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

AN 10.26 With Kāḷī

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahākaccāno avantīsu viharati kuraraghare pavatte pabbate.

Atha kho kāḷī upāsikā kuraragharikā yenāyasmā mahākaccāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho kāḷī upāsikā kuraragharikā āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ etadavoca: “vuttamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā kumāripañhesu:

‘Atthassa pattiṁ hadayassa santiṁ,
Jetvāna senaṁ piyasātarūpaṁ;
Ekohaṁ jhāyaṁ sukhamanubodhiṁ,
Tasmā janena na karomi sakkhiṁ;
Sakkhī na sampajjati kenaci me’ti.

Imassa kho, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa kathaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo”ti?

“Pathavīkasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā ‘attho’ti abhinibbattesuṁ. Yāvatā kho, bhagini, pathavīkasiṇasamāpattiparamatā, tadabhiññāsi bhagavā. Tadabhiññāya bhagavā assādamaddasa ādīnavamaddasa nissaraṇamaddasa maggāmaggañāṇadassanamaddasa. Tassa assādadassanahetu ādīnavadassanahetu nissaraṇadassanahetu maggāmaggañāṇadassanahetu atthassa patti hadayassa santi viditā hoti.

Āpokasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini …pe… tejokasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhaginivāyokasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagininīlakasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhaginipītakasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhaginilohitakasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhaginiodātakasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhaginiākāsakasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhaginiviññāṇakasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā ‘attho’ti abhinibbattesuṁ. Yāvatā kho, bhagini, viññāṇakasiṇasamāpattiparamatā, tadabhiññāsi bhagavā. Tadabhiññāya bhagavā assādamaddasaādīnavamaddasanissaraṇamaddasamaggāmaggañāṇadassanamaddasatassa assādadassanahetu ādīnavadassanahetu nissaraṇadassanahetu maggāmaggañāṇadassanahetu atthassa patti hadayassa santi viditā hoti.

Iti kho, bhagini, yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā kumāripañhesu:

‘Atthassa pattiṁ hadayassa santiṁ,
Jetvāna senaṁ piyasātarūpaṁ;
Ekohaṁ jhāyaṁ sukhamanubodhiṁ,
Tasmā janena na karomi sakkhiṁ;
Sakkhī na sampajjati kenaci me’ti.

Imassa kho, bhagini, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo”ti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahākaccāno avantīsu viharati kuraraghare pavatte pabbate.

At one time Venerable Mahākaccāna was staying in the land of the Avantis near Kuraraghara on Steep Mountain.

Atha kho kāḷī upāsikā kuraragharikā yenāyasmā mahākaccāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho kāḷī upāsikā kuraragharikā āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ etadavoca:

Then the laywoman Kāḷī of Kurughara went up to Venerable Mahākaccāna, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,

“vuttamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā kumāripañhesu:

“Sir, this was said by the Buddha in ‘The Maidens’ Questions’:

‘Atthassa pattiṁ hadayassa santiṁ,

‘I’ve reached the goal, peace of heart.

Jetvāna senaṁ piyasātarūpaṁ;

Having conquered the army of the likable and pleasant,

Ekohaṁ jhāyaṁ sukhamanubodhiṁ,

alone, practicing absorption, I awakened to bliss.

Tasmā janena na karomi sakkhiṁ;

That’s why I don’t get too close to people,

Sakkhī na sampajjati kenaci me’ti.

and no-one gets too close to me.’

Imassa kho, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa kathaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo”ti?

How should we see the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement?”

“Pathavīkasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā ‘attho’ti abhinibbattesuṁ.

“Sister, some ascetics and brahmins regard the attainment of the meditation on universal earth to be the ultimate. Thinking ‘this is the goal’, they are reborn.

Yāvatā kho, bhagini, pathavīkasiṇasamāpattiparamatā, tadabhiññāsi bhagavā.

The Buddha directly knew the extent to which the attainment of the meditation on universal earth was the ultimate.

Tadabhiññāya bhagavā assādamaddasa ādīnavamaddasa nissaraṇamaddasa maggāmaggañāṇadassanamaddasa.

Directly knowing this he saw the beginning, the drawback, and the escape. And he saw the knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path.

Tassa assādadassanahetu ādīnavadassanahetu nissaraṇadassanahetu maggāmaggañāṇadassanahetu atthassa patti hadayassa santi viditā hoti.

Because he saw the beginning, the drawback, and the escape, and he saw the knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path, he knew that he had reached the goal, peace of heart.

Āpokasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini …pe…

Some ascetics and brahmins regard the attainment of the meditation on universal water to be the ultimate. Thinking ‘this is the goal’, they are reborn. …

tejokasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini

Some ascetics and brahmins regard the attainment of the meditation on universal fire …

vāyokasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini

universal air …

nīlakasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini

universal blue …

pītakasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini

universal yellow …

lohitakasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini

universal red …

odātakasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini

universal white …

ākāsakasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini

universal space …

viññāṇakasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā ‘attho’ti abhinibbattesuṁ.

universal consciousness to be the ultimate. Thinking ‘this is the goal’, they are reborn.

Yāvatā kho, bhagini, viññāṇakasiṇasamāpattiparamatā, tadabhiññāsi bhagavā.

The Buddha directly knew the extent to which the attainment of the meditation on universal consciousness was the ultimate.

Tadabhiññāya bhagavā assādamaddasaādīnavamaddasanissaraṇamaddasamaggāmaggañāṇadassanamaddasa

Directly knowing this he saw the beginning, the drawback, and the escape. And he saw the knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path.

tassa assādadassanahetu ādīnavadassanahetu nissaraṇadassanahetu maggāmaggañāṇadassanahetu atthassa patti hadayassa santi viditā hoti.

Because he saw the beginning, the drawback, and the escape, and he saw the knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path, he knew that he had reached the goal, peace of heart.

Iti kho, bhagini, yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā kumāripañhesu:

So, sister, that’s how to understand the detailed meaning of what the Buddha said in brief in ‘The Maidens’ Questions’:

‘Atthassa pattiṁ hadayassa santiṁ,

‘I’ve reached the goal, peace of heart.

Jetvāna senaṁ piyasātarūpaṁ;

Having conquered the army of the likable and pleasant,

Ekohaṁ jhāyaṁ sukhamanubodhiṁ,

alone, practicing absorption, I awakened to bliss.

Tasmā janena na karomi sakkhiṁ;

That’s why I don’t get too close to people,

Sakkhī na sampajjati kenaci me’ti.

and no-one gets too close to me.’”

Imassa kho, bhagini, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo”ti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Cultivation

Cultivation

The active practice of 'bringing into being' wholesome states. It is the deliberate nurturing of the bright state of mind.

Also known as: development, improvement, meditation, nurturing, growth
Pāli: bhāvanā
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Jhana

Jhana

An abiding with a steady, collected awareness that is attained through seclusion from the five hindrances and unwholesome mental states. When supported by right view, a jhāna can be a basis for the wearing away of taints and directing the mind toward the vision of Nibbāna.

Also known as: meditation, undistracted awareness, absorption, mental absorption
Pāli: jhāna, samāhita, susamāhita, sammāsamādhi
View all discourses →
Respect

Respect

A mental attitude of reverent attentiveness that values goodness and wisdom in oneself and others. It steadies conduct and opens the mind to learning and humility.

Also known as: reverence, veneration, regard, admiration, appreciation, deference, honour, attentiveness
Pāli: gārava, pūjā, sakkāra
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