The Buddha presents a repeated threefold teaching on untitled discourses on three qualities in this grouped discourse.

AN 3.163-182 Untitled Discourses on Three Qualities

“Tīhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ niraye. Katamehi tīhi? Attanā ca pāṇātipātī hoti, parañca pāṇātipāte samādapeti, pāṇātipāte ca samanuñño hoti.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, tīhi dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ niraye.

Tīhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ sagge. Katamehi tīhi? Attanā ca pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, parañca pāṇātipātā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, pāṇātipātā veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

Attanā ca adinnādāyī hoti, parañca adinnādāne samādapeti, adinnādāne ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

Attanā ca adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, parañca adinnādānā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, adinnādānā veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

Attanā ca kāmesumicchācārī hoti, parañca kāmesumicchācāre samādapeti, kāmesumicchācāre ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

Attanā ca kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato hoti, parañca kāmesumicchācārā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, kāmesumicchācārā veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

Attanā ca musāvādī hoti, parañca musāvāde samādapeti, musāvāde ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

Attanā ca musāvādā paṭivirato hoti, parañca musāvādā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, musāvādā veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

Attanā ca pisuṇavāco hoti, parañca pisuṇāya vācāya samādapeti, pisuṇāya vācāya ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

Attanā ca pisuṇāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, parañca pisuṇāya vācāya veramaṇiyā samādapeti, pisuṇāya vācāya veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

Attanā ca pharusavāco hoti, parañca pharusāya vācāya samādapeti, pharusāya vācāya ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

Attanā ca pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, parañca pharusāya vācāya veramaṇiyā samādapeti, pharusāya vācāya veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

Attanā ca samphappalāpī hoti, parañca samphappalāpe samādapeti, samphappalāpe ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

Attanā ca samphappalāpā paṭivirato hoti, parañca samphappalāpā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, samphappalāpā veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

Attanā ca abhijjhālu hoti, parañca abhijjhāya samādapeti, abhijjhāya ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

Attanā ca anabhijjhālu hoti, parañca anabhijjhāya samādapeti, anabhijjhāya ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

Attanā ca byāpannacitto hoti, parañca byāpāde samādapeti, byāpāde ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

Attanā ca abyāpannacitto hoti, parañca abyāpāde samādapeti, abyāpāde ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

Attanā ca micchādiṭṭhiko hoti, parañca micchādiṭṭhiyā samādapeti, micchādiṭṭhiyā ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

Attanā ca sammādiṭṭhiko hoti, parañca sammādiṭṭhiyā samādapeti, sammādiṭṭhiyā ca samanuñño hoti.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, tīhi dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ sagge”ti.

Kammapathapeyyālaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.

Tassuddānaṁ

Pāṇaṁ adinnamicchā ca,
musāvādī ca pisuṇā;
Pharusā samphappalāpo ca,
abhijjhā byāpādadiṭṭhi ca;
Kammapathesu peyyālaṁ,
tikakena niyojayeti.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Tīhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ niraye.

“Someone with three qualities is placed in hell as if delivered there.

Katamehi tīhi?

What three?

Attanā ca pāṇātipātī hoti, parañca pāṇātipāte samādapeti, pāṇātipāte ca samanuñño hoti.

They themselves kill living creatures. They encourage others to kill living creatures. And they approve of killing living creatures.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, tīhi dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ niraye.

Someone with these three qualities is placed in hell as if delivered there.

Tīhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ sagge.

Someone with three qualities is placed in heaven as if delivered there.

Katamehi tīhi?

What three?

Attanā ca pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, parañca pāṇātipātā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, pāṇātipātā veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

They don’t themselves kill living creatures. They encourage others to not kill living creatures. And they approve of not killing living creatures. …

Attanā ca adinnādāyī hoti, parañca adinnādāne samādapeti, adinnādāne ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

They themselves steal. They encourage others to steal. And they approve of stealing. …

Attanā ca adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, parañca adinnādānā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, adinnādānā veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

They don’t themselves steal. They encourage others to not steal. And they approve of not stealing. …

Attanā ca kāmesumicchācārī hoti, parañca kāmesumicchācāre samādapeti, kāmesumicchācāre ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

They themselves commit sexual misconduct. They encourage others to commit sexual misconduct. And they approve of sexual misconduct. …

Attanā ca kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato hoti, parañca kāmesumicchācārā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, kāmesumicchācārā veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

They don’t themselves commit sexual misconduct. They encourage others to not commit sexual misconduct. And they approve of refraining from sexual misconduct. …

Attanā ca musāvādī hoti, parañca musāvāde samādapeti, musāvāde ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

They themselves lie. They encourage others to lie. And they approve of lying. …

Attanā ca musāvādā paṭivirato hoti, parañca musāvādā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, musāvādā veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

They don’t themselves lie. They encourage others to not lie. And they approve of not lying. …

Attanā ca pisuṇavāco hoti, parañca pisuṇāya vācāya samādapeti, pisuṇāya vācāya ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

They themselves backbite. They encourage others to backbite. And they approve of backbiting. …

Attanā ca pisuṇāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, parañca pisuṇāya vācāya veramaṇiyā samādapeti, pisuṇāya vācāya veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

They don’t themselves backbite. They encourage others to not backbite. And they approve of not backbiting. …

Attanā ca pharusavāco hoti, parañca pharusāya vācāya samādapeti, pharusāya vācāya ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

They themselves speak harshly. They encourage others to speak harshly. And they approve of speaking harshly. …

Attanā ca pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, parañca pharusāya vācāya veramaṇiyā samādapeti, pharusāya vācāya veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

They don’t themselves speak harshly. They encourage others to not speak harshly. And they approve of not speaking harshly. …

Attanā ca samphappalāpī hoti, parañca samphappalāpe samādapeti, samphappalāpe ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

They themselves talk nonsense. They encourage others to talk nonsense. And they approve of talking nonsense. …

Attanā ca samphappalāpā paṭivirato hoti, parañca samphappalāpā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, samphappalāpā veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

They don’t themselves talk nonsense. They encourage others to not talk nonsense. And they approve of not talking nonsense. …

Attanā ca abhijjhālu hoti, parañca abhijjhāya samādapeti, abhijjhāya ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

They themselves are covetous. They encourage others to be covetous. And they approve of covetousness. …

Attanā ca anabhijjhālu hoti, parañca anabhijjhāya samādapeti, anabhijjhāya ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

They themselves are content. They encourage others to be contented. And they approve of being contented. …

Attanā ca byāpannacitto hoti, parañca byāpāde samādapeti, byāpāde ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

They themselves have ill will. They encourage others to have ill will. And they approve of having ill will. …

Attanā ca abyāpannacitto hoti, parañca abyāpāde samādapeti, abyāpāde ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

They themselves are kind-hearted. They encourage others to be kind-hearted. And they approve of kind-heartedness. …

Attanā ca micchādiṭṭhiko hoti, parañca micchādiṭṭhiyā samādapeti, micchādiṭṭhiyā ca samanuñño hoti …pe….

They themselves have wrong view. They encourage others to have wrong view. And they approve of wrong view. …

Attanā ca sammādiṭṭhiko hoti, parañca sammādiṭṭhiyā samādapeti, sammādiṭṭhiyā ca samanuñño hoti.

They themselves have right view. They encourage others to have right view. And they approve of right view.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, tīhi dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ sagge”ti.

Someone with these three qualities is placed in heaven as if delivered there.”

Kammapathapeyyālaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.

Tassuddānaṁ

Pāṇaṁ adinnamicchā ca,

musāvādī ca pisuṇā;

Pharusā samphappalāpo ca,

abhijjhā byāpādadiṭṭhi ca;

Kammapathesu peyyālaṁ,

tikakena niyojayeti.

Qualities:

Ill will

Ill will

A mental quality of actively opposing or rejecting others in thought, manifesting as deliberate thoughts or intentions that oppose kindness and compassion; it fuels conflict and obstructs goodwill.

Also known as: actively opposing or rejecting others in thought, thought of malevolence towards another, hostile reflections towards another
Pāli: byāpāda
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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
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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
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Slaughtering

Slaughtering

The deliberate killing of a living being, carried out with the intention of ending its life while disregarding its natural drive to continue living.

Also known as: killing, murdering, taking life
Pāli: pāṇātipāta
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Stealing

Stealing

Also known as: theft, taking what is not given, taking what is not offerred, dishonesty regarding possessions
Pāli: adinnādānā
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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
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Last updated on July 27, 2026