Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
Skillful ethics leads progressively to the highest through the same ten links met at AN 10.1 — no regret, joy, rapture, tranquility, bliss, immersion, true knowledge and vision, disillusionment and dispassion, and the knowledge and vision of freedom — now closing with an eleventh, summary line.
A new nipāta, reopening its predecessor's own opener
As with every new nipāta before it, the Book of the Elevens opens with a discourse lending its own subject — nissaya, dependence — to the chapter's name, Nissayavagga. Unlike every earlier nipāta transition, though, this opening discourse is not new content: it is AN 10.1's own Kimatthiyasutta, restated with one further line added to its closing chain.
The same chain, one line longer
AN 10.1's chain closed at its tenth link, the knowledge and vision of freedom. This version adds an eleventh: ‘skillful ethics progressively lead up to the highest’ — not a new stage in the sequence but an explicit naming of the sequence's own logic, giving this nipāta its numerical count without inventing new content.
Why the Elevens often work this way
Several discourses early in this nipāta will repeat content already met in the Tens, padded to eleven items by an added summary line, a further simile, or one more item folded into an existing list — a structural pattern worth watching for across this chapter rather than assuming each discourse is freshly composed.
Key terms
The text
Ten questions, chained
§1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Sir, what is the goal and benefit of skillful ethics?” “Ānanda, having no regrets is the goal and benefit of skillful ethics.” “But what is the goal and benefit of having no regrets?” “Joy is the goal and benefit of having no regrets.” “But what is the goal and benefit of joy?” “Rapture …” “But what is the goal and benefit of rapture?” “Tranquility …” “But what is the goal and benefit of tranquility?” “Bliss …” “But what is the goal and benefit of bliss?” “Immersion …” “But what is the goal and benefit of immersion?” “Truly knowing and seeing …” “But what is the goal and benefit of truly knowing and seeing?” “Disillusionment …” “But what is the goal and benefit of disillusionment?” “Dispassion …” “But what is the goal and benefit of dispassion?” “Knowledge and vision of freedom is the goal and benefit of dispassion.
The chain, restated in full
§2So, Ānanda, the goal and benefit of skillful ethics is not having regrets. Joy is the goal and benefit of not having regrets. Rapture is the goal and benefit of joy. Tranquility is the goal and benefit of rapture. Bliss is the goal and benefit of tranquility. Immersion is the goal and benefit of bliss. Truly knowing and seeing is the goal and benefit of immersion. Disillusionment is the goal and benefit of truly knowing and seeing. Dispassion is the goal and benefit of disillusionment. And knowledge and vision of freedom is the goal and benefit of dispassion. So, Ānanda, skillful ethics progressively lead up to the highest.”
Self-check quiz
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