Paṭhamasammattaniyāmasutta — Saddhammavagga — the sixteenth 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
two paired five-item lists, on what determines whether hearing the teaching actually takes hold
Length
~1 minute to read
Northern parallel
not identified in this collection
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — short, opening a new chapter's central concern
Why this discourse
This chapter opens with a striking claim: even genuinely good teaching, ‘the true teaching’ itself, can fail to take hold if the listener's own internal state prevents it — ‘stepping into the sure path’ toward skillful qualities depends as much on how one listens as on what is being taught.
Reading guide
The sure path, and what blocks it
Niyāma names a fixed, sure course — a point past which progress toward skillful qualities becomes settled. This discourse names five qualities that prevent someone from stepping onto that path, even while genuinely listening to true teaching.
Three kinds of disparagement
Disparaging the talk itself, disparaging the speaker, and — notably — disparaging oneself. Self-disparagement is included alongside contempt for the teacher or teaching, suggesting low self-regard disqualifies a listener just as thoroughly as arrogance does.
Distraction and irrational attention
Listening with a scattered, disunified mind, and applying the mind irrationally (ayoniso manasikāra) round out the list — naming basic attentional and interpretive failures alongside the three forms of contempt.
The mirrored positive
Not disparaging the talk, speaker, or oneself; listening with an unscattered, unified mind; and applying the mind rationally — the clean negation, opening the path this discourse names.
What comes next
AN 5.152 restates the same opening three-item pattern, swapping the closing two items for intellectual capacity and a specific epistemic failure: believing one knows what one doesn't.
Key terms
niyāma — “the sure path” — a fixed course toward skillful qualities, this discourse's central concept.
kathaṁ paribhoti / kathikaṁ paribhoti / attānaṁ paribhoti — disparaging the talk, the speaker, or oneself — the three forms of contempt named.
vikkhittacitta — “scattered, disunified mind” — the fourth disqualifying quality.
ayoniso manasikāra — “irrational attention” — applying the mind without proper reflection.
saddhamma — “the true teaching” — this chapter's title concept, at stake throughout.
The text
The discourse in full: five qualities that block the sure path, and their opposite. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
Unable to step into the sure path
§1“Mendicants, someone with five qualities is unable to step into the sure path with regards to skillful qualities even when listening to the true teaching. What five? They disparage the talk, the speaker, or themselves. They listen with scattered and disunified mind. They apply the mind irrationally. Someone with these five qualities is unable to step into the sure path with regards to skillful qualities, even when listening to the true teaching.
Able to step into the sure path
§2Someone with five qualities is able to step into the sure path with regards to skillful qualities when listening to the true teaching. What five? They don’t disparage the talk, the speaker, or themselves. They listen with unscattered and unified mind. They apply the mind rationally. Someone with these five qualities is able to step into the sure path with regards to skillful qualities when listening to the true teaching.”
· · ·
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 does 'niyāma' name?
Correct: A. This discourse's central concept.
Question 2 of 10
What three kinds of disparagement does this discourse name?
Correct: A. Self-disparagement included alongside contempt for talk and speaker.
Question 3 of 10
Why is self-disparagement's inclusion notable?
Correct: B. A subtle psychological observation.
Question 4 of 10
What does 'ayoniso manasikāra' mean?
Correct: A. One of the five disqualifying qualities.
Question 5 of 10
What does 'vikkhittacitta' describe?
Correct: A. The fourth disqualifying quality.
Question 6 of 10
According to this discourse, what determines whether teaching takes hold?
Correct: B. Even genuinely good teaching can fail to take hold.
Question 7 of 10
How is the positive list constructed relative to the negative one?
Correct: B. A clean mirror image.
Question 8 of 10
What chapter does this discourse open?
Correct: B. The sixteenth chapter, 'The True Teaching'.
Question 9 of 10
What does 'saddhamma' mean?
Correct: A. This chapter's title concept.
Question 10 of 10
What does AN 5.152 do with this discourse's opening three-item pattern?
Correct: B. A companion discourse continuing this chapter's opening pattern.
