No Pali title given in the source, marked only by a tilde — Rāgapeyyāla, the twenty-ninth and final 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 five-item list of things to be developed, stated once
Length
under 1 minute to read
Northern parallel
not identified in this collection
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — short, opening the Fives' final chapter
Why this discourse
This chapter opens the Fives' closing peyyāla, the same kind of combinatorial appendix that closed the Threes and the Fours in this project. This first discourse restates a formula already met in full at AN 5.61: five perceptions, now framed not as a chapter's opening topic but as what should be developed ‘for insight into greed’.
Reading guide
The Fives' final chapter begins
The Rāgapeyyāla (“Abbreviated Texts Beginning With Greed”) is this book's closing appendix, matching the same combinatorial device that closed the Threes at AN 3.183–352 and the Fours at AN 4.304–783: a defilement list crossed against a sequence of verbs, here crossed against a further dimension unique to this chapter, a rotating set of five-item development lists.
A perception list already met in full
The five items named here — the perceptions of ugliness, death, drawbacks, food's repulsiveness, and dissatisfaction with the whole world — are identical to AN 5.61, this project's very first encounter with the Saññāvagga's chapter-opening list.
A new frame: insight into greed
Where AN 5.61 introduced these five perceptions on their own terms, this discourse reframes them entirely: they are what should be developed (bhāvetabbā) specifically ‘for insight into greed’ (rāgassa abhiññāya) — the first term in what becomes, across this chapter, a lengthening cross-product of defilements, verbs, and development-lists.
Untitled, and why
Unlike almost every other discourse in this book, the Pali source gives this discourse no title of its own, marked only by a tilde in the outline. This reading guide supplies a plain, functional label rather than inventing a title the source does not provide.
What follows
AN 5.304 through AN 5.307 restate this identical ‘for insight into greed’ frame four more times, each with a different five-item development list, before the chapter's single giant merged page takes over the entire remaining cross-product.
Key terms
rāga — “greed” — this chapter's title concept, and the first item in the seventeen-item defilement list already used to close the Threes and the Fours.
abhiññā — “insight” or “direct knowledge” — the first of ten verbs this chapter will eventually run against every defilement.
asubhasaññā, maraṇasaññā, ādīnavasaññā — the perceptions of ugliness, death, and drawbacks — three of this discourse's five items, identical to AN 5.61.
āhāre paṭikūlasaññā, sabbaloke anabhiratasaññā — the perceptions of food's repulsiveness and dissatisfaction with the whole world — the remaining two items, also identical to AN 5.61.
bhāvetabbā — “should be developed” — the verb naming this chapter's central instruction, applied identically across every combination to come.
The text
The discourse in full: five perceptions, reframed as what should be developed for insight into greed. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
Five things to develop, for insight into greed
§1“For insight into greed, five things should be developed. What five? The perceptions of ugliness, death, drawbacks, repulsiveness of food, and dissatisfaction with the whole world. For insight into greed, these five things should be developed.”
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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 chapter does this discourse open?
Correct: A. This session's twenty-ninth and final chapter of the Fives.
Question 2 of 10
Where does this exact five-item perception list already appear in full?
Correct: A. There introduced on its own terms; here reframed around greed.
Question 3 of 10
What new frame does this discourse place around the five perceptions?
Correct: A. 'Bhāvetabbā... rāgassa abhiññāya' — should be developed for insight into greed.
Question 4 of 10
Why does this discourse have no individual title in the Pali source?
Correct: A. Consistent with this chapter's terse, formulaic style throughout.
Question 5 of 10
What combinatorial devices did this project already meet, closing earlier books?
Correct: A. The same defilement-times-verb combinatorial mechanism, now with a third dimension added.
Question 6 of 10
What does 'rāga' mean, and what is its place in the seventeen-item defilement list?
Correct: A. This chapter's title concept and starting point.
Question 7 of 10
What does 'abhiññā' mean?
Correct: A. The specific verb naming this discourse's particular combination.
Question 8 of 10
How many more discourses restate this same 'insight into greed' frame with a different five-item list, before the chapter's giant merged page takes over?
Correct: A. AN 5.303–307 together establish all five development-lists individually.
Question 9 of 10
What does 'bhāvetabbā' mean?
Correct: A. This chapter's central recurring instruction verb.
Question 10 of 10
How is this discourse's form described?
Correct: A. Among the shortest and most formulaic discourses in this entire book.
