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
AN 5.303–304's structure, with a chained progression in place of a flat list
Length
under 1 minute to read
Northern parallel
not identified in this collection
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — short, the third of five parallel opening discourses
Why this discourse
The third development list under this chapter's shared frame, and structurally different from the first two: not five separate topics, but a single progressive chain, already given in full at AN 5.72 — impermanence, then suffering within impermanence, then not-self within that suffering, then giving up, then fading away.
Reading guide
A chain, not a flat list
Where AN 5.303 and AN 5.304 each named five separate perceptions side by side, this discourse's five items form a single deepening sequence, already explained in full at AN 5.72: each step builds directly on the realization of the one before it.
The chain itself
Impermanence noticed first; then the suffering bound up in anything impermanent; then the absence of any self within that suffering; then a resulting willingness to give up; and finally the fading away of what has been given up — five stages, not five topics.
Why this list qualifies alongside the other four
Despite its different internal shape, this five-item chain fits the same ‘five things should be developed’ slot as AN 5.303's and AN 5.304's flat lists and AN 5.306–307's faculty and power lists to come: the chapter's combinatorial frame does not require its five development-lists to share a common internal structure, only a common count.
A formula found widely elsewhere
As already noted at AN 5.72, this particular five-step chain — impermanence, suffering, not-self, giving up, fading away — is a well-known formula found widely across the early canon, not unique to this collection.
What follows
AN 5.306 supplies a fourth development list, and it is one this project has met many times before: the five faculties that opened this entire book.
Key terms
aniccasaññā — the perception of impermanence, the first link in this discourse's chain.
dukkhe anattasaññā — “the perception of not-self within suffering” — the third link, building directly on the second.
pahānasaññā, virāgasaññā — the perceptions of giving up and fading away — the chain's final two links.
rāgassa abhiññāya — “for insight into greed” — the identical frame shared by all five opening discourses of this chapter.
bhāvetabbā — “should be developed” — this chapter's recurring instruction verb, applying equally to a flat list or a chained sequence.
The text
The discourse in full: a progressive five-step chain, 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 perception of impermanence, the perception of suffering in impermanence, the perception of not-self in suffering, the perception of giving up, and the perception of fading away. 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 structural difference sets this discourse's five items apart from AN 5.303–304's?
Correct: A. Already explained in full at AN 5.72.
Question 2 of 10
What are the five links in this discourse's chain, in order?
Correct: A. Each step builds directly on the realization of the one before it.
Question 3 of 10
Where does this exact chain already appear in full?
Correct: A. This project's earlier, full explanation of the same five-step sequence.
Question 4 of 10
What does the guide say about this chapter's combinatorial frame accepting both flat lists and chains?
Correct: A. AN 5.303–304's flat lists and this discourse's chain both fill the identical formula slot.
Question 5 of 10
What does the guide note about how widely this particular five-step chain appears?
Correct: A. Already noted at AN 5.72.
Question 6 of 10
What development list does AN 5.306 supply next?
Correct: A. The formula that opened this entire book, about to make a full-circle return.
Question 7 of 10
What is 'dukkhe anattasaññā'?
Correct: A. Building directly on the chain's second link, suffering within impermanence.
Question 8 of 10
How many discourses total make up this chapter's opening set of parallel discourses?
Correct: A. Each supplying one of five development-lists under the identical frame.
Question 9 of 10
What verb governs this discourse's instruction?
Correct: A. Unchanged from AN 5.303–304.
Question 10 of 10
What did AN 5.71, the twin this chain's source discourse pairs with, use instead of a chain?
Correct: A. Already noted at AN 5.72, this discourse's own source.
