The Tathāgata is regarded the foremost among beings, and diligence is regarded the foremost among qualities.

SN 45.139 Tathāgata sutta - Tathāgata

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthi.

“Yāvatā, bhikkhave, sattā apadā dvipadā catuppadā bahuppadā rūpino arūpino saññino asaññino nevasaññīnāsaññino vā, tathāgato tesaṁ aggamakkhāyati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho; evameva kho, bhikkhave, ye keci kusalā dhammā, sabbe te appamādamūlakā appamādasamosaraṇā; appamādo tesaṁ dhammānaṁ aggamakkhāyati. Appamattassetaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṁariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvessati ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarissati.

“Bhikkhus, as far as beings go — whether they are without feet, with two feet, with four feet, or with many feet; with form or formless; having perception, non-percipient, or neither percipient nor non-percipient; the |Tathāgata::one who has arrived at the truth, an epithet of a perfectly Awakened One [tathāgata]|, the |Arahant::a worthy one, a fully awakened being, epithet of the Buddha [arahant]|, the |Perfectly Awakened One::fully awakened being, fully enlightened being [sammāsambuddha]| is regarded the foremost among them. In the same way, bhikkhus, whatever wholesome qualities there are, they are all rooted in |diligence::quality of wishing to do one’s work or duty well, with alertness, carefulness and care [appamāda]|, and they meet together in diligence; diligence is regarded the foremost among the qualities. For a diligent bhikkhu, this is to be expected - that he will cultivate and frequently practice the Noble Eightfold Path.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu appamatto ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ; sammāsaṅkappaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ …pe… sammāvācaṁ bhāveti …pe… sammākammantaṁ bhāveti …pe… sammāājīvaṁ bhāveti …pe… sammāvāyāmaṁ bhāveti …pe… sammāsatiṁ bhāveti …pe… sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu appamatto ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarotīti.

And how, bhikkhus, does a diligent bhikkhu cultivate and frequently practice the Noble Eightfold Path? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view |dependent on seclusion::supported by detachment, by means of disengagement [vivekanissita]|, |supported by dispassion::based on fading of desire [virāganissita]|, |supported by cessation::based on ending [nirodhanissita]|, |culminating in complete relinquishment::ripening in release, culminating in letting go [vossaggapariṇāmī]|; similarly he develops right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right collectedness, dependent on seclusion, supported by dispassion, supported by cessation, culminating in complete relinquishment. It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a diligent bhikkhu cultivates and frequently practices the Noble Eightfold Path.

Yāvatā, bhikkhave, sattā apadā dvipadā catuppadā bahuppadā rūpino arūpino saññino asaññino nevasaññīnāsaññino vā, tathāgato tesaṁ aggamakkhāyati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho; evameva kho, bhikkhave, ye keci kusalā dhammā, sabbe te appamādamūlakā appamādasamosaraṇā; appamādo tesaṁ dhammānaṁ aggamakkhāyati. Appamattassetaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṁariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvessati, ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarissati.

Bhikkhus, as far as beings go — whether they are without feet, with two feet, with four feet, or with many feet; with form or formless; having perception, non-percipient, or neither percipient nor non-percipient; the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the perfectly Awakened One is regarded the foremost among them. In the same way, bhikkhus, whatever wholesome qualities there may be, they are all rooted in diligence, and they meet together in diligence; diligence is regarded the foremost among the qualities. For a diligent bhikkhu, this is to be expected - that he will cultivate and frequently practice the Noble Eightfold Path.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu appamatto ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti rāgavinayapariyosānaṁ dosavinayapariyosānaṁ mohavinayapariyosānaṁ …pe… sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti rāgavinayapariyosānaṁ dosavinayapariyosānaṁ mohavinayapariyosānaṁ. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu appamatto ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarotīti.

And how, bhikkhus, does a diligent bhikkhu cultivate and frequently practice the Noble Eightfold Path? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view, culminating in the removal and ending of |passion::intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust [rāga]|, culminating in the removal and ending of |aversion::hatred, hostility, mental attitude of rejection, fault-finding, resentful disapproval [dosa]|, and culminating in the removal and ending of |delusion::illusion, misperception, erroneous belief, false idea, misapprehension; a fundamental distortion of reality that sustains confusion, clouds discernment, and fuels further doubt [moha]|; similarly he develops right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right collectedness, culminating in the removal of lust, culminating in the removal of aversion, and culminating in the removal of delusion. In this way, bhikkhus, a diligent bhikkhu cultivates and frequently practices the Noble Eightfold Path.

Yāvatā, bhikkhave, sattā apadā dvipadā catuppadā bahuppadā rūpino arūpino saññino asaññino nevasaññīnāsaññino vā, tathāgato tesaṁ aggamakkhāyati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho; evameva kho, bhikkhave, ye keci kusalā dhammā, sabbe te appamādamūlakā appamādasamosaraṇā; appamādo tesaṁ dhammānaṁ aggamakkhāyati. Appamattassetaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṁariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvessati ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarissati.

Bhikkhus, as far as beings go — whether they are without feet, with two feet, with four feet, or with many feet; with form or formless; having perception, non-percipient, or neither percipient nor non-percipient; the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the perfectly Awakened One is regarded the foremost among them. In the same way, bhikkhus, whatever wholesome qualities there may be, they are all rooted in diligence, and they meet together in diligence; diligence is regarded the foremost among the qualities. For a diligent bhikkhu, this is to be expected - that he will cultivate and frequently practice the Noble Eightfold Path.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu appamatto ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti amatogadhaṁ amataparāyanaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ …pe… sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti amatogadhaṁ amataparāyanaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu appamatto ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarotīti.

And how, bhikkhus, does a diligent bhikkhu cultivate and frequently practice the Noble Eightfold Path? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view, leading to the |deathless::deathless state, epithet of Nibbāna [amata]|, directed towards the deathless, and culminating in the deathless; similarly he develops right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right collectedness, culminating in the removal of lust, culminating in the removal of aversion, and culminating in the removal of delusion. In this way, bhikkhus, a diligent bhikkhu cultivates and frequently practices the Noble Eightfold Path.

Yāvatā, bhikkhave, sattā apadā dvipadā catuppadā bahuppadā rūpino arūpino saññino asaññino nevasaññīnāsaññino vā, tathāgato tesaṁ aggamakkhāyati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho; evameva kho, bhikkhave, ye keci kusalā dhammā, sabbe te appamādamūlakā appamādasamosaraṇā; appamādo tesaṁ dhammānaṁ aggamakkhāyati. Appamattassetaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṁariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvessati ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarissati.

Bhikkhus, as far as beings go — whether they are without feet, with two feet, with four feet, or with many feet; with form or formless; having perception, non-percipient, or neither percipient nor non-percipient; the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the perfectly Awakened One is regarded the foremost among them. In the same way, bhikkhus, whatever wholesome qualities there may be, they are all rooted in diligence, and they meet together in diligence; diligence is regarded the foremost among the qualities. For a diligent bhikkhu, this is to be expected - that he will cultivate and frequently practice the Noble Eightfold Path.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu appamatto ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti nibbānaninnaṁ nibbānapoṇaṁ nibbānapabbhāraṁ …pe… sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti nibbānaninnaṁ nibbānapoṇaṁ nibbānapabbhāraṁ. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu appamatto ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarotī”ti.

And how, bhikkhus, does a diligent bhikkhu cultivate and frequently practice the Noble Eightfold Path? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view, slanting towards |Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating; lit. blowing away [nibbāna]|, sloping towards Nibbāna, and inclining towards Nibbāna; similarly he develops right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right collectedness, slanting towards Nibbāna, sloping towards Nibbāna, and inclining towards Nibbāna. In this way, bhikkhus, a diligent bhikkhu cultivates and frequently practices the Noble Eightfold Path.”

Last updated on August 5, 2026