Asekhasutta — 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
the same 'worthy of offerings' formula as AN 5.107, one term changed throughout; the source elides the repeated middle portion
Length
under 1 minute to read
Northern parallel
not identified in this collection
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — short, closely paired with AN 5.107
Why this discourse
AN 5.107's formula restated with one word changed throughout: each of the five components is now qualified as belonging to an ‘asekha’ — an adept who has completed the training and stands beyond it, in contrast to a ‘sekha’, a trainee still in progress.
Reading guide
One word changed
Identical five components and identical ‘worthy of offerings’ formula as AN 5.107, but each component is now qualified as belonging to an asekha — someone who has completed the training entirely.
Sekha and asekha, a distinction running through this nipāta
This discourse implicitly completes a thread already present at AN 5.89–90, which described a trainee's (sekha) decline, by naming what lies on the other side of training entirely.
'Khandha' instead of '-sampanna'
A small but real terminological shift: AN 5.107 spoke of being sampanna (accomplished, endowed) in each quality; this discourse instead names each as a khandha (aggregate, entire spectrum) belonging to the adept — emphasizing completeness and totality rather than simple possession.
The source's own compression
The source elides the discourse's middle portion with the standard Pali abbreviation mark, since the ‘worthy of offerings’ formula and the five qualities are worded almost identically to AN 5.107. This reading guide follows the source's own compression rather than inventing full restated text.
What comes next
AN 5.109 turns from the sekha/asekha distinction to an entirely new formula: what makes a mendicant ‘at ease in any quarter’.
Key terms
asekha — “an adept” — one who has completed the training, beyond a trainee (sekha).
sīlakkhandha — the whole aggregate, or entire spectrum, of ethics.
vimuttikkhandha — the entire spectrum of freedom.
peyyāla — the standard abbreviation mark used in the source for elided, near-identical repeated text.
sekha — trainee — contrasted directly with asekha, already the subject of AN 5.89–90.
The text
The discourse in full, as the source gives it: the same worthiness formula, qualified for one who has completed the training. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
The adept's complete spectrum
§1“Mendicants, a mendicant with five qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with cupped palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world. What five? It’s when they have the entire spectrum of the adept’s ethics, immersion, wisdom, freedom, and knowledge and vision of freedom. A mendicant with these five qualities … is the supreme field of merit for the world.”
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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 single word distinguishes this discourse's five qualities from AN 5.107's?
Correct: B. Naming the qualities as belonging to an adept.
Question 2 of 10
What does 'asekha' mean?
Correct: B. Beyond training entirely, in contrast to sekha.
Question 3 of 10
What is the opposite of 'asekha', already discussed earlier in this nipāta?
Correct: B. Trainee, the subject of AN 5.89–90.
Question 4 of 10
What word does this discourse use for each quality, instead of AN 5.107's 'sampanna'?
Correct: A. Aggregate, or entire spectrum.
Question 5 of 10
What does 'khandha' emphasize, compared to 'sampanna'?
Correct: B. The entire spectrum, not just having a quality.
Question 6 of 10
Why does the source text elide much of this discourse's middle portion?
Correct: B. Standard compression for near-identical repeated material.
Question 7 of 10
What mark does the source use to indicate this elision?
Correct: A. The standard Pali abbreviation mark.
Question 8 of 10
Does this reading guide invent full text to fill the elided portions?
Correct: B. Consistent with this project's standing practice.
Question 9 of 10
Where was 'sekha' previously the direct subject of two discourses in this nipāta?
