Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
The same vital-conditions chain met at AN 10.3 and AN 10.4 — ethics cascading through freedom from regret to the knowledge and vision of freedom, illustrated by a tree's branches and foliage — is here taught in full by Ānanda.
A third teacher, closing the set
With this discourse, three different teachers have now delivered the identical chain: the Buddha himself at AN 10.3, Sāriputta at AN 10.4, and now Ānanda — not three variant teachings but the same content, its authority underscored by three separate tellings rather than diluted by repetition.
Full detail restored
Unlike AN 10.4's abbreviated version, this discourse gives the complete chain in both directions without compression — the same full treatment as AN 10.3 itself, matching the Buddha's own original telling in every detail.
Ānanda as both questioner and teacher
This discourse adds a further dimension to Ānanda's own role in this chapter: at AN 10.1 he questioned the Buddha to draw out this same chain; here, several discourses later, he teaches it himself to the mendicants, suggesting the chain has by now become fully his own to transmit.
Key terms
The text
The same chain, taught in full by Ānanda
§1There Venerable Ānanda addressed the mendicants … “Reverends, an unethical person, who lacks ethics, has destroyed a vital condition for having no regrets. When there are regrets, one who has regrets has destroyed a vital condition for joy. When there is no joy, one who lacks joy has destroyed a vital condition for rapture. When there is no rapture, one who lacks rapture has destroyed a vital condition for tranquility. When there is no tranquility, one who lacks tranquility has destroyed a vital condition for bliss. When there is no bliss, one who lacks bliss has destroyed a vital condition for right immersion. When there is no right immersion, one who lacks right immersion has destroyed a vital condition for true knowledge and vision. When there is no true knowledge and vision, one who lacks true knowledge and vision has destroyed a vital condition for disillusionment and dispassion. When there is no disillusionment and dispassion, one who lacks disillusionment and dispassion has destroyed a vital condition for knowledge and vision of freedom. Suppose there was a tree that lacked branches and foliage. Its shoots, bark, softwood, and heartwood would not grow to fullness. In the same way, an unethical person, who lacks ethics, has destroyed a vital condition for having no regrets. When there are regrets, one who has regrets has destroyed a vital condition for joy. … One who lacks disillusionment and dispassion has destroyed a vital condition for knowledge and vision of freedom.
§2An ethical person, who has fulfilled ethics, has fulfilled a vital condition for not having regrets. When there are no regrets, one who has no regrets has fulfilled a vital condition for joy. When there is joy, one who has fulfilled joy has fulfilled a vital condition for rapture. When there is rapture, one who has fulfilled rapture has fulfilled a vital condition for tranquility. When there is tranquility, one who has fulfilled tranquility has fulfilled a vital condition for bliss. When there is bliss, one who has fulfilled bliss has fulfilled a vital condition for right immersion. When there is right immersion, one who has fulfilled right immersion has fulfilled a vital condition for true knowledge and vision. When there is true knowledge and vision, one who has fulfilled true knowledge and vision has fulfilled a vital condition for disillusionment and dispassion. When there is disillusionment and dispassion, one who has fulfilled disillusionment and dispassion has fulfilled a vital condition for knowledge and vision of freedom. Suppose there was a tree that was complete with branches and foliage. Its shoots, bark, softwood, and heartwood would grow to fullness. In the same way, an ethical person, who has fulfilled ethics, has fulfilled a vital condition for not having regrets. When there are no regrets, one who has no regrets has fulfilled a vital condition for joy. … One who has fulfilled disillusionment and dispassion has fulfilled a vital condition for knowledge and vision of freedom.”
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