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← Aṅguttara Nikāya

With Anuruddha (1st)

AN 3.129 · Paṭhamaanuruddhasutta

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

Then Venerable Anuruddha went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“Sometimes, sir, with my clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, I see that females—when their body breaks up, after death—are mostly reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. How many qualities do ladies have so that they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell?”

“When ladies have three qualities, when their body breaks up, after death, they are reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. What three? A lady lives at home with a heart full of the stain of stinginess in the morning, jealousy at midday, and sexual desire in the evening. When ladies possess these three qualities, when their body breaks up, after death, they are reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.”

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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.