The young brahmin Subha questions the Buddha about whether householders or renunciants are superior and what brings the greatest merit. The Buddha explains that he evaluates actions with discernment, and then teaches the path to companionship with Brahmā through cultivation of the qualities of loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity.

And what, young man, is the joyful pleasure that is apart from sensual pleasures, apart from unwholesome mental states? Here, young man, a bhikkhu, quite secluded from sensual pleasures and unwholesome mental states, enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is |accompanied by reflection::with thinking [savitakka]| and |examination::with investigation, evaluation [savicāra]|, |born from seclusion::secluded from the defilements [vivekaja]|, and is |filled with joyful pleasure::imbued with joy and happiness, with delight and ease, sometimes experienced as an intense joy or pleasure, rapture [pītisukha]|. This is a joyful pleasure that is apart from sensual pleasures, apart from unwholesome mental states.

The Buddha describes the six releases of mind, through 1) loving-kindness, 2) compassion, 3) appreciative joy, 4) equanimity, 5) the signless, and 6) the uprooting of the conceit “I am" - that assuredly lead to freedom from 1) ill will, 2) cruelty, 3) dissatisfaction, 4) passion, 5) following after signs, and 6) the conceit “I am" when developed and cultivated to fulfillment.

3 Here moreover, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu might say: ‘I have developed and cultivated the release of mind through |appreciative joy::mental quality of rejoicing in the success and happiness of others, which counters envy [muditā]|, made it a vehicle, a basis, firmly established, nurtured, and resolutely undertaken it, yet |dissatisfaction::discontent, dislike, aversion, boredom [arati]| still occupies my mind.’ He should be told: ‘Don’t say that, friend. Don’t misrepresent the Blessed One, for it is not good to misrepresent the Blessed One. The Blessed One would certainly not speak in such a way. It is impossible and inconceivable, friend, that dissatisfaction should occupy the mind of one who has developed and cultivated the release of mind through appreciative joy, made it a vehicle, a basis, firmly established, nurtured, and resolutely undertaken it. There is no such possibility. For this, friend, is the escape from dissatisfaction, that is, the release of mind through appreciative joy.’

The Buddha explains to Jīvaka the circumstances in which meat may be consumed and the demerit of slaughtering living beings for the Tathāgata or his disciples.

With a mind imbued with |appreciative joy::mental quality of rejoicing in the success and happiness of others, which counters envy [muditā]|, he dwells pervading one quarter, then a second, then a third, then a fourth. Thus, with a mind imbued with appreciative joy, he pervades the entire world—above, below, across, everywhere,encompassing all beings—with a vast, exalted, boundless mind, without hostility and free from ill will. ...

The venerable Nandaka teaches Sāḷha and his friend about how to independently verify the unwholesome and wholesome mental qualities.

“Thus, Sāḷha, the noble disciple, having abandoned greed, aversion, and illusion, |fully aware::with attentiveness, with clear and full comprehension, intentional, purposeful [sampajāna]| and |with mindfulness::remembering to be present with continuous effort, observing the body in and of itself, felt experience in and of itself, mind in and of itself, mental qualities in and of themselves [patissata]|, dwells pervading one direction with a mind imbued with |loving-kindness::good-will towards, friendliness to, benevolence for [mettā]|, ... likewise with |compassion::mental quality of wise empathy in response to suffering, which counters qualities of harm or cruelty [karuṇā]|, ... with |appreciative joy::mental quality of rejoicing in the success and happiness of others, which counters envy [muditā]|, ... and with |equanimity::mental poise, mental balance, equipoise, non-reactivity, composure [upekkhā]|. In the same way, he pervades the second direction, the third, and the fourth. Thus above, below, across, and everywhere, with a boundless mind, he dwells pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with equanimity—vast, exalted, measureless, free from enmity, and free from ill will—abiding in this way.”

The Buddha instructs Rāhula on how to regard the five aggregates as not-self which he immediately applies to practice. The Buddha then teaches Rāhula on how to meditate on the elements, the divine abodes, unattractiveness, impermanence, and mindfulness of breathing to abandon unwholesome mental qualities and cultivate wholesome mental qualities.

Rāhula, cultivate meditation on appreciative joy. For when you cultivate meditation on appreciative joy, any |dissatisfaction::discontent, dislike, boredom [arati]| will be abandoned.

On a full moon night with the Sangha at Sāvatthi, the Buddha answers a series of ten questions on the aggregates. He answers on the root of clinging, the cause and condition for the designation of the aggregates, how identity view arises, the gratification, danger, and escape from the aggregates, and on ending conceit.

“The pleasure and joy that arise dependent on form, bhikkhu, that is the gratification in form. That form is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, that is the danger in form. The removal and abandonment of desire and lust for form, that is the escape from form. The pleasure and joy that arise dependent on feeling, that is the gratification in feeling. That feeling is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, that is the danger in feeling. The removal and abandonment of desire and lust for feeling, that is the escape from feeling. The pleasure and joy that arise dependent on perception, that is the gratification in perception. That perception is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, that is the danger in perception. The removal and abandonment of desire and lust for perception, that is the escape from perception. The pleasure and joy that arise dependent on intentional constructs, that is the gratification in intentional constructs. That intentional constructs are impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, that is the danger in intentional constructs. The removal and abandonment of desire and lust for intentional constructs, that is the escape from intentional constructs. The pleasure and joy that arise dependent on consciousness, that is the gratification in consciousness. That consciousness is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, that is the danger in consciousness. The removal and abandonment of desire and lust for consciousness, that is the escape from consciousness.”

The Buddha uses the simile of a defiled cloth to explain how the mind can be similarly defiled by various impurities, and how it can be purified by abandoning them. And it is through this very practice that one arrives at unshakeable faith in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha. The Buddha also addresses a brahmin in verses who believes in purification by bathing in river.

When he has given up, |cast off::purged [vanta]|, released, abandoned, and forsaken [the impurities that defile the mind] |to whatever degree::as much as, according to the limit [yathodhi]|, he considers thus: ‘I have unshakeable confidence in the Buddha,’ he gains inspiration from the meaning, gains inspiration from the Dhamma, gains |joy::happiness, gladness [pāmojja]| connected with the Dhamma. When he is joyful, |joyful pleasure::heartfelt or intense joy, feeling of love, rapture lit. lovely feeling [pīti]| is born in him. When his mind is uplifted by joyful pleasure, the body relaxes. When the body is relaxed, he feels |at ease::comfort, contentedness, happiness, pleasure [sukha]|. In one who feels at ease, the mind becomes |collected::composed, stable [samādhiyati]|. Likewise, when he considers thus: ‘I have unshakeable confidence in the Dhamma’ and ‘I have unshakeable confidence in the Saṅgha,’ he gains inspiration from the meaning, gains inspiration from the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. When he is joyful, joyful pleasure is born in him. When his mind is uplifted by joyful pleasure, the body relaxes. When the body is relaxed, he feels at ease. In one who feels at ease, the mind becomes collected.

The Buddha teaches about integrity, gratitude, how one can repay one’s parents, action and non-action, who to make offerings to, persons who are internally or externally fettered, and the importance of right practice and well grasp of the Dhamma. The chapter gets its name from the [AN 2.36](/an2.36) discourse.

“What, bhikkhus, is the domain of a |person without integrity::unethical person, inferior person [asappurisa]|? A person without integrity, bhikkhus, is |ungrateful::thankless, unappreciative [akatavedī]| and does not acknowledge the help given to them. It is recognized, bhikkhus, as the mark of a person without integrity to be ungrateful and to not acknowledge what has been done for them. This, bhikkhus, is the entirety of the domain of a person without integrity: ungratefulness and not acknowledging what has been done for them. And what, bhikkhus, is the domain of a |virtuous person::good person, worthy one, awakened being [sappurisa]|? A virtuous person, bhikkhus, is grateful and acknowledges the help given to them. It is recognized, bhikkhus, as the mark of a virtuous person to be |grateful::thankful, appreciative [kataññū]| and to acknowledge what has been done for them. This, bhikkhus, is the entirety of the domain of a virtuous person: gratitude and acknowledging what has been done for them.”

A series of questions and answers between Venerable Sāriputta and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika on clarifying subtle yet important aspects of the teachings. Topics covered include wisdom, consciousness, felt experience, perception, purified mind-consciousness, right view, existence, first jhāna, the five faculties, vital formations, and the release of the mind.

“Here, friend, a bhikkhu, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from |unwholesome::unhealthy, unskillful, unbeneficial, or karmically unprofitable [akusala]| mental states, enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is |accompanied by reflection::with thinking [savitakka]| and |examination::with investigation, evaluation [savicāra]|, |born from seclusion::secluded from the defilements [vivekaja]|, and is |filled with joyful pleasure::imbued with joy and happiness, with delight and ease, sometimes experienced as an intense joy or pleasure, rapture [pītisukha]|.”