The Buddha teaches Venerable Rādha that only ascetics and brahmins who truly understand the five grasping aggregates' gratification, drawback, and escape realize the goal of the spiritual life.
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ rādhaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:
“pañcime, rādha, upādānakkhandhā. Katame pañca? Rūpupādānakkhandho …pe… viññāṇupādānakkhandho. Yato kho, rādha, bhikkhu imesaṁ pañcannaṁ upādānakkhandhānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ viditvā anupādāvimutto hoti— ayaṁ vuccati, rādha, bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto”ti.
Aṭṭhamaṁ.
Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ rādhaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:
When Venerable Rādha was seated to one side, the Buddha said to him:
“pañcime, rādha, upādānakkhandhā.
“Rādha, there are these five grasping aggregates.
Katame pañca?
What five?
Rūpupādānakkhandho …pe… viññāṇupādānakkhandho.
The grasping aggregates of form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness.
Yato kho, rādha, bhikkhu imesaṁ pañcannaṁ upādānakkhandhānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ viditvā anupādāvimutto hoti—
A mendicant comes to be freed by not grasping after truly understanding these five grasping aggregates’ origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape.
ayaṁ vuccati, rādha, bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto”ti.
Such a mendicant is called a perfected one, with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their heart’s goal, utterly ended the fetter of continued existence, and is rightly freed through enlightenment.”
Aṭṭhamaṁ.
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Last updated on July 27, 2026