Light/Dark

Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

5: The Book of the Fives

182–190. Wearers of Rag-Robes, Etc.

(182)“Mendicants there are these five kinds of people who wear rag robes. What five? A person may wear rag robes because of stupidity … bad desires … madness … because it is praised by the Buddhas … or for the sake of having few wishes … These are the five kinds of people who wear rag robes.”

(183)“Mendicants, there are these five kinds of people who dwell at the root of a tree. What five? A person may dwell at the root of a tree because of stupidity … bad desires … madness … because it is praised by the Buddhas … or for the sake of having few wishes … These are the five kinds of people who dwell at the root of a tree.”

(184)“Mendicants, there are these five kinds of people who dwell in a charnel ground. What five? A person may dwell in a charnel ground because of stupidity … bad desires … madness … because it is praised by the Buddhas … or for the sake of having few wishes … These are the five kinds of people who dwell in a charnel ground.”

(185)“There are these five kinds of people who dwell in the open air. …”

(186)“There are these five kinds of people who never lie down. …”

(187)“There are these five kinds of people who sleep wherever they lay their mat. …”

(188)“There are these five kinds of people who eat in one sitting per day. …”

(189)“There are these five kinds of people who refuse to accept food offered after the meal has begun. …”

(190)“Mendicants, there are these five kinds of people who eat only from the almsbowl. What five? A person may eat only from the almsbowl because of stupidity and folly. Or because of wicked desires, being naturally full of desires. Or because of madness and mental disorder. Or because it is praised by the Buddhas and their disciples. Or for the sake of having few wishes, for the sake of contentment, self-effacement, seclusion, and simplicity. These are the five kinds of people who eat only from the almsbowl. But the person who eats only from the almsbowl for the sake of having few wishes is the foremost, best, chief, highest, and finest of the five.

From a cow comes milk, from milk comes curds, from curds come butter, from butter comes ghee, and from ghee comes cream of ghee. And the cream of ghee is said to be the best of these. In the same way, the person who eats only from the almsbowl for the sake of having few wishes is the foremost, best, chief, highest, and finest of the five.”