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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

4: The Book of the Fours

VI. Overflowing Merit — AN 4.54: Living Together (2nd)

1“Mendicants, there are four ways of living together. What four?

  1. A male zombie living with a female zombie;
  2. a male zombie living with a goddess;
  3. a god living with a female zombie;
  4. a god living with a goddess.

2And how does a male zombie live with a female zombie? It’s when the husband kills living creatures, steals, commits sexual misconduct; he uses speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical; and he’s covetous, malicious, and has wrong view. He’s unethical, of bad character, living at home with his heart full of the stain of stinginess, abusing and insulting ascetics and brahmins. And the wife is also … unethical, of bad character … That’s how a male zombie lives with a female zombie.

3And how does a male zombie live with a goddess? It’s when the husband … is unethical, of bad character … But the wife doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or use alcoholic drinks that cause negligence. She’s ethical, of good character, living at home with her heart rid of the stain of stinginess, not abusing and insulting ascetics and brahmins. That’s how a male zombie lives with a goddess.

4And how does a god live with a female zombie? It’s when the husband … is ethical, of good character … But the wife … is unethical, of bad character … That’s how a god lives with a female zombie.

5And how does a god live with a goddess? It’s when the husband … is ethical, of good character … And the wife is also … ethical, of good character … That’s how a god lives with a goddess.

These are the four ways of living together.” …


6When both are unethical,
miserly and abusive,
then wife and husband
live together as zombies.

7When the husband is unethical,
miserly and abusive,
but the wife is ethical,
kind, rid of stinginess,
she’s a goddess living
with a zombie for a husband.

8When the husband is ethical,
kind, rid of stinginess,
but the wife is unethical,
miserly and abusive,
she’s a zombie living
with a god for a husband.

9When both are faithful and kind,
disciplined, living properly,
then wife and husband
say nice things to each other.

10They get all the things they need,
so they live at ease.
Their enemies are downhearted,
when both are equal in ethics.

11Having practiced the teaching here,
both equal in precepts and observances,
they delight in the heavenly realm,
enjoying all the pleasures they desire.”

1"Cattārome, bhikkhave, saṁvāsā. Katame cattāro? Chavo chavāya saddhiṁ saṁvasati, chavo deviyā saddhiṁ saṁvasati, devo chavāya saddhiṁ saṁvasati, devo deviyā saddhiṁ saṁvasati.


2Kathañca, bhikkhave, chavo chavāya saddhiṁ saṁvasati. Idha, bhikkhave, sāmiko hoti pāṇātipātī adinnādāyī kāmesumicchācārī musāvādī pisuṇavāco pharusavāco samphappalāpī abhijjhālu byāpannacitto micchādiṭṭhiko dussīlo pāpadhammo maccheramalapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati akkosakaparibhāsako samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ; bhariyāpissa hoti pāṇātipātinī adinnādāyinī kāmesumicchācārinī musāvādinī pisuṇavācā pharusavācā samphappalāpinī abhijjhālunī byāpannacittā micchādiṭṭhikā dussīlā pāpadhammā maccheramalapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati akkosikaparibhāsikā samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, chavo chavāya saddhiṁ saṁvasati.

3Kathañca, bhikkhave, chavo deviyā saddhiṁ saṁvasati? Idha, bhikkhave, sāmiko hoti pāṇātipātī … pe … micchādiṭṭhiko dussīlo pāpadhammo maccheramalapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati akkosakaparibhāsako samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ; bhariyā khvassa hoti pāṇātipātā paṭiviratā adinnādānā paṭiviratā kāmesumicchācārā paṭiviratā musāvādā paṭiviratā pisuṇāya vācāya paṭiviratā pharusāya vācāya paṭiviratā samphappalāpā paṭiviratā anabhijjhālunī abyāpannacittā sammādiṭṭhikā sīlavatī kalyāṇadhammā vigatamalamaccherena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati anakkosikaparibhāsikā samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, chavo deviyā saddhiṁ saṁvasati.

4Kathañca, bhikkhave, devo chavāya saddhiṁ saṁvasati? Idha, bhikkhave, sāmiko hoti pāṇātipātā paṭivirato adinnādānā paṭivirato kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato musāvādā paṭivirato pisuṇāya vācāya paṭivirato pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato samphappalāpā paṭivirato anabhijjhālu abyāpannacitto sammādiṭṭhiko sīlavā kalyāṇadhammo vigatamalamaccherena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati anakkosakaparibhāsako samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ; bhariyā khvassa hoti pāṇātipātinī … pe … micchādiṭṭhikā dussīlā pāpadhammā maccheramalapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati akkosikaparibhāsikā samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, devo chavāya saddhiṁ saṁvasati.

5Kathañca, bhikkhave, devo deviyā saddhiṁ saṁvasati? Idha, bhikkhave, sāmiko hoti pāṇātipātā paṭivirato … pe … sammādiṭṭhiko sīlavā kalyāṇadhammo vigatamalamaccherena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati anakkosakaparibhāsako samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ; bhariyāpissa hoti pāṇātipātā paṭiviratā … pe … sammādiṭṭhikā sīlavatī kalyāṇadhammā vigatamalamaccherena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati anakkosikaparibhāsikā samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, devo deviyā saddhiṁ saṁvasati.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro saṁvāsāti.


6Ubho ca honti dussīlā,
kadariyā paribhāsakā;
Te honti jānipatayo,
chavā saṁvāsamāgatā.

7Sāmiko hoti dussīlo,
kadariyo paribhāsako;
Bhariyā sīlavatī hoti,
vadaññū vītamaccharā;
Sāpi devī saṁvasati,
chavena patinā saha.

8Sāmiko sīlavā hoti,
vadaññū vītamaccharo;
Bhariyā hoti dussīlā,
kadariyā paribhāsikā;
Sāpi chavā saṁvasati,
devena patinā saha.

9Ubho saddhā vadaññū ca,
saññatā dhammajīvino;
Te honti jānipatayo,
aññamaññaṁ piyaṁvadā.

10Atthāsaṁ pacurā honti,
phāsukaṁ upajāyati;
Amittā dummanā honti,
ubhinnaṁ samasīlinaṁ.

11Idha dhammaṁ caritvāna,
samasīlabbatā ubho;
Nandino devalokasmiṁ,
modanti kāmakāmino"ti.

Catutthaṁ.