The Buddha describes the five drawbacks for a mendicant who visits families for too long, mixing closely with them—you often see members of the opposite sex, seeing them, you become close, being so close, you become intimate, and being intimate, lust overcomes you, and when your mind is swamped by lust, you can expect that you will lead the spiritual life dissatisfied, or commit one of the corrupt offenses, or resign the training and return to a lesser life.
“Pañcime, bhikkhave, ādīnavā kulūpakassa bhikkhuno ativelaṁ kulesu saṁsaṭṭhassa viharato. Katame pañca? Mātugāmassa abhiṇhadassanaṁ, dassane sati saṁsaggo, saṁsagge sati vissāso, vissāse sati otāro, otiṇṇacittassetaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ: ‘anabhirato vā brahmacariyaṁ carissati aññataraṁ vā saṅkiliṭṭhaṁ āpattiṁ āpajjissati sikkhaṁ vā paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissati’. Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca ādīnavā kulūpakassa bhikkhuno ativelaṁ kulesu saṁsaṭṭhassa viharato”ti.
Chaṭṭhaṁ.
Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
“Pañcime, bhikkhave, ādīnavā kulūpakassa bhikkhuno ativelaṁ kulesu saṁsaṭṭhassa viharato.
“Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks for a mendicant who visits families for too long, mixing closely with them.
Katame pañca?
What five?
Mātugāmassa abhiṇhadassanaṁ,
You often see members of the opposite sex.
dassane sati saṁsaggo,
Seeing them, you become close.
saṁsagge sati vissāso,
Being so close, you become intimate.
vissāse sati otāro,
Being intimate, lust overcomes you.
otiṇṇacittassetaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ: ‘anabhirato vā brahmacariyaṁ carissati aññataraṁ vā saṅkiliṭṭhaṁ āpattiṁ āpajjissati sikkhaṁ vā paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissati’.
When your mind is swamped by lust, you can expect that you will lead the spiritual life dissatisfied, or commit one of the corrupt offenses, or resign the training and return to a lesser life.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca ādīnavā kulūpakassa bhikkhuno ativelaṁ kulesu saṁsaṭṭhassa viharato”ti.
These are the five drawbacks for a mendicant who visits families for too long, mixing closely with them.”
Chaṭṭhaṁ.
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Last updated on July 27, 2026