A dying lay disciple, Dīghāvu, invites the Buddha to his sickbed. Already established in the four factors of stream entry and in deep insight into impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and dispassion, he receives a final exhortation to keep his mind on the Dhamma. After his passing, the Buddha declares Dīghāvu a non-returner who will attain final Nibbāna.

SN 55.3  Dīghāvuupāsaka sutta - Dīghāvu the Lay Disciple

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at |Rājagaha::name of a city; capital of Magadha; lit. king’s house [rājagaha]|, in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels’ feeding ground.

Tena kho pana samayena dīghāvu upāsako ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. Atha kho dīghāvu upāsako pitaraṁ jotikaṁ gahapatiṁ āmantesi: “ehi tvaṁ, gahapati, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā mama vacanena bhagavato pāde sirasā vanda: ‘dīghāvu, bhante, upāsako ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. So bhagavato pāde sirasā vandatī’ti. Evañca vadehi: ‘sādhu kira, bhante, bhagavā yena dīghāvussa upāsakassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamatu anukampaṁ upādāyā’”ti.

Now at that time, the lay disciple Dīghāvu was sick, experiencing pain, and gravely ill. Then Dīghāvu addressed his father, the householder Jotika, saying, “Please, householder, go to the Blessed One, and in my name, bow down with your head at his feet and say: ‘Venerable sir, Dīghāvu, the lay disciple, is sick, experiencing pain, and gravely ill. He bows down with his head at the Blessed One’s feet.’ And also say, ‘It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would come to the dwelling of Dīghāvu the lay disciple, out of compassion.’”

“Evaṁ, tātā”ti kho jotiko gahapati dīghāvussa upāsakassa paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho jotiko gahapati bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “dīghāvu, bhante, upāsako ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. So bhagavato pāde sirasā vandati. Evañca vadeti: ‘sādhu kira, bhante, bhagavā yena dīghāvussa upāsakassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamatu anukampaṁ upādāyā’”ti. Adhivāsesi bhagavā tuṇhībhāvena.

“Yes, dear,” replied the householder Jotika to Dīghāvu the lay disciple, and he went to the Blessed One. Having approached, he bowed down to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Sitting there, the householder Jotika addressed the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, Dīghāvu, the lay disciple, is sick, experiencing pain, and gravely ill. He bows down with his head at the Blessed One’s feet. And he also says, ‘It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would come to the dwelling of Dīghāvu the lay disciple, out of compassion.’” The Blessed One consented in silence.

Atha kho bhagavā nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena dīghāvussa upāsakassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā dīghāvuṁ upāsakaṁ etadavoca: “kacci te, dīghāvu, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyaṁ? Kacci dukkhā vedanā paṭikkamanti, no abhikkamanti; paṭikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no abhikkamo”ti?

Then the Blessed One, after putting on his robe and taking his alms bowl and outer robe, went to the dwelling of Dīghāvu the lay disciple. Having arrived, he sat down on the prepared seat. Sitting there, the Blessed One addressed Dīghāvu the lay disciple: “Is it bearable for you, Dīghāvu? Is it manageable for you? Are your painful feelings decreasing, not increasing? Is the subsiding of them, not their intensifying, discernible?”

“Na me, bhante, khamanīyaṁ, na yāpanīyaṁ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo”ti.

“Venerable sir, it is not bearable for me, it is not manageable for me. My painful feelings are increasing, not decreasing. Their intensifying, not their subsiding, is discernible.”

“Tasmātiha te, dīghāvu, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato bhavissāmiitipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Dhamme …pe… saṅghe …pe… ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato bhavissāmi akhaṇḍehi …pe… samādhisaṁvattanikehi’. Evañhi te, dīghāvu, sikkhitabban”ti.

“Therefore, Dīghāvu, you should train yourself thus: ‘I will be endowed with |perfect clarity::unshakable confidence that arises through direct experience, by personally seeing the benefits in one’s own practice [aveccappasāda]| in the Buddha: ‘Indeed, the Blessed One is the Worthy One, perfectly Awakened One, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, who has reached the destination, knower of the world, unsurpassed guide of trainable persons, teacher of gods and humans, Buddha, Fortunate One.’ I will be endowed with perfect clarity in the teachings of the Buddha: ‘Indeed, the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]| is well proclaimed by the Blessed One, directly visible, immediate, inviting verification, |onward leading::applicable, relevant, practical [opaneyyika]|, to be personally experienced by the wise. I will be endowed with perfect clarity in the |Saṅgha::The community of monks and nuns practicing in line with the Buddha’s teachings. In the broader sense, this is the community of disciples who have realized the noble path and fruition through the Buddha’s teachings [saṅgha]|: ‘The community of the Blessed One’s disciples is practicing the good way, practicing the upright way, practicing the true way, practicing the proper way; that is, the four pairs of persons, the eight types of individuals—this community of the Blessed One’s disciples is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.’ I will be endowed with virtues that are dear to the Noble Ones—unbroken, untorn, not spotty, unblemished, freeing, praised by the wise, irreproachable, |leading to collectedness::leading to samadhi, conducive to mental composure [samādhisaṃvattanika]|.’ Thus should you train yourself, Dīghāvu.”

“Yānimāni, bhante, bhagavatā cattāri sotāpattiyaṅgāni desitāni, saṁvijjante dhammā mayi, ahañca tesu dhammesu sandissāmi. Ahañhi, bhante, buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgatoitipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Dhamme …pe… saṅghe …pe… ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato akhaṇḍehi …pe… samādhisaṁvattanikehī”ti.

“Venerable sir, the four factors of stream-entry taught by the Blessed One are found in me, and I am found among them. Venerable sir, I am endowed with perfect clarity in the Buddha: ‘Indeed, the Blessed One is the Worthy One, perfectly Awakened One, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, who has reached the destination, knower of the world, unsurpassed guide of trainable persons, teacher of gods and humans, Buddha, Fortunate One.’ I am endowed with perfect clarity in the teachings of the Buddha: ‘Indeed, the Dhamma is well proclaimed by the Blessed One, directly visible, immediate, inviting verification, onward leading, to be personally experienced by the wise.’ I am endowed with perfect clarity in the Saṅgha: ‘The community of the Blessed One’s disciples is practicing the good way, practicing the upright way, practicing the true way, practicing the proper way; that is, the four pairs of persons, the eight types of individuals—this community of the Blessed One’s disciples is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.’ I am endowed with virtues that are dear to the Noble Ones—unbroken, untorn, not spotty, unblemished, freeing, praised by the wise, irreproachable, leading to collectedness.”

“Tasmātiha tvaṁ, dīghāvu, imesu catūsu sotāpattiyaṅgesu patiṭṭhāya cha vijjābhāgiye dhamme uttari bhāveyyāsi. Idha tvaṁ, dīghāvu, sabbasaṅkhāresu aniccānupassī viharāhi, anicce dukkhasaññī, dukkhe anattasaññī pahānasaññī virāgasaññī nirodhasaññīti. Evañhi te, dīghāvu, sikkhitabban”ti.

“Therefore, Dīghāvu, based on these four factors of stream-entry, you should further develop the six qualities conducive to true knowledge. Here, Dīghāvu, you should dwell |observing impermanence::watching instability [aniccānupassī]| in all |conditioned phenomena::fabrications, concoctions, intentional constructs, karmic activity [saṅkhārā]|, perceiving unsatisfactoriness in what is impermanent, percipient of non-identification with what is unsatisfactory, perceiving abandoning, perceiving |dispassion::fading of desire, absence of lust [virāga]|, and perceiving ending. Thus should you train yourself, Dīghāvu.”

“Yeme, bhante, bhagavatā cha vijjābhāgiyā dhammā desitā, saṁvijjante dhammā mayi, ahañca tesu dhammesu sandissāmi. Ahañhi, bhante, sabbasaṅkhāresu aniccānupassī viharāmi, anicce dukkhasaññī, dukkhe anattasaññī pahānasaññī virāgasaññī nirodhasaññī.

“Venerable sir, the six qualities conducive to true knowledge taught by the Blessed One are found in me, and I am found among them. Venerable sir, I dwell observing impermanence in all conditioned phenomena, perceiving unsatisfactoriness in what is impermanent, percipient of non-identification with what is unsatisfactory, perceiving abandoning, perceiving dispassion, and perceiving ending.”

Api ca me, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘mā hevāyaṁ jotiko gahapati mamaccayena vighātaṁ āpajjī’”ti. “Mā tvaṁ, tāta dīghāvu, evaṁ manasākāsi. Iṅgha tvaṁ, tāta dīghāvu, yadeva te bhagavā āha, tadeva tvaṁ sādhukaṁ manasi karohī”ti.

“However, venerable sir, it occurs to me: ‘Let not the householder Jotika fall into grief upon my passing.’” “Do not think that way, dear Dīghāvu. Rather, remember what I have taught you, and focus your mind on it well.”

Atha kho bhagavā dīghāvuṁ upāsakaṁ iminā ovādena ovaditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi. Atha kho dīghāvu upāsako acirapakkantassa bhagavato kālamakāsi. Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:

Then the Blessed One, having given this exhortation to Dīghāvu the lay disciple, rose from his seat and departed. Soon after the Blessed One had left, Dīghāvu the lay disciple passed away. Then several bhikkhus went to the Blessed One. After approaching and paying homage to him, they sat down to one side. Sitting there, the bhikkhus addressed the Blessed One:

“yo so, bhante, dīghāvu nāma upāsako bhagavatā saṅkhittena ovādena ovadito so kālaṅkato. Tassa gati, ko abhisamparāyo”ti?

“Venerable sir, the lay disciple named Dīghāvu, who was exhorted by the Blessed One with a brief exhortation, has passed away. What is his destination, what is his future state?”

“Paṇḍito, bhikkhave, dīghāvu upāsako, paccapādi dhammassānudhammaṁ, na ca maṁ dhammādhikaraṇaṁ vihesesi. Dīghāvu, bhikkhave, upāsako pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā opapātiko tattha parinibbāyī anāvattidhammo tasmā lokā”ti.

“Bhikkhus, Dīghāvu the lay disciple was wise. He practiced in accordance with the Dhamma and did not trouble me with technical points about the teaching. By the |complete exhaustion::gradual and complete wearing away [parikkhaya]| of the five lower fetters, Dīghāvu the lay disciple has been reborn spontaneously and will attain |final Nibbāna::complete cooling, full quenching, total emancipation, dying one’s final death [parinibbāyi]| there, without ever returning to this world.”

Tatiyaṁ.

This is the third.

Qualities:

Contentment

Contentment

The quality of being satisfied with the requisites one has and with the present conditions, resulting in having few desires and being free from agitation.

Also known as: fewness of wishes, having few desires, satisfaction, sense of ease
Pāli: santutthi, appicchatā, tuṭṭha, tosana
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Dispassion

Dispassion

The fading of desire and attraction toward conditioned things. It arises through seeing the impermanent and unsatisfactory nature of experience. It is the natural fragrance of understanding and the forerunner of release.

Also known as: detachment, disinterest, fading of desire, disentanglement
Pāli: virāga, visaṁyutta
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Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Ethical conduct

Ethical conduct

A disciplined way of living grounded in harmlessness and integrity. Ethical conduct restrains the body and speech from harm, purifies behavior, and forms the foundation for collectedness and wisdom.

Also known as: moral integrity, right action, virtue
Pāli: sīla, sammākammanta
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Faith

Faith

Confidence in the Buddha's awakening and the efficacy of the path. It brightens and steadies the mind, removing doubt and inspiring energy toward wholesome practice. True faith rests on clarity and direct experience rather than mere belief.

Also known as: confidence, trust, belief, conviction
Pāli: saddha, pasanna
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Giving up

Giving up

The mental quality of renunciation and release from attachment. It delights in simplicity and freedom rather than in sensual pleasure. Giving up is not loss but the joyful abandoning of burden, opening the way to peace and insight.

Also known as: renunciation, relinquishment, letting go, abandonment
Pāli: nekkhamma
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Recognition of impermanence

Recognition of impermanence

Perceiving all conditioned things as unstable and transient. This recognition weakens attachment by revealing the continual arising and ceasing of phenomena, turning the mind toward wisdom and release.

Also known as: perception of impermanence, perception of instability, realization of transience
Pāli: aniccasaññā
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Recognition of not-self

Recognition of not-self

Seeing that no phenomenon can rightly be taken as “I” or “mine.” It reveals the impersonal, dependently arisen nature of all experience, undermining conceit and attachment to identity.

Also known as: perception of not being suitable to identify with, realization of being subject to change, recognition of alteration and changing nature
Pāli: anattasaññā
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Recognition of unsatisfactoriness

Recognition of unsatisfactoriness

Perceiving the inherent inadequacy and unreliability of conditioned existence. This recognition loosens craving and the pursuit of lasting satisfaction in what cannot endure.

Also known as: perception of unsatisfactoriness, recognition of discontentment
Pāli: dukkhasaññā
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Recollection of the Buddha

Recollection of the Buddha

A mental quality of reflecting on the qualities of the Buddha, which counters doubt and strengthens faith.

Also known as: recollection of Buddha, mindfulness of the Buddha, reflection on the qualities of the Buddha
Pāli: buddhānussati, buddhānusmṛti
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Recollection of the Dhamma

Recollection of the Dhamma

A mental quality of reflecting on the qualities of the Dhamma, which counters doubt and strengthens faith.

Also known as: recollection of Dhamma, mindfulness of the Dhamma, reflection on the qualities of the Dhamma
Pāli: dhammānussati, dhammānusmṛti
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Recollection of the Sangha

Recollection of the Sangha

A mental quality of reflecting on the qualities of the Saṅgha, which counters doubt and strengthens faith.

Also known as: recollection of Saṅgha, mindfulness of the Saṅgha, reflection on the qualities of the Saṅgha
Pāli: saṅghānussati, saṅghānusmṛti
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Last updated on March 13, 2026