Paṭhamavuḍḍhapabbajitasutta — Nīvaraṇavagga — the 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
A single sentence naming five qualities, each marked individually as rare
Length
~20 seconds to read
Northern parallel
Observations about the practical challenges facing those who ordain later in life recur across Vinaya-adjacent literature in the Chinese tradition; this reading guide does not assert a specific matching sutra number
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — brief, and notably free of any judgment against those it describes
Why this discourse
This discourse names something practical rather than doctrinal: five qualities rarely found together in a person who has gone forth when old, entered monastic life later than the more typical youth. Each quality is marked rare individually, not collectively, which changes what the discourse is actually claiming.
Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
It is hard to find someone gone forth when old who is sophisticated, well-presented, learned, able to teach the Dhamma, and has memorized the monastic law.
Rarity, marked five times, not once
The Pāli repeats dullabho, hard to find, before each of the five qualities individually, rather than stating once that the whole package is rare. This is a small but real structural difference: the discourse is not only claiming the combination is uncommon, but that each individual quality on its own is not easily found in this specific population — late ordainees.
No judgment attached
Nothing in this discourse criticizes those who ordain late in life, or suggests they should not have done so. It states a practical observation — certain qualities useful for teaching and preserving the monastic law take time most late ordainees have not had within the tradition — without moralizing about why someone came to the practice when they did.
A companion discourse follows immediately
AN 5.60, the very next discourse, names a second set of five qualities equally rare in the same population, closing both this pair and the chapter itself. Together the two discourses give ten distinct qualities, none of them redundant with the other five, all concerning the same specific group.
Key terms
vuḍḍhapabbajita — “one gone forth when old” — this discourse’s subject, someone who ordained later in life than the more typical youth.
nipuṇa — “sophisticated, subtle” — the first of the five rare qualities.
ākappasampanna — “well-presented” — the second quality, concerning bearing and outward conduct.
dhammakathika — “one who can teach the Dhamma” — the fourth quality, a specific practical skill rather than personal virtue.
vinayadhara — “one who has memorized the monastic law” — the fifth quality, the kind of retention this nipāta has already marked as requiring time.
The text
The discourse in full: five qualities, each named rare in someone gone forth when old. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1“Mendicants, it’s hard to find someone gone forth when old who has five qualities. What five? It’s hard to find someone gone forth when old who is sophisticated, well-presented, and learned, who can teach Dhamma, and has memorized the monastic law. It’s hard to find someone gone forth when old who possesses these five qualities.”
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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 qualities does this discourse say are hard to find in someone gone forth when old?
Correct: B. Practical, skill-based qualities, not moral judgments.
Question 2 of 10
How does the Pāli mark rarity — once for the whole set, or individually?
Correct: B. Each quality is claimed rare on its own, not only in combination.
Question 3 of 10
Does this discourse criticize those who ordain later in life?
Correct: B. A neutral, practical framing rather than a judgment.
Question 4 of 10
What does the guide say explains why these qualities might be rare in late ordainees specifically?
Correct: B. A practical, time-based explanation rather than a claim about fixed capacity.
Question 5 of 10
What does AN 5.60, the very next discourse, do?
Correct: B. Ten distinct qualities across the two discourses, none repeated.
Question 6 of 10
What does 'vinayadhara' mean?
Correct: B. The fifth quality, requiring significant time within the tradition to acquire.
Question 7 of 10
Is 'dhammakathika', ability to teach the Dhamma, a matter of personal virtue or practical skill?
Correct: B. A skill-based quality, consistent with the discourse's practical framing.
Question 8 of 10
How long is this discourse?
Correct: B. One of the shortest discourses in this chapter.
Question 9 of 10
Does this discourse offer a simile or narrative illustration?
Correct: B. Consistent with the discourse's terse, practical form.
Question 10 of 10
Where is AN 5.59 set?
Correct: B. Consistent with the default setting used throughout this nipāta when nothing new is stated.
