None given — no place, audience, or occasion is named
Speaker
The Buddha, addressing “mendicants” collectively
Form
A one-sentence prose statement, restated by a six-line verse
Position
Book of the Ones, Chapter One, Iti 6 — last of a matched set of six
Length
under 1 minute to read
Difficulty
★★☆☆☆ — simple wording, but raises the same kind of tension noted at Iti 3 (Delusion)
Why this discourse closes the set of six
Conceit closes out the run of six matched teachings that opened this chapter of the Itivuttaka. It is also, notably, the one place in this set where the verse itself breaks its own pattern — and, like delusion three suttas earlier, it names a factor that elsewhere in the tradition is said to persist further along the path than the non-return promised here. Both features make this a fitting, thought-provoking close to the set.
Reading guide
“Drunk on conceit,” not “overcome by”
Every verse from Iti 1 through Iti 5 opens its first line with some variation of “when overcome by [X].” This sutta’s verse breaks that pattern: it opens instead with “drunk on conceit” — a more vivid, specific image than the formulaic phrasing used elsewhere in the set. Conceit, in other words, gets a slightly more pointed metaphor than any of the five factors before it: not simply overwhelmed by it, but intoxicated, unsteady, self-satisfied in a way that impairs judgment the way alcohol does.
Māna and the ten fetters
Conceit (māna) has a distinctive place in the traditional list of ten fetters that bind a person to repeated rebirth: it is named there as the ninth of ten, said to be fully abandoned only at the point of complete awakening (arahantship) — later, even, than the fetter of ignorance discussed at Iti 3. As with delusion, then, this sutta pairs a factor traditionally associated with a later stage of the path with the same promise of non-return given for greed and hate at the start of this chapter. The tension is the same kind raised at Iti 3, and deserves the same honest treatment: noted plainly, held open, not forced into a tidy resolution the text itself does not supply.
What conceit actually names
Māna is not limited to an inflated sense of superiority. Traditional accounts describe it as operating in at least three directions: thinking oneself better than another, equal to another, or even worse than another — all three counted as expressions of the same underlying preoccupation with measuring oneself against others. Simply feeling inferior, in other words, can be as much an expression of māna as feeling superior; what unites all three is the comparing itself.
Closing the set
With conceit, the chapter’s opening run of six single-factor teachings is complete: greed, hate, delusion, anger, disdain, conceit. The four suttas that follow (Iti 7–10) shift to a related but distinct formula, built not around a guarantee of non-return but around a call to completely understand each factor in order to end suffering outright — and, fittingly, one of those four returns to conceit itself for a second, fuller treatment.
Key terms
māna — “conceit”: a preoccupation with measuring oneself against others, expressed as feeling better than, equal to, or worse than another — not only an inflated sense of superiority
“drunk on conceit” — the verse’s opening image for this sutta, replacing the “when overcome by” phrasing used in every other verse in this set of six
dasa saṃyojanā — “the ten fetters”: the traditional list in which conceit is named ninth, said to be abandoned only at complete awakening — later even than the ignorance discussed at Iti 3
anāgāmitā — “non-return”: the guarantee held out here for giving up conceit, matching the promise made for every factor across Iti 1–6
pajānanti — “they rightly understand”: the verse’s description of how the discerning arrive at giving up conceit, as with every factor in this set
The text
The discourse in full: the opening frame, the Buddha’s one-sentence teaching, the verse that restates it, and the closing frame. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
The teaching
§1This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.
§2“Mendicants, give up one thing and I guarantee you non-return. What one thing? Conceit is the one thing. Give it up, and I guarantee you non-return.” The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:
The verse
§3“Drunk on conceit,
beings go to a bad place.
Having rightly understood that conceit,
the discerning give it up.
Once they’ve given it up,
they never return to this world.”
§4This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.
· · ·
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 single thing does the Buddha ask the mendicants to give up in this discourse?
Correct: B. Conceit (māna) closes out this chapter’s set of six single-factor teachings.
Question 2 of 10
How does this sutta’s verse open, and how does that differ from Iti 1 through Iti 5?
Correct: C. This is the one place in the set of six where the verse’s formula breaks pattern.
Question 3 of 10
Where is conceit (māna) placed in the traditional list of ten fetters?
Correct: A. This placement is later along the path than the non-return promised in this sutta’s formula — the same kind of tension raised at Iti 3.
Question 4 of 10
According to the reading guide, does māna (conceit) refer only to feeling superior to others?
Correct: D. The reading guide stresses that the comparing itself, in any direction, is what unites all three expressions of conceit.
Question 5 of 10
What reward is guaranteed for giving up conceit?
Correct: B. The same guarantee of non-return used throughout this set of six teachings.
Question 6 of 10
What happens, per the verse, to beings “drunk on conceit”?
Correct: C. Matching the consequence named for every other factor in this set.
Question 7 of 10
According to the reading guide, what do the four discourses following this one (Iti 7-10) shift to?
Correct: B. Iti 7–10 use the “complete understanding” (pariññā) formula instead of the non-return guarantee.
Question 8 of 10
Does one of the discourses immediately following this one return to conceit specifically?
Correct: A. Iti 8, “Complete Understanding of Conceit,” picks the same factor back up.
Question 9 of 10
Is a specific setting (place, individual, occasion) named in this sutta?
Correct: C. Consistent with every discourse in this set of six.
Question 10 of 10
What is the closing line of this discourse?
Correct: B. The same closing frame used throughout Iti 1–6.
