Purity (1st)

AN 3.120 · Paṭhamasoceyyasutta

Braided river channels flowing around pale gravel islands.

“Mendicants, there are these three kinds of purity. What three? Purity of body, speech, and mind.

And what is purity of body? It’s when someone doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, or commit sexual misconduct. This is called ‘purity of body’.

And what is purity of speech? It’s when someone doesn’t use speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. This is called ‘purity of speech’.

And what is purity of mind? It’s when someone is content, kind-hearted, and has right view. This is called ‘purity of mind’.

These are the three kinds of purity.”

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.