The same fivefold template, with the closing destination phrase unexpectedly restored in full
Length
Under 1 minute to read
Northern parallel
A rough counterpart may exist in the Chinese Saṃyukta-āgama (T99), though this reading guide does not assert a specific matching sutra number
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — brief, with one small but genuine textual surprise
Why this discourse
This discourse swaps “lazy” (kusīta, indolent in one's efforts) into the template's own fifth position. Bilara-data's own closing line here restores the complete fourfold destination phrase (“a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell”) rather than the single-word “hell” that closed SN 37.10 and SN 37.11 — a small, genuine irregularity in an otherwise settled compression pattern, not a typo this reading guide smooths over.
Reading guide
An irregularity worth noting honestly
Having established across SN 37.10–11 that the series had settled into its shortest closing form, this discourse's own restoration of the full destination phrase is a genuine deviation — this project records what bilara-data actually preserves rather than smoothing it into an idealized, perfectly regular pattern.
Laziness in effort, distinct from lack of learning
Kusīta (lazy, lacking energy or effort) names a deficiency in exertion, distinct from appassuta's own deficiency in learning at SN 37.11 — two different kinds of falling short occupying consecutive positions in the series.
A positive counterpart already named for this quality
Āraddhavīriya (“energetic,” literally “with effort roused”) will appear at SN 37.22 in Dutiyapeyyālavagga as this quality's own positive mirror.
A reminder not to over-systematize a real text
This project's own careful tracking of the compression pattern across SN 37.6–13 shouldn't be mistaken for a claim that every discourse follows a perfectly clean progression — the text itself preserves small irregularities like this one, and this reading guide reports them rather than silently correcting them.
Key terms
kusīta — lazy, lacking energy in effort — this discourse's own variable fifth quality
āraddhavīriya — “energetic,” literally “with effort roused” — this quality's own positive counterpart, scheduled to appear at SN 37.22
apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjatī — the full fourfold destination phrase, restored here rather than compressed to "hell" alone as in SN 37.10 and SN 37.11
dvādasamaṁ — “twelfth” — this discourse's own untranslated closing marker
assaddha... ahirika... anottāpī... duppañña — the four fixed qualities, unchanged throughout this entire series
The text
The complete discourse as bilara-data preserves it — including its own genuine restoration of the full closing destination phrase. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1“… They’re faithless, shameless, imprudent, lazy, and witless. …”
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Self-check quiz
5 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.
Question 1 of 5
What textual irregularity does this discourse show, compared to SN 37.10-11?
Correct: A. A genuine deviation this reading guide reports honestly rather than smoothing over.
Question 2 of 5
What does "kusīta," this discourse's own variable fifth quality, name?
Correct: A. Distinct from appassuta's own deficiency in learning at SN 37.11.
Question 3 of 5
What is this quality's own positive counterpart, and where does it appear?
Correct: A. Literally "with effort roused," scheduled to appear in Dutiyapeyyālavagga.
Question 4 of 5
How does this reading guide treat the textual irregularity it identifies?
Correct: A. A deliberate choice to record the text as it stands rather than over-systematize it.
Question 5 of 5
What broader lesson does this discourse illustrate about tracking compression patterns across a series?
Correct: A. A reminder against over-systematizing what the source material actually shows.
