Commemoration

AN 3.12 · Sāraṇīyasutta

A single dew drop hangs beneath a slender blade of grass.

“An anointed aristocratic king should commemorate three places as long as he lives. What three? The place he was born. This is the first place.

The place he was anointed as king. This is the second place.

The place where he won victory in battle, establishing himself as foremost in battle. This is the third place. These are the three places an anointed king should commemorate as long as he lives.

In the same way, a mendicant should commemorate three places as long as they live. What three? The place where the mendicant shaved off their hair and beard, dressed in ocher robes, and went forth from the lay life to homelessness. This is the first place.

The place where the mendicant truly understands: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’. This is the second place.

The place where the mendicant realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom. And they live having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements. This is the third place. These are the three places a mendicant should commemorate as long as they live.”

Connections

Collection & context

Aṅguttara NikāyaThe collection containing this text
The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting

Books

The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Aṅguttara NikāyaBhikkhu Bodhi; Bhikkhu Bodhi (translator) · Complete collection edition

About this edition

Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.