The Buddha teaches a disciple on with ānanda, presenting a fivefold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 5.106 With Ānanda

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyyā”ti?

“Yato kho, ānanda, bhikkhu attanā sīlasampanno hoti, no paraṁ adhisīle sampavattā; ettāvatāpi kho, ānanda, bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyyā”ti.

“Siyā pana, bhante, aññopi pariyāyo yathā bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyyā”ti?

“Siyā, ānanda. Yato kho, ānanda, bhikkhu attanā sīlasampanno hoti, no paraṁ adhisīle sampavattā; attānupekkhī ca hoti, no parānupekkhī; ettāvatāpi kho, ānanda, bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyyā”ti.

“Siyā pana, bhante, aññopi pariyāyo yathā bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyyā”ti?

“Siyā, ānanda. Yato kho, ānanda, bhikkhu attanā sīlasampanno hoti, no paraṁ adhisīle sampavattā; attānupekkhī ca hoti, no parānupekkhī; apaññāto ca hoti, tena ca apaññātakena no paritassati; ettāvatāpi kho, ānanda, bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyyā”ti.

“Siyā pana, bhante, aññopi pariyāyo yathā bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyyā”ti?

“Siyā, ānanda. Yato kho, ānanda, bhikkhu attanā sīlasampanno hoti, no paraṁ adhisīle sampavattā; attānupekkhī ca hoti, no parānupekkhī; apaññāto ca hoti, tena ca apaññātakena no paritassati; catunnañca jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī hoti akicchalābhī akasiralābhī; ettāvatāpi kho, ānanda, bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyyā”ti.

“Siyā pana, bhante, aññopi pariyāyo yathā bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyyā”ti?

“Siyā, ānanda. Yato kho, ānanda, bhikkhu attanā sīlasampanno hoti, no paraṁ adhisīle sampavattā; attānupekkhī ca hoti, no parānupekkhī; apaññāto ca hoti, tena ca apaññātakena no paritassati; catunnañca jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī hoti akicchalābhī akasiralābhī; āsavānañca khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati; ettāvatāpi kho, ānanda, bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyya.

Imamhā cāhaṁ, ānanda, phāsuvihārā añño phāsuvihāro uttaritaro paṇītataro natthīti vadāmī”ti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambī, in Ghosita’s Monastery.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,

“Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyyā”ti?

“Sir, how could a mendicant live comfortably while staying in a monastic community?”

“Yato kho, ānanda, bhikkhu attanā sīlasampanno hoti, no paraṁ adhisīle sampavattā;

“It’s when a mendicant is accomplished in their own ethical conduct, but they don’t urge others to be ethical.

ettāvatāpi kho, ānanda, bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyyā”ti.

That’s how a mendicant could live comfortably while staying in a monastic community.”

“Siyā pana, bhante, aññopi pariyāyo yathā bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyyā”ti?

“But sir, could there be another way for a mendicant to live comfortably while staying in a monastic community?”

“Siyā, ānanda.

“There could, Ānanda.

Yato kho, ānanda, bhikkhu attanā sīlasampanno hoti, no paraṁ adhisīle sampavattā;

It’s when a mendicant is accomplished in their own ethical conduct, but they don’t urge others to be ethical.

attānupekkhī ca hoti, no parānupekkhī;

And they watch themselves, but don’t watch others.

ettāvatāpi kho, ānanda, bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyyā”ti.

That’s how a mendicant could live comfortably while staying in a monastic community.”

“Siyā pana, bhante, aññopi pariyāyo yathā bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyyā”ti?

“But sir, could there be another way for a mendicant to live comfortably while staying in a monastic community?”

“Siyā, ānanda.

“There could, Ānanda.

Yato kho, ānanda, bhikkhu attanā sīlasampanno hoti, no paraṁ adhisīle sampavattā;

It’s when a mendicant is accomplished in their own ethical conduct, but they don’t urge others to be ethical.

attānupekkhī ca hoti, no parānupekkhī;

And they watch themselves, but don’t watch others.

apaññāto ca hoti, tena ca apaññātakena no paritassati;

And they’re not well-known, but aren’t bothered by that.

ettāvatāpi kho, ānanda, bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyyā”ti.

That’s how a mendicant could live comfortably while staying in a monastic community.”

“Siyā pana, bhante, aññopi pariyāyo yathā bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyyā”ti?

“But sir, could there be another way for a mendicant to live comfortably while staying in a monastic community?”

“Siyā, ānanda.

“There could, Ānanda.

Yato kho, ānanda, bhikkhu attanā sīlasampanno hoti, no paraṁ adhisīle sampavattā;

It’s when a mendicant is accomplished in their own ethical conduct, but they don’t urge others to be ethical.

attānupekkhī ca hoti, no parānupekkhī;

And they watch themselves, but don’t watch others.

apaññāto ca hoti, tena ca apaññātakena no paritassati;

And they’re not well-known, but aren’t bothered by that.

catunnañca jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī hoti akicchalābhī akasiralābhī;

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

ettāvatāpi kho, ānanda, bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyyā”ti.

That’s how a mendicant could live comfortably while staying in a monastic community.”

“Siyā pana, bhante, aññopi pariyāyo yathā bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyyā”ti?

“But sir, might there be another way for a mendicant to live comfortably while staying in a monastic community?”

“Siyā, ānanda.

“There could, Ānanda.

Yato kho, ānanda, bhikkhu attanā sīlasampanno hoti, no paraṁ adhisīle sampavattā;

It’s when a mendicant is accomplished in their own ethical conduct, but they don’t urge others to be ethical.

attānupekkhī ca hoti, no parānupekkhī;

And they watch themselves, but don’t watch others.

apaññāto ca hoti, tena ca apaññātakena no paritassati;

And they’re not well-known, but aren’t bothered by that.

catunnañca jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī hoti akicchalābhī akasiralābhī;

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

āsavānañca 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.

ettāvatāpi kho, ānanda, bhikkhu saṅghe viharanto phāsuṁ vihareyya.

That’s how a mendicant could live comfortably while staying in a monastic community.

Imamhā cāhaṁ, ānanda, phāsuvihārā añño phāsuvihāro uttaritaro paṇītataro natthīti vadāmī”ti.

And I say that there is no better or finer way of living comfortably than this.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.

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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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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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
View all discourses →
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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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