Macchariyappahānasutta — Upasampadāvagga — the twenty-sixth 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 five-item list as AN 5.254, reframed around a single verb of purpose
Length
under 1 minute to read
Northern parallel
not identified in this collection
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — short, restating AN 5.254's list under a new frame
Why this discourse
The same five stinginess domains from AN 5.254, restated once more, but under a different and stronger frame: not simply a list, and not ranked, but named directly as what the entire holy life (brahmacariya) is lived in order to abandon.
Reading guide
The same list, a stronger claim
Dwellings, families, material things, praise, and the teachings — the identical five domains from AN 5.254. What changes here is not the list but the claim made about it: this discourse states that the spiritual life itself is lived (vussati) specifically to give up and cut out (pahānāya samucchedāya) these five.
A purpose statement, not a ranking
AN 5.254 closed by ranking the five; this discourse instead makes a purpose claim, repeating the identical ‘given up and cut out’ formula across all five domains individually before restating it once more for the set as a whole.
Two verbs, both strong
Pahāna (giving up) and samuccheda (cutting out, uprooting) are paired throughout, not left as a single softer verb. The discourse is not describing gradual reduction; it names complete removal as the standard.
Framing the whole holy life around five specific faults
Naming five particular faults as the very purpose of an entire spiritual life is a strong claim. It sits alongside other places in this collection where a single narrow concern is treated as encapsulating the whole of practice, rather than diminishing the discourse's ambition, this framing raises the stakes of the ordinary-sounding fault of stinginess.
What follows
AN 5.256 turns the same five domains into a direct attainment-blocking formula: stinginess not yet given up prevents entering the first absorption.
Key terms
brahmacariya — “the holy life” — the entire spiritual path, here said to be lived specifically to abandon these five stinginess domains.
pahānāya samucchedāya — “to give up and cut out” — the paired verb formula naming complete removal, not gradual reduction.
vussati — “is lived” — the verb naming the holy life itself as the vehicle for this abandonment.
macchariya — “stinginess” — the identical five-domain formula carried over unchanged from AN 5.254.
samuccheda — “cutting out” or “uprooting” — a stronger image than simple relinquishment, implying removal at the root.
The text
The discourse in full: the same five domains, reframed as the holy life's own purpose. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
The purpose of the holy life
§1“Mendicants, the spiritual life is lived to give up and cut out these five kinds of stinginess. What five? Stinginess with dwellings, families, material things, praise, and the teachings. The spiritual life is lived to give up and cut out these five kinds of stinginess.”
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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 five domains does this discourse name?
Correct: A. Identical to AN 5.254's list, unchanged.
Question 2 of 10
How does this discourse's claim differ from AN 5.254's?
Correct: A. AN 5.254 ranked the five; this discourse frames them as the practice's purpose.
Question 3 of 10
What two verbs does the discourse pair for how these five should be handled?
Correct: A. Both name complete removal, not gradual reduction.
Question 4 of 10
What does 'brahmacariya' mean in this discourse?
Correct: A. Said here to be lived specifically to abandon these five stinginess domains.
Question 5 of 10
What does the guide say about naming five specific faults as the holy life's whole purpose?
Correct: A. Read alongside other places in this collection where a narrow concern encapsulates the whole of practice.
Question 6 of 10
What does 'samuccheda' add beyond simple relinquishment?
Correct: A. Paired with pahāna throughout the discourse.
Question 7 of 10
What does AN 5.256 do with this same five-domain list next?
Correct: A. The next stage in this chapter's developing treatment of stinginess.
Question 8 of 10
How is this discourse's form described?
Correct: A. Restating rather than expanding the list itself.
Question 9 of 10
What did AN 5.254 do with this five-domain list that this discourse does not repeat?
Correct: A. This discourse instead makes a purpose claim rather than a ranking.
Question 10 of 10
What formula is repeated individually for each of the five domains before being restated for the set as a whole?
Correct: A. The paired-verb purpose formula, run across each domain.
