The Buddha teaches on commemoration, presenting a threefold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 3.12 Commemoration

“Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyāni bhavanti. Katamāni tīṇi? Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, padese rājā khattiyo muddhāvasitto jāto hoti. Idaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamaṁ rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ hoti.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ padese rājā khattiyo muddhāvasitto hoti. Idaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyaṁ rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ hoti.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ padese rājā khattiyo muddhāvasitto saṅgāmaṁ abhivijinitvā vijitasaṅgāmo tameva saṅgāmasīsaṁ ajjhāvasati. Idaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyaṁ rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ hoti. Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyāni bhavanti.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tīṇimāni bhikkhussa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyāni bhavanti. Katamāni tīṇi? Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, padese bhikkhu kesamassuṁ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti. Idaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamaṁ bhikkhussa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ hoti.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ padese bhikkhu ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Idaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyaṁ bhikkhussa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ hoti.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ padese bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati. Idaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyaṁ bhikkhussa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ hoti. Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi bhikkhussa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyāni bhavantī”ti.

Dutiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyāni bhavanti.

“An anointed aristocratic king should commemorate three places as long as he lives.

Katamāni tīṇi?

What three?

Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, padese rājā khattiyo muddhāvasitto jāto hoti.

The place he was born.

Idaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamaṁ rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ hoti.

This is the first place.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ padese rājā khattiyo muddhāvasitto hoti.

The place he was anointed as king.

Idaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyaṁ rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ hoti.

This is the second place.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ padese rājā khattiyo muddhāvasitto saṅgāmaṁ abhivijinitvā vijitasaṅgāmo tameva saṅgāmasīsaṁ ajjhāvasati.

The place where he won victory in battle, establishing himself as foremost in battle.

Idaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyaṁ rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ hoti.

This is the third place.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyāni bhavanti.

These are the three places an anointed king should commemorate as long as he lives.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tīṇimāni bhikkhussa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyāni bhavanti.

In the same way, a mendicant should commemorate three places as long as they live.

Katamāni tīṇi?

What three?

Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, padese bhikkhu kesamassuṁ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti.

The place where the mendicant shaved off their hair and beard, dressed in ocher robes, and went forth from the lay life to homelessness.

Idaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamaṁ bhikkhussa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ hoti.

This is the first place.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ padese bhikkhu ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

The place where the mendicant truly understands: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.

Idaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyaṁ bhikkhussa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ hoti.

This is the second place.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ padese bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati.

The place where the mendicant realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.

Idaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyaṁ bhikkhussa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ hoti.

This is the third place.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi bhikkhussa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyāni bhavantī”ti.

These are the three places a mendicant should commemorate as long as they live.”

Dutiyaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Insight

Insight

Insight is deep, intuitive realization that transforms understanding and guides practice.

Also known as: having insight, with understanding, right knowledge
Pāli: ñāṇa, sammāñāṇa
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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
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Suffering

Suffering

Unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence.

Also known as: discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentedness, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, distress, affliction
Pāli: dukkha
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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
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Last updated on July 27, 2026