The Buddha teaches a repeated simile of great rivers slanting, sloping, and inclining to the east, showing how a mendicant who develops the noble eightfold path likewise inclines to extinguishment, applied across each river in this grouped discourse.

SN 45.104-108 Five Discourses on Sloping to the East

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yamunā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe… dutiyaṁ.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, aciravatī nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe… tatiyaṁ.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sarabhū nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe… catutthaṁ.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahī nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe… pañcamaṁ.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kācimā mahānadiyo, seyyathidaṁ gaṅgā, yamunā, aciravatī, sarabhū, mahī, sabbā pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe… chaṭṭhaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yamunā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā;

“Mendicants, the Yamunā river slants, slopes, and inclines to the east. …”

evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe…

dutiyaṁ.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, aciravatī nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā;

“… the Aciravatī river …”

evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe…

tatiyaṁ.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sarabhū nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā;

“… the Sarabhū river …”

evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe…

catutthaṁ.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahī nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā;

“… the Mahī river …”

evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe…

pañcamaṁ.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kācimā mahānadiyo, seyyathidaṁ

“… all the great rivers …”

gaṅgā, yamunā, aciravatī, sarabhū, mahī, sabbā pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā;

evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe…

chaṭṭhaṁ.

Qualities:

Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026