Phāsuvihārasutta — Phāsuvihāravagga — the eleventh chapter of the Fives
Setting
None stated; the discourse continues from AN 5.1, whose setting at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove is understood to hold
Speakers
The Buddha alone, addressing the mendicants
Form
a single bare five-item list, naming kindness, shared ethics, and shared view
Length
~1 minute to read
Northern parallel
not identified in this collection
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — short, with a distinctive repeated qualifier
Why this discourse
Sharing its title with the whole chapter, and in English with AN 5.94, this discourse names an entirely different five items: consistent kindness toward companions, shared ethics, and shared view — comfortable living located entirely in relationship rather than in solitary meditative attainment.
Reading guide
Same title, a different sense
This discourse's title, Phāsuvihārasutta, is shared with the whole chapter (Phāsuvihāravagga) and, in English translation, with AN 5.94 from the previous chapter — but the five items it names are entirely different.
Threefold kindness
The first three ‘comfortable dwellings’ are, in fact, three expressions of a single quality: consistent kindness (mettā) toward spiritual companions by body, by speech, and by mind — maintained identically whether in public or in private, a qualifier repeated after every item in this list.
Shared ethics
The fourth item, living according to precepts held in common with companions, is described with a stock eightfold characterization: intact, impeccable, spotless, unmarred, liberating, praised by sensible people, not mistaken, and leading to immersion — again, explicitly ‘in public and in private’.
Shared view
The fifth item, holding a view in common with companions, is described as noble, emancipating, and leading to the complete ending of suffering — once more, ‘in public and in private’.
A different sense of 'living comfortably'
AN 5.94 named the four absorptions plus liberation as five comfortable dwellings, an entirely solitary, internal achievement. This discourse instead locates comfortable living entirely in relationship — consistent kindness and genuine, unperformed agreement with companions in conduct, precepts, and view.
What comes next
AN 5.106 puts this same territory into dialogue: Ānanda directly asks the Buddha how a mendicant can live comfortably within a monastic community, and receives an answer built from a different, escalating five-part formula.
Key terms
mettā — loving-kindness — the quality maintained toward companions by body, speech, and mind.
āvi ceva raho ca — “both in public and in private” — the phrase repeated after each item, emphasizing genuine consistency.
sīlasāmaññagata — living according to ethical precepts held in common with companions.
diṭṭhisāmaññagata — living according to a view held in common with companions.
ariyā niyyānikā — “noble and emancipating” — describing the shared view's character.
The text
The discourse in full: consistent kindness, shared ethics, and shared view, all maintained equally in public and in private. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
Five ways of living comfortably
§1“Mendicants, there are these five ways of living comfortably. What five? It’s when a mendicant consistently treats their spiritual companions with kindness by way of body, speech, and mind, both in public and in private. They live according to the precepts shared with their spiritual companions, both in public and in private. Those precepts are intact, impeccable, spotless, and unmarred, liberating, praised by sensible people, not mistaken, and leading to immersion. They live according to the view shared with their spiritual companions, both in public and in private. That view is noble and emancipating, and brings one who practices it to the complete ending of suffering. These are the five ways of living comfortably.”
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Self-check quiz
Ten questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.
Question 1 of 10
What title does this discourse share with the whole chapter, and with an earlier discourse?
Correct: B. Shared with Phāsuvihāravagga and, in English, with AN 5.94.
Question 2 of 10
How does AN 5.94's list of 'comfortable dwellings' differ from this discourse's?
Correct: B. Two entirely different senses of the same title.
Question 3 of 10
What are the first three items in this discourse's list, taken together?
Correct: B. A single quality expressed three ways.
Question 4 of 10
What phrase is repeated after each item in this list?
Correct: B. Emphasizing genuine, unperformed consistency.
Question 5 of 10
What is the fourth item?
Correct: B. Sīlasāmaññagata.
Question 6 of 10
How is the shared ethical precepts described, in this discourse's stock characterization?
Correct: B. An eightfold stock description.
Question 7 of 10
What is the fifth item?
Correct: A. Diṭṭhisāmaññagata.
Question 8 of 10
How is the shared view described?
Correct: B. Ariyā niyyānikā.
Question 9 of 10
Where does this discourse locate 'comfortable living'?
Correct: B. A relational, not solitary, sense of ease.
Question 10 of 10
What does AN 5.106 do with this same territory next?
Correct: B. A different, escalating five-part formula follows.
