The Buddha teaches on mindfulness well established, presenting a fivefold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 5.122 Mindfulness Well Established

“Yo hi koci, bhikkhave, bhikkhu bhikkhunī pañca dhamme bhāveti pañca dhamme bahulīkaroti, tassa dvinnaṁ phalānaṁ aññataraṁ phalaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme aññā, sati upādisese anāgāmitā.

Katame pañca? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno ajjhattaññeva sati sūpaṭṭhitā hoti dhammānaṁ udayatthagāminiyā paññāya, asubhānupassī kāye viharati, āhāre paṭikūlasaññī, sabbaloke anabhiratasaññī, sabbasaṅkhāresu aniccānupassī. Yo hi koci, bhikkhave, bhikkhu bhikkhunī ime pañca dhamme bhāveti ime pañca dhamme bahulīkaroti, tassa dvinnaṁ phalānaṁ aññataraṁ phalaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme aññā, sati upādisese anāgāmitā”ti.

Dutiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Yo hi koci, bhikkhave, bhikkhu bhikkhunī pañca dhamme bhāveti pañca dhamme bahulīkaroti, tassa dvinnaṁ phalānaṁ aññataraṁ phalaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ

“Mendicants, any monk or nun who develops and cultivates five qualities can expect one of two results:

diṭṭheva dhamme aññā, sati upādisese anāgāmitā.

enlightenment in this very life, or if there’s residue left behind, non-return.

Katame pañca?

What five?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno ajjhattaññeva sati sūpaṭṭhitā hoti dhammānaṁ udayatthagāminiyā paññāya, asubhānupassī kāye viharati, āhāre paṭikūlasaññī, sabbaloke anabhiratasaññī, sabbasaṅkhāresu aniccānupassī.

It’s when a mendicant has well established mindfulness inside themselves in order to understand the arising and passing away of phenomena, meditates observing the ugliness of the body, perceives the repulsiveness of food, perceives dissatisfaction with the whole world, and observes the impermanence of all conditions.

Yo hi koci, bhikkhave, bhikkhu bhikkhunī ime pañca dhamme bhāveti ime pañca dhamme bahulīkaroti, tassa dvinnaṁ phalānaṁ aññataraṁ phalaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ

Any monk or nun who develops and cultivates these five qualities can expect one of two results:

diṭṭheva dhamme aññā, sati upādisese anāgāmitā”ti.

enlightenment in this very life, or if there’s residue left behind, non-return.”

Dutiyaṁ.

Qualities:

Discontentment

Discontentment

A state of dissatisfaction with one's requisites or conditions. It fuels the search for more, disturbing peace and preventing the mind from settling into collectedness.

Also known as: dissatisfaction, unsatisfactoriness, boredom
Pāli: asantuṭṭhitā, aratī, atitta
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Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Active presence of mind and lucid retention; the faculty that remembers the Dhamma, anchors attention to the chosen object or present experience, and guards the mind against unwholesome states.

Also known as: recollecting, remembering, keeping in mind, presence, awareness
Pāli: sati, anussati
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Suffering

Suffering

Unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence.

Also known as: discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentedness, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, distress, affliction
Pāli: dukkha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026