Rajanīyasutta — Theravagga — the ninth 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
two paired five-item lists, both closing with an identical verdict formula
Length
~1 minute to read
Northern parallel
not identified in this collection
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — short, with one repeating grammatical pattern to notice
Why this discourse
Theravagga opens by turning from warriors and future perils to community relationships: what makes a senior mendicant (thera) liked or disliked by their own companions. Five terms, each built on the same grammatical shape — a gerundive noun paired with its matching verb — describe basic unmindful reactivity to what is desirable, hateful, delusory, irritating, and intoxicating.
Reading guide
A new chapter, a new subject
After warriors and future perils, this chapter turns inward to how a senior mendicant is regarded by fellow monks. ‘Thera’ specifically names monastic seniority, and the whole chapter, largely, will ask what earns that senior standing genuine respect — or forfeits it.
Five terms, one shared grammar
Each of the five items pairs a gerundive noun with its exact matching verb: rajanīye rajjati (‘in the desirable, desires’), dussanīye dussati (‘in the hateful, hates’), mohanīye muyhati (‘in the delusory, is deluded’), kuppanīye kuppati (‘in the annoying, is upset’), and madanīye majjati (‘in the intoxicating, is intoxicated’) — five variations on a single grammatical shape, each naming the ordinary reactive response to its matching stimulus.
What's absent is the point
None of the five items names a specific misdeed or broken rule; simply reacting unmindfully to ordinary stimuli — wanting what is desirable, resenting what is hateful, and so on — is enough on its own to make a senior mendicant unlikable to companions.
The mirrored positive
The second list negates all five terms exactly, adding nothing and subtracting nothing: the beloved senior mendicant is described purely by the absence of the same five reactions.
The chapter's format, in advance
Most of this chapter's ten discourses will repeat this same paired short-list structure. A few — AN 5.86, 5.87, and 5.88 — break from it, offering only a single list without a paired opposite, worth noticing when they arrive.
What comes next
AN 5.82 restates the identical paired structure with a more familiar trio of terms: greed, hatred, and delusion.
Key terms
thera — “senior” — a mendicant of advanced standing; this chapter's title term.
rajanīya / rajjati — “the desirable” / “to desire it” — the first of the five paired terms.
sabrahmacārī — “spiritual companions”, fellow monks — whose regard is at stake throughout this chapter.
abhāvanīya / bhāvanīya — “not respected” / “respected” — the qualifier terms bracketing each list in this chapter.
madanīya / majjati — “the intoxicating” / “to be intoxicated by it” — the fifth of the five paired terms.
The text
The discourse in full: five paired unlikable qualities, then their five negated, beloved counterparts. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
Unlikable
§1“Mendicants, a senior mendicant with five qualities is unlikable and disagreeable to their spiritual companions, not respected or admired. What five? They desire the desirable, they hate the hateful, they’re deluded by the delusory, they’re annoyed by the annoying, and they’re intoxicated by the intoxicating. A senior mendicant with these five qualities is unlikable and disagreeable by their spiritual companions, not respected or admired.
Dear and beloved
§2A senior mendicant with five qualities is dear and beloved to their spiritual companions, respected and admired. What five? They don’t desire the desirable, they don’t hate the hateful, they’re not deluded by the delusory, they’re not annoyed by the annoying, and they’re not intoxicated by the intoxicating. A senior mendicant with these five qualities is dear and beloved to their spiritual companions, respected and admired.”
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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: B. The ninth chapter of the Fives.
Question 2 of 10
What determines whether a senior mendicant is liked or disliked, according to this discourse?
Correct: B. Five paired terms describing reactivity, not specific misdeeds.
Question 3 of 10
What grammatical pattern do the five terms share?
Correct: B. E.g. rajanīye rajjati — 'in the desirable, desires'.
Question 4 of 10
What is the first of the five paired terms?
Correct: B. Rajanīya/rajjati opens the list.
Question 5 of 10
Is any of the five items a specific misdeed, like breaking a monastic rule?
Correct: B. The absence of any named misdeed is itself the point.
Question 6 of 10
How is the 'beloved' list constructed relative to the 'unlikable' list?
Correct: B. A pure negation of the first list.
Question 7 of 10
What word names a mendicant's fellow monks throughout this chapter?
Correct: B. Spiritual companions — the audience whose regard is at stake.
Question 8 of 10
What does 'thera' mean, and what role does it play in this chapter?
Correct: B. Theravagga, 'Senior Mendicants', takes its name from this term.
Question 9 of 10
Will most of this chapter's discourses repeat this two-sided list structure?
Correct: B. AN 5.86–88 break from the pattern, as noted in the guide.
Question 10 of 10
What does AN 5.82 restate with a more familiar trio of terms?
Correct: B. Rāga, dosa, and moha, alongside two additional interpersonal faults.
