The Buddha describes the five qualities is a delicate ascetic of ascetics—it’s when a mendicant usually uses only what they’ve been invited to accept—robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick—rarely using them without invitation, when living with other spiritual practitioners, they usually find themselves treated agreeably by them by way of body, speech, and mind, and rarely disagreeably, and they are usually presented with agreeable things by them, rarely with disagreeable ones, and they get the four absorptions—blissful meditations in this life that belong to the higher mind—when they want, without trouble or difficulty, and and they realize 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.

AN 5.104 A Delicate Ascetic of Ascetics

“Pañcahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo hoti.

Katamehi pañcahi?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu yācitova bahulaṁ cīvaraṁ paribhuñjati, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ paribhuñjati, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ senāsanaṁ paribhuñjati, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ gilānapaccayabhesajjaparikkhāraṁ paribhuñjati, appaṁ ayācito.

Yehi kho pana sabrahmacārīhi saddhiṁ viharati, tyassa manāpeneva bahulaṁ kāyakammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpeneva bahulaṁ vacīkammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpeneva bahulaṁ manokammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpaṁyeva upahāraṁ upaharanti, appaṁ amanāpaṁ.

Yāni kho pana tāni vedayitāni pittasamuṭṭhānāni semhasamuṭṭhānāni vātasamuṭṭhānāni sannipātikāni utupariṇāmajāni visamaparihārajāni opakkamikāni kammavipākajāni vā, tānissa na bahudeva uppajjanti.

Appābādho hoti, catunnaṁ jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī hoti akicchalābhī akasiralābhī,

āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo hoti.

Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo’ti, mameva taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo’ti. Ahañhi, bhikkhave, yācitova bahulaṁ cīvaraṁ paribhuñjāmi, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ paribhuñjāmi, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ senāsanaṁ paribhuñjāmi, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ gilānapaccayabhesajjaparikkhāraṁ paribhuñjāmi, appaṁ ayācito. Yehi kho pana bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ viharāmi, te maṁ manāpeneva bahulaṁ kāyakammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpeneva bahulaṁ vacīkammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpeneva bahulaṁ manokammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpaṁyeva upahāraṁ upaharanti, appaṁ amanāpaṁ. Yāni kho pana tāni vedayitānipittasamuṭṭhānāni semhasamuṭṭhānāni vātasamuṭṭhānāni sannipātikāni utupariṇāmajāni visamaparihārajāni opakkamikāni kammavipākajāni tāni me na bahudeva uppajjanti. Appābādhohamasmi. catunnaṁ kho panasmi jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī akicchalābhī akasiralābhī, āsavānaṁ khayā …pe… sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmi. Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo’ti, mameva taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo’”ti.

Catutthaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Pañcahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo hoti.

“Mendicants, a mendicant with five qualities is a delicate ascetic of ascetics.

Katamehi pañcahi?

What five?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu yācitova bahulaṁ cīvaraṁ paribhuñjati, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ paribhuñjati, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ senāsanaṁ paribhuñjati, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ gilānapaccayabhesajjaparikkhāraṁ paribhuñjati, appaṁ ayācito.

It’s when a mendicant usually uses only what they’ve been invited to accept—robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick—rarely using them without invitation.

Yehi kho pana sabrahmacārīhi saddhiṁ viharati, tyassa manāpeneva bahulaṁ kāyakammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpeneva bahulaṁ vacīkammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpeneva bahulaṁ manokammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena;

When living with other spiritual practitioners, they usually find themselves treated agreeably by them by way of body, speech, and mind, and rarely disagreeably.

manāpaṁyeva upahāraṁ upaharanti, appaṁ amanāpaṁ.

And they are usually presented with agreeable things by them, rarely with disagreeable ones.

Yāni kho pana tāni vedayitāni pittasamuṭṭhānāni semhasamuṭṭhānāni vātasamuṭṭhānāni sannipātikāni utupariṇāmajāni visamaparihārajāni opakkamikāni kammavipākajāni vā, tānissa na bahudeva uppajjanti.

They’re healthy, so the various unpleasant feelings—stemming from disorders of bile, phlegm, wind, or their conjunction; or caused by change in weather, by not taking care of themselves, by overexertion, or as the result of past deeds—usually don’t come up.

Appābādho hoti, catunnaṁ jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī hoti akicchalābhī akasiralābhī,

They get the four absorptions—blissful meditations in this life that belong to the higher mind—when they want, without trouble or difficulty.

āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati.

And they realize 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.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo hoti.

A mendicant with these five qualities is a delicate ascetic of ascetics.

Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo’ti, mameva taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo’ti.

And if anyone should be rightly called a delicate ascetic of ascetics, it’s me.

Ahañhi, bhikkhave, yācitova bahulaṁ cīvaraṁ paribhuñjāmi, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ paribhuñjāmi, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ senāsanaṁ paribhuñjāmi, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ gilānapaccayabhesajjaparikkhāraṁ paribhuñjāmi, appaṁ ayācito.

For I usually use only what I’ve been invited to accept.

Yehi kho pana bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ viharāmi, te maṁ manāpeneva bahulaṁ kāyakammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpeneva bahulaṁ vacīkammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpeneva bahulaṁ manokammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena;

When living with other mendicants, I am usually treated agreeably by them.

manāpaṁyeva upahāraṁ upaharanti, appaṁ amanāpaṁ.

And I usually present them with agreeable things.

Yāni kho pana tāni vedayitānipittasamuṭṭhānāni semhasamuṭṭhānāni vātasamuṭṭhānāni sannipātikāni utupariṇāmajāni visamaparihārajāni opakkamikāni kammavipākajāni tāni me na bahudeva uppajjanti. Appābādhohamasmi.

I’m healthy.

catunnaṁ kho panasmi jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī akicchalābhī akasiralābhī,

I get the four absorptions when I want, without trouble or difficulty.

āsavānaṁ khayā …pe… sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmi.

And I’ve realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life.

Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo’ti, mameva taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo’”ti.

So if anyone should be rightly called a delicate ascetic of ascetics, it’s me.”

Catutthaṁ.

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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Wholesome

Wholesome

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

Also known as: blameless, skillful, beneficial, good, useful, healthy, nourishing, sustaining
Pāli: kusala
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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