The Buddha teaches on free of greed, presenting a fivefold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 5.82 Free of Greed

“Pañcahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato thero bhikkhu sabrahmacārīnaṁ appiyo ca hoti amanāpo ca agaru ca abhāvanīyo ca. Katamehi pañcahi? Avītarāgo hoti, avītadoso hoti, avītamoho hoti, makkhī ca, paḷāsī ca imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato thero bhikkhu sabrahmacārīnaṁ appiyo ca hoti amanāpo ca agaru ca abhāvanīyo ca.

Pañcahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato thero bhikkhu sabrahmacārīnaṁ piyo ca hoti manāpo ca garu ca bhāvanīyo ca. Katamehi pañcahi? Vītarāgo hoti, vītadoso hoti, vītamoho hoti, amakkhī ca, apaḷāsī ca imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato thero bhikkhu sabrahmacārīnaṁ piyo ca hoti manāpo ca garu ca bhāvanīyo cā”ti.

Dutiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Pañcahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato thero bhikkhu sabrahmacārīnaṁ appiyo ca hoti amanāpo ca agaru ca abhāvanīyo ca.

“Mendicants, a senior mendicant with five qualities is unlikable and disagreeable to their spiritual companions, not respected or admired.

Katamehi pañcahi?

What five?

Avītarāgo hoti, avītadoso hoti, avītamoho hoti, makkhī ca, paḷāsī ca

They’re not free of greed, hate, and delusion; they are offensive and contemptuous.

imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato thero bhikkhu sabrahmacārīnaṁ appiyo ca hoti amanāpo ca agaru ca abhāvanīyo ca.

A senior mendicant with these five qualities is unlikable and disagreeable to their spiritual companions, not respected or admired.

Pañcahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato thero bhikkhu sabrahmacārīnaṁ piyo ca hoti manāpo ca garu ca bhāvanīyo ca.

A senior mendicant with five qualities is dear and beloved to their spiritual companions, respected and admired.

Katamehi pañcahi?

What five?

Vītarāgo hoti, vītadoso hoti, vītamoho hoti, amakkhī ca, apaḷāsī ca

They’re free of greed, hate, and delusion; they’re not offensive and contemptuous.

imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato thero bhikkhu sabrahmacārīnaṁ piyo ca hoti manāpo ca garu ca bhāvanīyo cā”ti.

A senior mendicant with these five qualities is dear and beloved to their spiritual companions, respected and admired.”

Dutiyaṁ.

Qualities:

Aversion

Aversion

A rejecting mental quality rooted in perception, where one instinctively turns away from or resists unpleasant experiences or objects; it manifests as a tendency to push away discomfort, obstructing patience and acceptance.

Also known as: animosity, hate, hostility, fault-finding mindset, upset
Pāli: dosa, paṭighasaññā, vera
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Craving

Craving

A driving ‘thirst’ that reaches out toward experiences, identities, or outcomes as the place to find satisfaction—“if only I had that.” It spins stories of lack, binds the mind to becoming, and invariably leads to suffering.

Also known as: wanting, yearning, longing, lit. thirst
Pāli: taṇha, abhijjhā
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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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Delusion

Delusion

A fundamental distortion of reality that sustains confusion, clouds discernment, and fuels further doubt.

Also known as: illusion, hallucination, misapprehension, distorted view
Pāli: moha, micchāñāṇa
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Greed

Greed

A grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment

Also known as: acquisitiveness, avarice, covetousness, rapacity, money grabbing, grabbiness
Pāli: lobha, gedha
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Ill will

Ill will

A mental quality of actively opposing or rejecting others in thought, manifesting as deliberate thoughts or intentions that oppose kindness and compassion; it fuels conflict and obstructs goodwill.

Also known as: actively opposing or rejecting others in thought, thought of malevolence towards another, hostile reflections towards another
Pāli: byāpāda
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Last updated on July 27, 2026