The Buddha teaches on patient (1st), presenting a fourfold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 4.164 Patient (1st)

“Catasso imā, bhikkhave, paṭipadā. Katamā catasso? Akkhamā paṭipadā, khamā paṭipadā, damā paṭipadā, samā paṭipadā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, akkhamā paṭipadā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco akkosantaṁ paccakkosati, rosantaṁ paṭirosati, bhaṇḍantaṁ paṭibhaṇḍati. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, akkhamā paṭipadā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, khamā paṭipadā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco akkosantaṁ na paccakkosati, rosantaṁ na paṭirosati, bhaṇḍantaṁ na paṭibhaṇḍati. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, khamā paṭipadā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, damā paṭipadā? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī; yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ cakkhundriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ, tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati; rakkhati cakkhundriyaṁ; cakkhundriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati. Sotena saddaṁ sutvāghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvājivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvākāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvāmanasā dhammaṁ viññāya na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī; yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ manindriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ, tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati; rakkhati manindriyaṁ; manindriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, damā paṭipadā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, samā paṭipadā? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannaṁ kāmavitakkaṁ nādhivāseti pajahati vinodeti sameti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti; uppannaṁ byāpādavitakkaṁ …pe… uppannaṁ vihiṁsāvitakkaṁuppannuppanne pāpake akusale dhamme nādhivāseti pajahati vinodeti sameti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, samā paṭipadā.

Imā kho, bhikkhave, catasso paṭipadā”ti.

Catutthaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Catasso imā, bhikkhave, paṭipadā.

“Mendicants, there are four ways of practice.

Katamā catasso?

What four?

Akkhamā paṭipadā, khamā paṭipadā, damā paṭipadā, samā paṭipadā.

Impatient practice, patient practice, taming practice, and calming practice.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, akkhamā paṭipadā?

And what’s the impatient practice?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco akkosantaṁ paccakkosati, rosantaṁ paṭirosati, bhaṇḍantaṁ paṭibhaṇḍati.

It’s when someone abuses, annoys, or argues with you, and you abuse, annoy, or argue right back at them.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, akkhamā paṭipadā.

This is called the impatient practice.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, khamā paṭipadā?

And what’s the patient practice?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco akkosantaṁ na paccakkosati, rosantaṁ na paṭirosati, bhaṇḍantaṁ na paṭibhaṇḍati.

It’s when someone abuses, annoys, or argues with you, and you don’t abuse, annoy, or argue back at them.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, khamā paṭipadā.

This is called the patient practice.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, damā paṭipadā?

And what’s the taming practice?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī;

When a mendicant sees a sight with their eyes, they don’t get caught up in the features and details.

yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ cakkhundriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ, tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati; rakkhati cakkhundriyaṁ; cakkhundriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati.

If the faculty of sight were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of sight, and achieving restraint over it.

Sotena saddaṁ sutvā

When they hear a sound with their ears …

ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā

When they smell an odor with their nose …

jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā

When they taste a flavor with their tongue …

kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā

When they feel a touch with their body …

manasā dhammaṁ viññāya na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī;

When they know an idea with their mind, they don’t get caught up in the features and details.

yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ manindriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ, tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati; rakkhati manindriyaṁ; manindriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati.

If the faculty of mind were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of mind, and achieving restraint over it.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, damā paṭipadā.

This is called the taming practice.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, samā paṭipadā?

And what’s the calming practice?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannaṁ kāmavitakkaṁ nādhivāseti pajahati vinodeti sameti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti; uppannaṁ byāpādavitakkaṁ …pe… uppannaṁ vihiṁsāvitakkaṁuppannuppanne pāpake akusale dhamme nādhivāseti pajahati vinodeti sameti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti.

It’s when a mendicant doesn’t tolerate a sensual, malicious, or cruel thought. They don’t tolerate any bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen, but give them up, get rid of them, calm them, eliminate them, and obliterate them.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, samā paṭipadā.

This is called the calming practice.

Imā kho, bhikkhave, catasso paṭipadā”ti.

These are the four ways of practice.”

Catutthaṁ.

Qualities:

Adventurousness

Adventurousness

A restless, thrill-seeking bent of mind that delights in novelty and roaming rather than in restraint. When untrained, it pulls one outward to stimulation and risk, making it hard to settle, listen, or practice steadily.

Also known as: audacious, bold, wild, unrestrained, untamed, with wanderlust
Pāli: adanta
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Cruelty

Cruelty

The wish to cause pain or the enjoyment of another’s suffering. Rooted in aversion and moral blindness, cruelty hardens the heart and erases compassion.

Also known as: abuse, hurting, fierceness, inhumanity, injuring, viciousness
Pāli: vihiṁsā
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Displeasure

Displeasure

A feeling of mental pain or a disagreeable feeling or unease born of mental contact.

Also known as: mental pain, mental distress, melancholy, sadness
Pāli: domanassa
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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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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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Unwholesome

Unwholesome

Conducive to or suggestive of poor health and mental well-being.

Also known as: blameworthy, unhealthy, unskillful, unbeneficial, karmically unprofitable
Pāli: akusala
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Last updated on July 27, 2026