Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
Five vital conditions support the development of the qualities on the side of awakening — good friends, ethical conduct, encouraging talk, roused energy, and wisdom into arising and passing away — and a mendicant grounded on these five should develop four further things: the perception of ugliness to give up greed, love to give up hate, mindfulness of breathing to cut off thinking, and the perception of impermanence to uproot the conceit ‘I am’.
A new nipāta, and this chapter's own namesake
As with every new nipāta before it, the Book of the Nines opens with a discourse that lends its own subject — sambodhi, awakening — to the chapter's very name, Sambodhivagga.
Rehearsed for outsiders, then stated in full
The discourse opens unusually: the Buddha first asks the mendicants how they would answer if wanderers of other religions questioned them, has them defer with the standard formula (“our teachings are rooted in the Buddha”), and only then states the five vital conditions himself, in full, for the mendicants to carry back out into such conversations.
Five conditions, then four further things
The five vital conditions are social and ethical scaffolding — good friends, discipline, encouraging talk, energy, and insight into impermanence. Grounded on that base, four further practices target specific defilements one at a time: ugliness against greed, love against hate, breath-mindfulness against discursive thinking, and impermanence against the conceit ‘I am’ — the same five-plus-four structure recurs almost verbatim at AN 9.3, addressed to a named disciple in a very different narrative setting.
Key terms
The text
Rehearsing an answer for outsiders
§1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants:
§2“Mendicants, if wanderers of other religions were to ask: ‘Reverends, what is the vital condition for the development of the qualities on the same side as awakening?’ How would you answer them?” “Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. … The mendicants will listen and remember it.” “Well then, mendicants, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:
Five vital conditions, stated in full
§3“Mendicants, if wanderers of other religions were to ask: ‘Reverends, what is the vital condition for the development of the qualities on the same side as awakening?’ You should answer them:
§4‘It’s when a mendicant has good friends, companions, and associates. This is the first vital condition for the development of the awakening factors.
§5Furthermore, a mendicant is ethical, restrained in the monastic code, conducting themselves well and resorting for alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken. This is the second vital condition for the development of the qualities on the same side as awakening.
§6Furthermore, a mendicant gets to take part in talk about self-effacement that helps open the heart, when they want, without trouble or difficulty. That is, talk about fewness of wishes, contentment, seclusion, aloofness, arousing energy, ethics, immersion, wisdom, freedom, and the knowledge and vision of freedom. This is the third vital condition for the development of the qualities on the same side as awakening.
§7Furthermore, a mendicant lives with energy roused up for giving up unskillful qualities and embracing skillful qualities. They are strong, staunchly vigorous, not slacking off when it comes to developing skillful qualities. This is the fourth vital condition for the development of the qualities on the same side as awakening.
§8Furthermore, a mendicant is wise. They have the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering. This is the fifth vital condition for the development of the qualities on the same side as awakening.’
§9A mendicant with good friends, companions, and associates can expect to be ethical … A mendicant with good friends, companions, and associates can expect to take part in talk about self-effacement that helps open the heart … A mendicant with good friends, companions, and associates can expect to live with energy roused up … A mendicant with good friends, companions, and associates can expect to be wise …
Four further things
§10But then, a mendicant grounded on these five things should develop four further things. They should develop the perception of ugliness to give up greed, love to give up hate, mindfulness of breathing to cut off thinking, and perception of impermanence to uproot the conceit ‘I am’. When you perceive impermanence, the perception of not-self becomes stabilized. Perceiving not-self, you uproot the conceit ‘I am’ and attain extinguishment in this very life.”
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