The Buddha teaches on in detail, presenting a fourfold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 4.162 In Detail

“Catasso imā, bhikkhave, paṭipadā. Katamā catasso?

Dukkhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā,

dukkhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā,

sukhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā,

sukhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, dukkhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pakatiyāpi tibbarāgajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṁ rāgajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Pakatiyāpi tibbadosajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṁ dosajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Pakatiyāpi tibbamohajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṁ mohajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Tassimāni pañcindriyāni mudūni pātubhavanti saddhindriyaṁ, vīriyindriyaṁ, satindriyaṁ, samādhindriyaṁ, paññindriyaṁ. So imesaṁ pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ muduttā dandhaṁ ānantariyaṁ pāpuṇāti āsavānaṁ khayāya. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, dukkhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, dukkhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pakatiyāpi tibbarāgajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṁ rāgajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Pakatiyāpi tibbadosajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṁ dosajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Pakatiyāpi tibbamohajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṁ mohajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Tassimāni pañcindriyāni adhimattāni pātubhavanti saddhindriyaṁ, vīriyindriyaṁ, satindriyaṁ, samādhindriyaṁ, paññindriyaṁ. So imesaṁ pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ adhimattattā khippaṁ ānantariyaṁ pāpuṇāti āsavānaṁ khayāya. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, dukkhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sukhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pakatiyāpi na tibbarāgajātiko hoti, nābhikkhaṇaṁ rāgajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Pakatiyāpi na tibbadosajātiko hoti, nābhikkhaṇaṁ dosajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Pakatiyāpi na tibbamohajātiko hoti, nābhikkhaṇaṁ mohajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Tassimāni pañcindriyāni mudūni pātubhavanti saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ. So imesaṁ pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ muduttā dandhaṁ ānantariyaṁ pāpuṇāti āsavānaṁ khayāya. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sukhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sukhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pakatiyāpi na tibbarāgajātiko hoti, nābhikkhaṇaṁ rāgajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Pakatiyāpi na tibbadosajātiko hoti, nābhikkhaṇaṁ dosajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Pakatiyāpi na tibbamohajātiko hoti, nābhikkhaṇaṁ mohajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Tassimāni pañcindriyāni adhimattāni pātubhavanti saddhindriyaṁ, vīriyindriyaṁ, satindriyaṁ, samādhindriyaṁ, paññindriyaṁ. So imesaṁ pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ adhimattattā khippaṁ ānantariyaṁ pāpuṇāti āsavānaṁ khayāya. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sukhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā.

Imā kho, bhikkhave, catasso paṭipadā”ti.

Dutiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Catasso imā, bhikkhave, paṭipadā.

“Mendicants, there are four ways of practice.

Katamā catasso?

What four?

Dukkhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā,

Painful practice with slow insight,

dukkhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā,

painful practice with swift insight,

sukhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā,

pleasant practice with slow insight, and

sukhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā.

pleasant practice with swift insight.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, dukkhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā?

And what’s the painful practice with slow insight?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pakatiyāpi tibbarāgajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṁ rāgajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti.

It’s when someone is ordinarily full of acute greed, hate, and delusion. They often feel the pain and sadness that greed, hate, and delusion bring.

Pakatiyāpi tibbadosajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṁ dosajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti.

Pakatiyāpi tibbamohajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṁ mohajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti.

Tassimāni pañcindriyāni mudūni pātubhavanti

These five faculties manifest in them weakly:

saddhindriyaṁ, vīriyindriyaṁ, satindriyaṁ, samādhindriyaṁ, paññindriyaṁ.

faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom.

So imesaṁ pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ muduttā dandhaṁ ānantariyaṁ pāpuṇāti āsavānaṁ khayāya.

Because of this, they only slowly attain the conditions for ending the defilements in the present life.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, dukkhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā.

This is called the painful practice with slow insight.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, dukkhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā?

And what’s the painful practice with swift insight?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pakatiyāpi tibbarāgajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṁ rāgajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti.

It’s when someone is ordinarily full of acute greed, hate, and delusion. They often feel the pain and sadness that greed, hate, and delusion bring.

Pakatiyāpi tibbadosajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṁ dosajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti.

Pakatiyāpi tibbamohajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṁ mohajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti.

Tassimāni pañcindriyāni adhimattāni pātubhavanti

And these five faculties manifest in them strongly:

saddhindriyaṁ, vīriyindriyaṁ, satindriyaṁ, samādhindriyaṁ, paññindriyaṁ.

faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom.

So imesaṁ pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ adhimattattā khippaṁ ānantariyaṁ pāpuṇāti āsavānaṁ khayāya.

Because of this, they swiftly attain the conditions for ending the defilements in the present life.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, dukkhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā.

This is called the painful practice with swift insight.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sukhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā?

And what’s pleasant practice with slow insight?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pakatiyāpi na tibbarāgajātiko hoti, nābhikkhaṇaṁ rāgajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti.

It’s when someone is not ordinarily full of acute greed, hate, and delusion. They rarely feel the pain and sadness that greed, hate, and delusion bring.

Pakatiyāpi na tibbadosajātiko hoti, nābhikkhaṇaṁ dosajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti.

Pakatiyāpi na tibbamohajātiko hoti, nābhikkhaṇaṁ mohajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti.

Tassimāni pañcindriyāni mudūni pātubhavanti

These five faculties manifest in them weakly:

saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ.

faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom.

So imesaṁ pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ muduttā dandhaṁ ānantariyaṁ pāpuṇāti āsavānaṁ khayāya.

Because of this, they only slowly attain the conditions for ending the defilements in the present life.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sukhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā.

This is called the pleasant practice with slow insight.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sukhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā?

And what’s the pleasant practice with swift insight?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pakatiyāpi na tibbarāgajātiko hoti, nābhikkhaṇaṁ rāgajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti.

It’s when someone is not ordinarily full of acute greed, hate, and delusion. They rarely feel the pain and sadness that greed, hate, and delusion bring.

Pakatiyāpi na tibbadosajātiko hoti, nābhikkhaṇaṁ dosajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti.

Pakatiyāpi na tibbamohajātiko hoti, nābhikkhaṇaṁ mohajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti.

Tassimāni pañcindriyāni adhimattāni pātubhavanti

These five faculties manifest in them strongly:

saddhindriyaṁ, vīriyindriyaṁ, satindriyaṁ, samādhindriyaṁ, paññindriyaṁ.

faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom.

So imesaṁ pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ adhimattattā khippaṁ ānantariyaṁ pāpuṇāti āsavānaṁ khayāya.

Because of this, they swiftly attain the conditions for ending the defilements in the present life.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sukhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā.

This is called the pleasant practice with swift insight.

Imā kho, bhikkhave, catasso paṭipadā”ti.

These are the four ways of practice.”

Dutiyaṁ.

Qualities:

Aversion

Aversion

A rejecting mental quality rooted in perception, where one instinctively turns away from or resists unpleasant experiences or objects; it manifests as a tendency to push away discomfort, obstructing patience and acceptance.

Also known as: animosity, hate, hostility, fault-finding mindset, upset
Pāli: dosa, paṭighasaññā, vera
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Delusion

Delusion

A fundamental distortion of reality that sustains confusion, clouds discernment, and fuels further doubt.

Also known as: illusion, hallucination, misapprehension, distorted view
Pāli: moha, micchāñāṇa
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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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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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Greed

Greed

A grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment

Also known as: acquisitiveness, avarice, covetousness, rapacity, money grabbing, grabbiness
Pāli: lobha, gedha
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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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Last updated on July 27, 2026