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Aṅguttara Nikāya · Discourse 7.34

Easy to Admonish (1st)

Paṭhamasovacassatāsutta — Devatāvagga — the fourth chapter of the Sevens

Setting
None stated in the source
Speakers
The Buddha, retelling a deity's nighttime visit to the mendicants
Form
The identical five-item core as AN 7.32/33, closing on a pair already met once before in this series
Length
under 1 minute to read
Northern parallel
Being easy to admonish paired with good friendship as a joint safeguard recurs widely across the Chinese Āgamas' monastic conduct material; this reading guide does not assert a specific matching sutra number
Difficulty
★★☆☆☆ — the same five-item core as its two predecessors, closing on a pair this series has specifically met once before, at AN 6.69

Why this discourse

AN 7.34 repeats AN 7.32/33's five-item core and closes on a pair this series has met once before, at AN 6.69 in the previous nipāta: being easy to admonish (sovacassatā, this discourse's own title term) and good friendship — the same closing pair, now applied to the extended five-item core rather than AN 6.69's four-item one.

Reading guide

The teaching in one sentence

Respect for the Teacher, the teaching, the Saṅgha, the training, and immersion, together with being easy to admonish and good friendship, prevents a mendicant trainee's decline.

A closing pair matching AN 6.69 exactly

Sovacassatā (being easy to admonish) and kalyāṇamittatā (good friendship) were already named together as the fifth and sixth items of AN 6.69's own respect formula in the Sixes. This discourse repeats that exact pair, making it the first of this series' several 'respect' variants to reuse a closing pair rather than introduce a new one.

Seven appearances, now with a genuine repeat

Counting AN 6.32, 6.33, 6.40, 6.69, AN 7.32, and 7.33, this is the seventh time this series has met some version of the respect formula — and the first time a closing pair has repeated exactly rather than varying, confirming that this formula's closing items form a limited, recurring set rather than an inexhaustible supply of fresh substitutions.

AN 7.35, immediately following, restates this exact same list

Unlike the pattern of AN 7.32/33 introducing new pairs, AN 7.35 will repeat this discourse's exact seven items again, differing only in how the teaching closes: with Sāriputta's detailed exposition rather than a summary verse.

Key terms

satthugāravatā, dhammagāravatā, saṅghagāravatā, sikkhāgāravatā, samādhigāravatā — the same five-item core as AN 7.32 and 7.33: respect for the Teacher, the teaching, the Saṅgha, the training, and immersion.
sovacassatā — “being easy to admonish” — this discourse's own title term and sixth item, matching AN 6.69's closing pair exactly.
kalyāṇamittatā — “good friendship” — the seventh and closing item, likewise matching AN 6.69.
hiri, ottappa — “conscience, prudence” — AN 7.33's own closing pair, absent from this discourse's version.
appamāda, pāricariyā — “diligence, hospitality” — AN 7.32's closing pair, likewise absent here.

The text

The discourse in full: the Buddha's retelling of a deity's visit, closing on being easy to admonish and good friendship. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

The Buddha retells the deity's visit

§1“Mendicants, tonight a deity … said to me: ‘Sir, these seven things don’t lead to the decline of a mendicant trainee. What seven? Respect for the Teacher, for the teaching, for the Saṅgha, for the training, for immersion; being easy to admonish, and good friendship. These seven things don’t lead to the decline of a mendicant trainee.’ That is what that deity said. Then he bowed and respectfully circled me, keeping me on his right side, before vanishing right there. Respect for the Teacher and the teaching, and keen respect for the Saṅgha; respect for immersion, being energetic, and keen respect for the training.

The closing verse

§2One with good friends, easy to admonish, reverential and respectful, can’t decline, and has drawn near to extinguishment.”

· · ·

Self-check quiz

6 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.

Question 1 of 6
What closing pair does this discourse share exactly with an earlier discourse in this series?
Correct: B. The first exact repeat of a closing pair among this series' respect formula variants.
Question 2 of 6
What does the guide say this exact repeat confirms about this formula's closing items?
Correct: B. A finite pool of pairs the tradition draws from repeatedly.
Question 3 of 6
How many times has this series now met some version of the respect formula, counting this discourse?
Correct: B. A formula this series has tracked carefully across two nipātas.
Question 4 of 6
What does AN 7.35, immediately following, do with this discourse's exact content?
Correct: B. Same content, different closing treatment — echoing AN 6.69's own structure.
Question 5 of 6
Is a setting stated for AN 7.34?
Correct: B. A bare formula, following AN 7.33 immediately before it.
Question 6 of 6
What does sovacassatā mean?
Correct: B. This discourse's own title term and sixth item.
Answered 0 of 6 · Correct 0

Further reading

← PreviousAN 7.33 · Respect for Conscience