The Buddha contrasts mendicants disliked and admired by their spiritual companions, each defined by seven qualities—including desire for material things, honor, and status, versus conscience, prudence, and right view.

AN 7.1 Pleasing (1st)

Evaṁ me sutaṁ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti.

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Sattahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu sabrahmacārīnaṁ appiyo ca hoti amanāpo ca agaru ca abhāvanīyo ca. Katamehi sattahi? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu lābhakāmo ca hoti, sakkārakāmo ca hoti, anavaññattikāmo ca hoti, ahiriko ca hoti, anottappī ca, pāpiccho ca, micchādiṭṭhi ca. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, sattahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu sabrahmacārīnaṁ appiyo ca hoti amanāpo ca agaru ca abhāvanīyo ca.

Sattahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu sabrahmacārīnaṁ piyo ca hoti, manāpo ca garu ca bhāvanīyo ca. Katamehi sattahi? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu na lābhakāmo ca hoti, na sakkārakāmo ca hoti, na anavaññattikāmo ca hoti, hirīmā ca hoti, ottappī ca, appiccho ca, sammādiṭṭhi ca. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, sattahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu sabrahmacārīnaṁ piyo ca hoti manāpo ca garu ca bhāvanīyo cā”ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Evaṁ me sutaṁ

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,

“bhikkhavo”ti.

“Mendicants!”

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

“Venerable sir,” they replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:

The Buddha said this:

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

“Mendicants, a mendicant with seven qualities is disliked and disapproved by their spiritual companions, not respected or admired.

Katamehi sattahi?

What seven?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu lābhakāmo ca hoti, sakkārakāmo ca hoti, anavaññattikāmo ca hoti, ahiriko ca hoti, anottappī ca, pāpiccho ca, micchādiṭṭhi ca.

It’s when a mendicant desires material things, honor, and status. They lack conscience and prudence. They have corrupt wishes and wrong view.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, sattahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu sabrahmacārīnaṁ appiyo ca hoti amanāpo ca agaru ca abhāvanīyo ca.

A mendicant with these seven qualities is disliked and disapproved by their spiritual companions, not respected or admired.

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

A mendicant with seven qualities is liked and approved by their spiritual companions, respected and admired.

Katamehi sattahi?

What seven?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu na lābhakāmo ca hoti, na sakkārakāmo ca hoti, na anavaññattikāmo ca hoti, hirīmā ca hoti, ottappī ca, appiccho ca, sammādiṭṭhi ca.

It’s when a mendicant doesn’t desire material things, honor, and status. They have conscience and prudence. They have few desires and right view.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, sattahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu sabrahmacārīnaṁ piyo ca hoti manāpo ca garu ca bhāvanīyo cā”ti.

A mendicant with these seven qualities is liked and approved by their spiritual companions, respected and admired.”

Paṭhamaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Conscience

Conscience

An inner moral sensitivity that shrinks from wrongdoing out of self-respect and personal integrity. It is the voice within that knows what is beneath one's dignity, guarding conduct through an inward standard of honor.

Also known as: with sense of right and wrong, sense of shame, modesty, (comm) originating from inside
Pāli: hirī
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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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Desire

Desire

A wholesome motivation, interest, or objective that acts as the starting point for effort and application of will.

Also known as: aspiration, interest, wish, having an objective, intention, impulse
Pāli: chanda
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Right view

Right view

View that is in line with the Dhamma — teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth.

Also known as: right understanding, right belief, view that is inline with the Dhamma
Pāli: sammādiṭṭhi
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Wrong view

Wrong view

A distorted understanding that sees permanence in the impermanent, satisfaction in the unsatisfactory, or self in the not-self. Wrong view guides action by delusion, obscuring cause and effect, and closes the door to wisdom and release.

Also known as: distorted or inverted perception, untrue view, false belief
Pāli: micchādiṭṭhi
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Last updated on July 27, 2026