The Buddha describes the five qualities aspires to end the defilements—it’s when an anointed aristocratic king’s eldest son is well born on both his mother’s and father’s side, stemming from a clean vessel, with irrefutable and impeccable genealogy back to the seventh paternal generation, he is attractive, good-looking, lovely, of surpassing beauty, he is dear and beloved to his parents, and he is dear and beloved to the armed forces, and he is astute, competent, and intelligent, able to think issues through as they bear upon the past, future, and present.

AN 5.136 Aspiration (2nd)

“Pañcahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa jeṭṭho putto oparajjaṁ pattheti. Katamehi pañcahi?

Idha, bhikkhave, rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa jeṭṭho putto ubhato sujāto hoti mātito ca pitito ca, saṁsuddhagahaṇiko, yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena;

abhirūpo hoti dassanīyo pāsādiko paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgato;

mātāpitūnaṁ piyo hoti manāpo,

balakāyassa piyo hoti manāpo;

paṇḍito hoti viyatto medhāvī paṭibalo atītānāgatapaccuppanne atthe cintetuṁ.

Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘ahaṁ khomhi ubhato sujāto mātito ca pitito ca, saṁsuddhagahaṇiko, yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena. Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi abhirūpo dassanīyo pāsādiko paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgato. Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi mātāpitūnaṁ piyo manāpo. Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi balakāyassa piyo manāpo. Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi paṇḍito viyatto medhāvī paṭibalo atītānāgatapaccuppanne atthe cintetuṁ. Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyan’ti. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi aṅgehi samannāgato rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa jeṭṭho putto oparajjaṁ pattheti.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayaṁ pattheti. Katamehi pañcahi?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti …pe… samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu;

bahussuto hoti …pe… diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā;

catūsu satipaṭṭhānesu suppatiṭṭhitacitto hoti;

āraddhavīriyo viharati akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya, thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu;

paññavā hoti, udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā.

Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘ahaṁ khomhi sīlavā, pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharāmi ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī, samādāya sikkhāmi sikkhāpadesu. Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi bahussuto sutadharo sutasannicayo, ye te dhammā ādikalyāṇā majjhekalyāṇā pariyosānakalyāṇā sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ abhivadanti, tathārūpā me dhammā bahussutā honti dhātā vacasā paricitā manasānupekkhitā diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā. Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi catūsu satipaṭṭhānesu suppatiṭṭhitacitto. Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi āraddhavīriyo viharāmi akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya, thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu. Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi paññavā udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā. Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyan’ti. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayaṁ patthetī”ti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Pañcahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa jeṭṭho putto oparajjaṁ pattheti.

“Mendicants, an anointed aristocratic king’s eldest son with five factors aspires to become a viceroy.

Katamehi pañcahi?

What five?

Idha, bhikkhave, rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa jeṭṭho putto ubhato sujāto hoti mātito ca pitito ca, saṁsuddhagahaṇiko, yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena;

It’s when an anointed aristocratic king’s eldest son is well born on both his mother’s and father’s side, stemming from a clean vessel, with irrefutable and impeccable genealogy back to the seventh paternal generation.

abhirūpo hoti dassanīyo pāsādiko paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgato;

He is attractive, good-looking, lovely, of surpassing beauty.

mātāpitūnaṁ piyo hoti manāpo,

He is dear and beloved to his parents.

balakāyassa piyo hoti manāpo;

He is dear and beloved to the armed forces.

paṇḍito hoti viyatto medhāvī paṭibalo atītānāgatapaccuppanne atthe cintetuṁ.

He is astute, competent, and intelligent, able to think issues through as they bear upon the past, future, and present.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:

He thinks:

‘ahaṁ khomhi ubhato sujāto mātito ca pitito ca, saṁsuddhagahaṇiko, yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena.

‘I’m well born …

Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ.

Ahaṁ khomhi abhirūpo dassanīyo pāsādiko paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgato.

attractive …

Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ.

Ahaṁ khomhi mātāpitūnaṁ piyo manāpo.

dear and beloved to my parents …

Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ.

Ahaṁ khomhi balakāyassa piyo manāpo.

dear and beloved to the armed forces …

Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ.

Ahaṁ khomhi paṇḍito viyatto medhāvī paṭibalo atītānāgatapaccuppanne atthe cintetuṁ.

I’m astute, competent, and intelligent, able to think issues through as they bear upon the past, future, and present.

Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyan’ti.

Why shouldn’t I aspire to become a viceroy?’

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi aṅgehi samannāgato rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa jeṭṭho putto oparajjaṁ pattheti.

An anointed aristocratic king’s eldest son with these five factors aspires to become a viceroy.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayaṁ pattheti.

In the same way, a mendicant with five qualities aspires to end the defilements.

Katamehi pañcahi?

What five?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti …pe… samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu;

It’s when a mendicant is ethical, restrained in the monastic code, conducting themselves well and resorting for alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken.

bahussuto hoti …pe… diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā;

They’re very learned, remembering and keeping what they’ve learned. These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s totally full and pure. They are very learned in such teachings, remembering them, reciting them, mentally scrutinizing them, and penetrating them theoretically.

catūsu satipaṭṭhānesu suppatiṭṭhitacitto hoti;

Their mind is firmly established in the four kinds of mindfulness meditation.

āraddhavīriyo viharati akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya, thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu;

They live with energy roused up for giving up unskillful qualities and embracing skillful qualities. They’re strong, staunchly vigorous, not slacking off when it comes to developing skillful qualities.

paññavā hoti, udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā.

They’re wise. They have the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:

They think:

‘ahaṁ khomhi sīlavā, pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharāmi ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī, samādāya sikkhāmi sikkhāpadesu.

‘I’m ethical …

Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ.

Ahaṁ khomhi bahussuto sutadharo sutasannicayo, ye te dhammā ādikalyāṇā majjhekalyāṇā pariyosānakalyāṇā sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ abhivadanti, tathārūpā me dhammā bahussutā honti dhātā vacasā paricitā manasānupekkhitā diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā.

learned …

Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ.

Ahaṁ khomhi catūsu satipaṭṭhānesu suppatiṭṭhitacitto.

mindful …

Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ.

Ahaṁ khomhi āraddhavīriyo viharāmi akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya, thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu.

energetic …

Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ.

Ahaṁ khomhi paññavā udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā.

wise. I have the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering.

Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyan’ti.

Why shouldn’t I aspire to end the defilements?’

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayaṁ patthetī”ti.

A mendicant with these five qualities aspires to end the defilements.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.

Qualities:

Dearness

Dearness

A mental quality of holding something or someone as 'dear' through attachment, which binds the mind with craving and possessiveness. It is the external fixation upon what the mind clings to, often giving rise to envy, quarrels, and sorrow.

Also known as: beloved, cherished, pleasing
Pāli: piya
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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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Learning

Learning

One who has broad learning and retention of the Dhamma, gained through hearing, reciting, and carefully investigating the teachings. Such learning penetrates their meaning through discernment and serves as a strong support for practice.

Also known as: having knowledge, well studied
Pāli: bahussuta, suta
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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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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