The Buddha describes the five qualities eats food, takes up space, tramples beds and chair—it’s when a royal bull elephant can’t endure sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches, a royal bull elephant with these five factors eats food, takes up space, drops dung, and takes a ticket, yet is still reckoned a royal bull elephant, in the same way, a mendicant with five qualities eats food, takes up space, tramples beds and chairs, and takes a ticket, yet is still reckoned a mendicant, and what five?, and it’s when a mendicant can’t endure sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches.

AN 5.138 Eating Food

“Pañcahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato rañño nāgo bhattādako ca hoti okāsapharaṇo ca laṇḍasāraṇo ca salākaggāhī ca rañño nāgotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Katamehi pañcahi? Idha, bhikkhave, rañño nāgo akkhamo hoti rūpānaṁ, akkhamo saddānaṁ, akkhamo gandhānaṁ, akkhamo rasānaṁ, akkhamo phoṭṭhabbānaṁ. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi aṅgehi samannāgato rañño nāgo bhattādako ca okāsapharaṇo ca laṇḍasāraṇo ca salākaggāhī ca, rañño nāgotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu bhattādako ca hoti, okāsapharaṇo ca mañcapīṭhamaddano ca salākaggāhī ca, bhikkhutveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Katamehi pañcahi? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu akkhamo hoti rūpānaṁ, akkhamo saddānaṁ, akkhamo gandhānaṁ, akkhamo rasānaṁ, akkhamo phoṭṭhabbānaṁ. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu bhattādako ca hoti okāsapharaṇo ca mañcapīṭhamaddano ca salākaggāhī ca, bhikkhutveva saṅkhaṁ gacchatī”ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Pañcahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato rañño nāgo bhattādako ca hoti okāsapharaṇo ca laṇḍasāraṇo ca salākaggāhī ca rañño nāgotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

“Mendicants, a royal bull elephant with five factors eats food, takes up space, drops dung, and takes a ticket, yet is still reckoned a royal bull elephant.

Katamehi pañcahi?

What five?

Idha, bhikkhave, rañño nāgo akkhamo hoti rūpānaṁ, akkhamo saddānaṁ, akkhamo gandhānaṁ, akkhamo rasānaṁ, akkhamo phoṭṭhabbānaṁ.

It’s when a royal bull elephant can’t endure sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi aṅgehi samannāgato rañño nāgo bhattādako ca okāsapharaṇo ca laṇḍasāraṇo ca salākaggāhī ca, rañño nāgotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

A royal bull elephant with these five factors eats food, takes up space, drops dung, and takes a ticket, yet is still reckoned a royal bull elephant.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu bhattādako ca hoti, okāsapharaṇo ca mañcapīṭhamaddano ca salākaggāhī ca, bhikkhutveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

In the same way, a mendicant with five qualities eats food, takes up space, tramples beds and chairs, and takes a ticket, yet is still reckoned a mendicant.

Katamehi pañcahi?

What five?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu akkhamo hoti rūpānaṁ, akkhamo saddānaṁ, akkhamo gandhānaṁ, akkhamo rasānaṁ, akkhamo phoṭṭhabbānaṁ.

It’s when a mendicant can’t endure sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu bhattādako ca hoti okāsapharaṇo ca mañcapīṭhamaddano ca salākaggāhī ca, bhikkhutveva saṅkhaṁ gacchatī”ti.

A mendicant with these five qualities eats food, takes up space, tramples beds and chairs, and takes a ticket, yet is still reckoned a mendicant.”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Qualities:

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