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

AN 3.50 A Master Thief

“Tīhi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato mahācoro sandhimpi chindati, nillopampi harati, ekāgārikampi karoti, paripanthepi tiṭṭhati. Katamehi tīhi?

Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro visamanissito ca hoti, gahananissito ca hoti, balavanissito ca hoti. Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro visamanissito hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro nadīviduggaṁ nissito hoti pabbatavisamaṁ vā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro visamanissito hoti.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro gahananissito hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro tiṇagahanaṁ nissito hoti, rukkhagahanaṁ rodhaṁ mahāvanasaṇḍaṁ vā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro gahananissito hoti.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro balavanissito hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro rājānaṁ rājamahāmattānaṁ nissito hoti. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘sace maṁ koci kiñci vakkhati, ime me rājāno rājamahāmattā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇissantī’ti. Sace naṁ koci kiñci āha, tyāssa rājāno rājamahāmattā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇanti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro balavanissito hoti.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, tīhi aṅgehi samannāgato mahācoro sandhimpi chindati, nillopampi harati, ekāgārikampi karoti, paripanthepi tiṭṭhati.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tīhi aṅgehi samannāgato pāpabhikkhu khataṁ upahataṁ attānaṁ pariharati, sāvajjo ca hoti sānuvajjo ca viññūnaṁ, bahuñca apuññaṁ pasavati. Katamehi tīhi?

Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamanissito ca hoti gahananissito ca balavanissito ca.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamanissito hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamena kāyakammena samannāgato hoti, visamena vacīkammena samannāgato hoti, visamena manokammena samannāgato hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamanissito hoti.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu gahananissito hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu micchādiṭṭhiko hoti, antaggāhikāya diṭṭhiyā samannāgato hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu gahananissito hoti.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu balavanissito hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu rājānaṁ rājamahāmattānaṁ nissito hoti. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘sace maṁ koci kiñci vakkhati, ime me rājāno rājamahāmattā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇissantī’ti. Sace naṁ koci kiñci āha, tyāssa rājāno rājamahāmattā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇanti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu balavanissito hoti.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, tīhi dhammehi samannāgato pāpabhikkhu khataṁ upahataṁ attānaṁ pariharati, sāvajjo ca hoti sānuvajjo ca viññūnaṁ, bahuñca apuññaṁ pasavatī”ti.

Ekādasamaṁ.

Cūḷavaggo pañcamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Sammukhī ṭhānatthavasaṁ,
pavatti paṇḍita sīlavaṁ;
Saṅkhataṁ pabbatātappaṁ,
mahācorenekādasāti.

Paṭhamo paṇṇāsako samatto.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Tīhi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato mahācoro sandhimpi chindati, nillopampi harati, ekāgārikampi karoti, paripanthepi tiṭṭhati.

“Mendicants, a master thief with three factors breaks into houses, plunders wealth, steals from isolated buildings, and commits highway robbery.

Katamehi tīhi?

What three?

Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro visamanissito ca hoti, gahananissito ca hoti, balavanissito ca hoti.

A master thief relies on uneven ground, on thick cover, and on the powerful.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro visamanissito hoti?

And how does a master thief rely on uneven ground?

Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro nadīviduggaṁ nissito hoti pabbatavisamaṁ vā.

It’s when a master thief relies on inaccessible riverlands or rugged mountains.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro visamanissito hoti.

That’s how a master thief relies on uneven ground.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro gahananissito hoti?

And how does a master thief rely on thick cover?

Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro tiṇagahanaṁ nissito hoti, rukkhagahanaṁ rodhaṁ mahāvanasaṇḍaṁ vā.

It’s when a master thief relies on thick grass, thick trees, a blind spot, or a large forest grove.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro gahananissito hoti.

That’s how a master thief relies on thick cover.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro balavanissito hoti?

And how does a master thief rely on the powerful?

Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro rājānaṁ rājamahāmattānaṁ nissito hoti.

It’s when a master thief relies on rulers or their chief ministers.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:

They think:

‘sace maṁ koci kiñci vakkhati, ime me rājāno rājamahāmattā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇissantī’ti.

‘If anyone accuses me of anything, these rulers or their chief ministers will speak in my defense in the case.’

Sace naṁ koci kiñci āha, tyāssa rājāno rājamahāmattā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇanti.

And that’s exactly what happens.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro balavanissito hoti.

That’s how a master thief relies on the powerful.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, tīhi aṅgehi samannāgato mahācoro sandhimpi chindati, nillopampi harati, ekāgārikampi karoti, paripanthepi tiṭṭhati.

A master thief with these three factors breaks into houses, plunders wealth, steals from isolated buildings, and commits highway robbery.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tīhi aṅgehi samannāgato pāpabhikkhu khataṁ upahataṁ attānaṁ pariharati, sāvajjo ca hoti sānuvajjo ca viññūnaṁ, bahuñca apuññaṁ pasavati.

In the same way, when a bad mendicant has three factors, they keep themselves broken and damaged. They deserve to be blamed and criticized by sensible people, and they brim with much wickedness.

Katamehi tīhi?

What three?

Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamanissito ca hoti gahananissito ca balavanissito ca.

A bad mendicant relies on uneven ground, on thick cover, and on the powerful.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamanissito hoti?

And how does a bad mendicant rely on uneven ground?

Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamena kāyakammena samannāgato hoti, visamena vacīkammena samannāgato hoti, visamena manokammena samannāgato hoti.

It’s when a bad mendicant has unethical conduct by way of body, speech, and mind.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamanissito hoti.

That’s how a bad mendicant relies on uneven ground.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu gahananissito hoti?

And how does a bad mendicant rely on thick cover?

Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu micchādiṭṭhiko hoti, antaggāhikāya diṭṭhiyā samannāgato hoti.

It’s when a bad mendicant has wrong view, he’s attached to an extremist view.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu gahananissito hoti.

That’s how a bad mendicant relies on thick cover.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu balavanissito hoti?

And how does a bad mendicant rely on the powerful?

Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu rājānaṁ rājamahāmattānaṁ nissito hoti.

It’s when a bad mendicant relies on rulers or their chief ministers.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:

They think:

‘sace maṁ koci kiñci vakkhati, ime me rājāno rājamahāmattā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇissantī’ti.

‘If anyone accuses me of anything, these rulers or their chief ministers will speak in my defense in the case.’

Sace naṁ koci kiñci āha, tyāssa rājāno rājamahāmattā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇanti.

And that’s exactly what happens.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu balavanissito hoti.

That’s how a bad mendicant relies on the powerful.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, tīhi dhammehi samannāgato pāpabhikkhu khataṁ upahataṁ attānaṁ pariharati, sāvajjo ca hoti sānuvajjo ca viññūnaṁ, bahuñca apuññaṁ pasavatī”ti.

When a bad mendicant possesses these three qualities, they keep themselves broken and damaged. They deserve to be blamed and criticized by sensible people, and they brim with much wickedness.”

Ekādasamaṁ.

Cūḷavaggo pañcamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Sammukhī ṭhānatthavasaṁ,

pavatti paṇḍita sīlavaṁ;

Saṅkhataṁ pabbatātappaṁ,

mahācorenekādasāti.

Paṭhamo paṇṇāsako samatto.

Qualities:

Ethical conduct

Ethical conduct

A disciplined way of living grounded in harmlessness and integrity. Ethical conduct restrains the body and speech from harm, purifies behavior, and forms the foundation for collectedness and wisdom.

Also known as: moral integrity, right action, virtue
Pāli: sīla, sammākammanta
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Harm

Harm

Intention or action that causes injury or suffering to oneself or others. It arises from aversion and heedlessness and destroys trust and safety. The opposite of non-harm, it obscures compassion and leads to regret.

Also known as: injury causing behavior, destructiveness, bad, evil
Pāli: pāpaka
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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