Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
Just as great sal trees grow, supported by the Himalayas, in their branches, bark, shoots, softwood, and hardwood, a family grows, supported by a faithful family head, in faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom.
A third tree, a third use
AN 5.24's tree measured the absence or presence of branches and foliage against four inner parts failing or succeeding to grow. AN 5.38's banyan sheltered visitors beneath it. This discourse's sal trees do neither; they grow themselves, in five named parts, and the simile's point is growth as a process rather than either structural support or shelter. Three trees, three distinct jobs, across one chapter.
Five qualities, a set met before under a different frame
Saddhā, sīla, suta, cāga, paññā — faith, ethics, learning, generosity, wisdom — is a standard grouping of lay virtues, distinct from every five-item power list this nipāta has used for monastics. Learning and generosity, in particular, have not appeared together as named qualities to be developed anywhere earlier in the Fives; this is their first joint appearance.
Who grows, and who is credited
The discourse is explicit about direction: it is the antojana, the household’s members — children, partners, kin, colleagues, dependents — who grow, supported by the family head, not the reverse. The verses extend this further: those who see the family head's ethical conduct, generosity, and good deeds do likewise, a direct claim that a household's character propagates outward from whoever leads it by example rather than instruction.
Closing the chapter
This is the fourth chapter to close with the same colophon structure explained in full at AN 5.10: a naming verse, Sumanavaggo catuttho, and the chapter's own untranslated uddāna, compressing all ten titles — Sumanā, Cundī, Uggaha, Sīha, the benefits of giving, timely gifts and food, faith, and so on — into a chantable mnemonic. The next chapter, Muṇḍarājavagga, turns to a specific king.
Key terms
The text
Great sal trees, growing in five ways
§1“Mendicants, great sal trees grow in five ways supported by the Himalayas, the king of mountains. What five? The branches, leaves, and foliage; the bark; the shoots; the softwood; and the hardwood. Great sal trees grow in these five ways supported by the Himalayas, the king of mountains.
A family, growing in five ways
§2In the same way, a family grows in five ways supported by a family head with faith. What five? Faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom. A family grows in these five ways supported by a family head with faith.
The closing verses
§3Supported by the mountain crags in the wilds, the formidable forest, the tree grows to become lord of the forest.
§4So too, when the family head is ethical and faithful, supported by them, they grow: children, partners, and kin, colleagues, relatives, and those dependent for their livelihood.
§5Seeing the ethical conduct of the virtuous, the generosity and good deeds, those who see clearly do likewise.
§6Having practiced the teaching here, the path that goes to a good place, they delight in the heavenly realm, enjoying all the pleasures they desire.”
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