbo. Katamehi dasahi? Pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato hoti, musāvādā paṭivirato hoti, pisuṇāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, samphappalāpā paṭivirato hoti, anabhijjhālu hoti, abyāpannacitto hoti, sammādiṭṭhiko hoti imehi kho, bhikkhave, dasahi dhammehi samannāgato puggalo sevitabbo.

Dasahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato puggalo na bhajitabbo …pe… bhajitabbona payirupāsitabbopayirupāsitabbona pujjo hotipujjo hotina pāsaṁso hotipāsaṁso hotiagāravo hotigāravo hotiappatisso hotisappatisso hotina ārādhako hotiārādhako hotina visujjhativisujjhatimānaṁ nādhibhotimānaṁ adhibhotipaññāya na vaḍḍhatipaññāya vaḍḍhati …pe….

Dasahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato puggalo bahuṁ apuññaṁ pasavatibahuṁ puññaṁ pasavati. Katamehi dasahi? Pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato hoti, musāvādā paṭivirato hoti, pisuṇāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, samphappalāpā paṭivirato hoti, anabhijjhālu hoti, abyāpannacitto hoti, sammādiṭṭhiko hoti imehi kho, bhikkhave, dasahi dhammehi samannāgato puggalo bahuṁ puññaṁ pasavatī”ti.

Aparapuggalavaggo pañcamo.

Catuttho paṇṇāsako samatto.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Dasahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato puggalo na sevitabbo.

“Mendicants, you should not associate with an individual who has ten qualities.

Katamehi dasahi?

What ten?

Pāṇātipātī hoti, adinnādāyī hoti, kāmesumicchācārī hoti, musāvādī hoti, pisuṇavāco hoti, pharusavāco hoti, samphappalāpī hoti, abhijjhālu hoti, byāpannacitto hoti, micchādiṭṭhiko hoti

They kill living creatures, steal, and commit sexual misconduct. They use speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. And they’re covetous, malicious, with wrong view.

imehi kho, bhikkhave, dasahi dhammehi samannāgato puggalo na sevitabbo.

You should not associate with an individual who has these ten qualities.

Dasahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato puggalo sevitabbo.

You should associate with an individual who has ten qualities.

Katamehi dasahi?

What ten?

Pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato hoti, musāvādā paṭivirato hoti, pisuṇāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, samphappalāpā paṭivirato hoti, anabhijjhālu hoti, abyāpannacitto hoti, sammādiṭṭhiko hoti

They don’t kill living creatures, steal, or commit sexual misconduct. They don’t use speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. They’re contented, kind-hearted, with right view.

imehi kho, bhikkhave, dasahi dhammehi samannāgato puggalo sevitabbo.

You should associate with an individual who has these ten qualities.”

Dasahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato puggalo na bhajitabbo …pe…

“Mendicants, you should not frequent an individual who has ten qualities …

bhajitabbo

You should frequent …”

na payirupāsitabbo

“You should not pay homage …

payirupāsitabbo

You should pay homage …”

na pujjo hoti

“You should not venerate …

pujjo hoti

You should venerate …”

na pāsaṁso hoti

“You should not praise …

pāsaṁso hoti

You should praise …”

agāravo hoti

“You should not revere …

gāravo hoti

You should revere …”

appatisso hoti

“You should not defer to …

sappatisso hoti

You should defer to …”

na ārādhako hoti

“Someone is not a success …

ārādhako hoti

Someone is a success …”

na visujjhati

“Someone is not pure …

visujjhati

Someone is pure …”

mānaṁ nādhibhoti

“Someone does not win over conceit …

mānaṁ adhibhoti

Someone wins over conceit …”

paññāya na vaḍḍhati

“Someone does not grow in wisdom …

paññāya vaḍḍhati …pe….

Someone grows in wisdom …”

Dasahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato puggalo bahuṁ apuññaṁ pasavati

“An individual who possesses these ten qualities brims with much wickedness. …

bahuṁ puññaṁ pasavati.

An individual who possesses these ten qualities brims with much merit.

Katamehi dasahi?

What ten?

Pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato hoti, musāvādā paṭivirato hoti, pisuṇāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, samphappalāpā paṭivirato hoti, anabhijjhālu hoti, abyāpannacitto hoti, sammādiṭṭhiko hoti

They don’t kill living creatures, steal, or commit sexual misconduct. They don’t use speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. They’re contented, kind-hearted, with right view.

imehi kho, bhikkhave, dasahi dhammehi samannāgato puggalo bahuṁ puññaṁ pasavatī”ti.

An individual who has these ten qualities creates much merit.”

Aparapuggalavaggo pañcamo.

Catuttho paṇṇāsako samatto.

Qualities:

Conceit

Conceit

Self-view expressed as comparison—seeing oneself as superior, inferior, or equal; the persistent “I am” conceit (asmimāna) that underlies identification and fuels rebirth

Also known as: arrogance, egotism, pride, self-importance, tendency of self-comparison
Pāli: māna, atimāna, unnaḷa
View all discourses →
Merit

Merit

Wholesome result of good conduct, generosity, and right intention. Merit brightens the mind and supports happiness and favorable conditions for practice.

Also known as: good deeds, spiritual wealth
Pāli: puñña, kalyāṇa
View all discourses →
Right view

Right view

View that is in line with the Dhamma — teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth.

Also known as: right understanding, right belief, view that is inline with the Dhamma
Pāli: sammādiṭṭhi
View all discourses →
Sexual misconduct

Sexual misconduct

Transgression of boundaries in intimate relations—acting on desire in ways that betray trust, cause harm, or violate the commitments of oneself or others.

Also known as: crossing boundaries, infidelity, inappropriate sexual behavior, unfaithfulness to one's partner
Pāli: kāmesumicchācāra
View all discourses →
Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
View all discourses →
Wrong view

Wrong view

A distorted understanding that sees permanence in the impermanent, satisfaction in the unsatisfactory, or self in the not-self. Wrong view guides action by delusion, obscuring cause and effect, and closes the door to wisdom and release.

Also known as: distorted or inverted perception, untrue view, false belief
Pāli: micchādiṭṭhi
View all discourses →

Last updated on July 27, 2026