Reading guide
A concrete historical setting
Around five hundred Licchavis — a real clan associated with Vesālī — are gathered at the Sārandada Shrine, discussing how rare the appearance of five treasures is: the elephant-treasure, the horse-treasure, the jewel-treasure, the woman-treasure, and the householder-treasure.
An invitation, and a gentle rebuke
The Licchavis, seeing the Buddha pass on his almsround, send a lookout and invite him to join them. After hearing what they'd been discussing, the Buddha responds directly: ‘You Licchavis are so fixated on sensual pleasures, that's the only discussion that came up!’ — a notably direct, mild rebuke before he offers his own list.
Five spiritual treasures, item for item
The appearance of a Realized One; a teacher who proclaims the teaching and training a Realized One has taught; an individual who understands that teaching; an individual who practices in line with it; and an individual who is grateful and thankful (kataññū katavedī) — five items matching the worldly list's five-slot structure, letting the two comment on each other.
Gratitude, the striking final item
The closing item deserves particular attention: gratitude itself is named as a rare treasure, placed on the same level as the appearance of a Realized One in the world — a memorable, deliberately startling claim about how rare genuine gratitude actually is.
What comes next
AN 5.144 gives this chapter its own title, at a different named location: a sophisticated teaching on deliberately practicing perception against its natural grain.
Key terms
The text
The Licchavis' discussion
§1At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof. Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Vesālī for alms. Now at that time around five hundred Licchavis were sitting together at the Sārandada Shrine, and this discussion came up among them, “The appearance of five treasures is rare in the world. What five? The elephant-treasure, the horse-treasure, the jewel-treasure, the woman-treasure, and the householder-treasure. The appearance of these five treasures is rare in the world.”
An invitation to the shrine
§2Then those Licchavis sent a man out on to the road, saying, “My friend, please tell us when you see the Buddha.” That man saw the Buddha coming off in the distance. He went to the Licchavis and said, “Sirs, the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha is coming. Please go at your convenience.” Then those Licchavis went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him, “Please go to the Sārandada Shrine, out of sympathy.” The Buddha consented with silence. Then the Buddha went up to the Sārandada Shrine, where he sat on the seat spread out, and said to the Licchavis, “Licchavis, what were you sitting talking about just now? What conversation was left unfinished?” “Well, worthy Gotama, this discussion came up among us while we were sitting together:
Five spiritual treasures
§3“You Licchavis are so fixated on sensual pleasures, that’s the only discussion that came up! Licchavis, the appearance of five treasures is rare in the world. What five? The appearance of a Realized One, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha. A teacher of the teaching and training proclaimed by a Realized One. An individual who understands the teaching and training proclaimed by a Realized One. An individual who practices in line with the teaching. An individual who is grateful and thankful. The appearance of these five treasures is rare in the world.”
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