The Buddha teaches on corpse-worker, presenting a fivefold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 5.175 Corpse-worker -

“Pañcahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato upāsako upāsakacaṇḍālo ca hoti upāsakamalañca upāsakapatikuṭṭho ca. Katamehi pañcahi? Assaddho hoti; dussīlo hoti; kotūhalamaṅgaliko hoti, maṅgalaṁ pacceti no kammaṁ; ito ca bahiddhā dakkhiṇeyyaṁ gavesati; tattha ca pubbakāraṁ karoti. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato upāsako upāsakacaṇḍālo ca hoti upāsakamalañca upāsakapatikuṭṭho ca.

Pañcahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato upāsako upāsakaratanañca hoti upāsakapadumañca upāsakapuṇḍarīkañca. Katamehi pañcahi? Saddho hoti; sīlavā hoti; akotūhalamaṅgaliko hoti, kammaṁ pacceti no maṅgalaṁ; na ito bahiddhā dakkhiṇeyyaṁ gavesati; idha ca pubbakāraṁ karoti. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato upāsako upāsakaratanañca hoti upāsakapadumañca upāsakapuṇḍarīkañcā”ti.

Pañcamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Pañcahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato upāsako upāsakacaṇḍālo ca hoti upāsakamalañca upāsakapatikuṭṭho ca.

“Mendicants, a lay follower with five qualities is a corpse-worker, a stain, and a reject among lay followers.

Katamehi pañcahi?

What five?

Assaddho hoti;

They’re faithless.

dussīlo hoti;

They’re unethical.

kotūhalamaṅgaliko hoti, maṅgalaṁ pacceti no kammaṁ;

They follow boisterous, superstitious rites, believing in omens rather than deeds.

ito ca bahiddhā dakkhiṇeyyaṁ gavesati;

They seek outside of the Buddhist community for those worthy of religious donations.

tattha ca pubbakāraṁ karoti.

And they make offerings there first.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato upāsako upāsakacaṇḍālo ca hoti upāsakamalañca upāsakapatikuṭṭho ca.

A lay follower with these five qualities is a corpse-worker, a stain, and a reject among lay followers.

Pañcahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato upāsako upāsakaratanañca hoti upāsakapadumañca upāsakapuṇḍarīkañca.

A lay follower with five qualities is a gem, a pink lotus, and a white lotus among lay followers.

Katamehi pañcahi?

What five?

Saddho hoti;

They’re faithful.

sīlavā hoti;

They’re ethical.

akotūhalamaṅgaliko hoti, kammaṁ pacceti no maṅgalaṁ;

They don’t practice boisterous, superstitious rites, and believe in deeds rather than omens.

na ito bahiddhā dakkhiṇeyyaṁ gavesati;

They don’t seek outside of the Buddhist community for those worthy of religious donations.

idha ca pubbakāraṁ karoti.

And they don’t make offerings there first.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato upāsako upāsakaratanañca hoti upāsakapadumañca upāsakapuṇḍarīkañcā”ti.

A lay follower with these five qualities is a gem, a pink lotus, and a white lotus among lay followers.”

Pañcamaṁ.

Qualities:

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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Faith

Faith

Confidence in the Buddha's awakening and the efficacy of the path. It brightens and steadies the mind, removing doubt and inspiring energy toward wholesome practice. True faith rests on clarity and direct experience rather than mere belief.

Also known as: confidence, trust, belief, conviction, self-assurance
Pāli: saddha, pasanna
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Last updated on July 27, 2026