The Buddha teaches Venerable Pu on with puṇṇiya, presenting a tenfold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 10.83 With Puṇṇiya

Atha kho āyasmā puṇṇiyo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā puṇṇiyo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“ko nu kho, bhante, hetu ko paccayo yena appekadā tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti appekadā nappaṭibhātī”ti?

“Saddho ca, puṇṇiya, bhikkhu hoti, no ca upasaṅkamitā; neva tāva tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti. Yato ca kho, puṇṇiya, bhikkhu saddho ca hoti upasaṅkamitā ca, evaṁ tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti.

Saddho ca, puṇṇiya, bhikkhu hoti upasaṅkamitā ca, no ca payirupāsitā …pe… payirupāsitā ca, no ca paripucchitāparipucchitā ca, no ca ohitasoto dhammaṁ suṇātiohitasoto ca dhammaṁ suṇāti, no ca sutvā dhammaṁ dhāretisutvā ca dhammaṁ dhāreti, no ca dhātānaṁ dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhatidhātānañca dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhati no ca atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno hotiatthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno ca hoti, no ca kalyāṇavāco hoti kalyāṇavākkaraṇo poriyā vācāya samannāgato vissaṭṭhāya anelagaḷāya atthassa viññāpaniyākalyāṇavāco ca hoti kalyāṇavākkaraṇo poriyā vācāya samannāgato vissaṭṭhāya anelagaḷāya atthassa viññāpaniyā, no ca sandassako hoti samādapako samuttejako sampahaṁsako sabrahmacārīnaṁ, neva tāva tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti.

Yato ca kho, puṇṇiya, bhikkhu saddho ca hoti, upasaṅkamitā ca, payirupāsitā ca, paripucchitā ca, ohitasoto ca dhammaṁ suṇāti, sutvā ca dhammaṁ dhāreti, dhātānañca dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhati, atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno ca hoti, kalyāṇavāco ca hoti kalyāṇavākkaraṇo poriyā vācāya samannāgato vissaṭṭhāya anelagaḷāya atthassa viññāpaniyā, sandassako ca hoti samādapako samuttejako sampahaṁsako sabrahmacārīnaṁ evaṁ tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti. Imehi kho, puṇṇiya, dasahi dhammehi samannāgatā ekantapaṭibhānā tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā hotī”ti.

Tatiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Atha kho āyasmā puṇṇiyo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā puṇṇiyo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then Venerable Puṇṇiya went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“ko nu kho, bhante, hetu ko paccayo yena appekadā tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti appekadā nappaṭibhātī”ti?

“Sir, what is the cause, what is the reason why sometimes the Realized One feels inspired to teach, and other times not?”

“Saddho ca, puṇṇiya, bhikkhu hoti, no ca upasaṅkamitā; neva tāva tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti.

“Puṇṇiya, when a mendicant has faith but doesn’t approach, the Realized One doesn’t feel inspired to teach.

Yato ca kho, puṇṇiya, bhikkhu saddho ca hoti upasaṅkamitā ca, evaṁ tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti.

But when a mendicant has faith and approaches, the Realized One feels inspired to teach.

Saddho ca, puṇṇiya, bhikkhu hoti upasaṅkamitā ca, no ca payirupāsitā …pe…

When a mendicant has faith and approaches, but doesn’t pay homage …

payirupāsitā ca, no ca paripucchitā

they pay homage, but don’t ask questions …

paripucchitā ca, no ca ohitasoto dhammaṁ suṇāti

they ask questions, but don’t actively listen to the teaching …

ohitasoto ca dhammaṁ suṇāti, no ca sutvā dhammaṁ dhāreti

they actively listen to the teaching, but don’t remember the teaching they’ve heard …

sutvā ca dhammaṁ dhāreti, no ca dhātānaṁ dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhati

they remember the teaching they’ve heard, but don’t examine the meaning of the teachings they’ve remembered …

dhātānañca dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhati no ca atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno hoti

they examine the meaning of the teachings they’ve remembered, but, not having understood the meaning and the teaching, they don’t practice in line with the principle of the teaching …

atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno ca hoti, no ca kalyāṇavāco hoti kalyāṇavākkaraṇo poriyā vācāya samannāgato vissaṭṭhāya anelagaḷāya atthassa viññāpaniyā

they practice in line with the teaching, but they’re not a good speaker and do not enunciate well. Their voice is not polished, clear, articulate, and doesn’t express the meaning …

kalyāṇavāco ca hoti kalyāṇavākkaraṇo poriyā vācāya samannāgato vissaṭṭhāya anelagaḷāya atthassa viññāpaniyā, no ca sandassako hoti samādapako samuttejako sampahaṁsako sabrahmacārīnaṁ, neva tāva tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti.

They’re a good speaker who enunciates well, but they don’t educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire their spiritual companions. The Realized One doesn’t feel inspired to teach.

Yato ca kho, puṇṇiya, bhikkhu saddho ca hoti, upasaṅkamitā ca, payirupāsitā ca, paripucchitā ca, ohitasoto ca dhammaṁ suṇāti, sutvā ca dhammaṁ dhāreti, dhātānañca dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhati, atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno ca hoti, kalyāṇavāco ca hoti kalyāṇavākkaraṇo poriyā vācāya samannāgato vissaṭṭhāya anelagaḷāya atthassa viññāpaniyā, sandassako ca hoti samādapako samuttejako sampahaṁsako sabrahmacārīnaṁ

But when a mendicant has faith, approaches, pays homage, asks questions, actively listens to the teachings, remembers the teachings, examines the meaning, practices in line with the principle of the teaching, has a good voice, and encourages their spiritual companions,

evaṁ tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti.

the Realized One feels inspired to teach.

Imehi kho, puṇṇiya, dasahi dhammehi samannāgatā ekantapaṭibhānā tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā hotī”ti.

When someone possesses these ten qualities, the Realized One feels totally inspired to teach.”

Tatiyaṁ.

Qualities:

Faith

Faith

Confidence in the Buddha's awakening and the efficacy of the path. It brightens and steadies the mind, removing doubt and inspiring energy toward wholesome practice. True faith rests on clarity and direct experience rather than mere belief.

Also known as: confidence, trust, belief, conviction, self-assurance
Pāli: saddha, pasanna
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Wholesome

Wholesome

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