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← Aṅguttara Nikāya

Three Grounds

AN 3.42 · Tiṭhānasutta

Layered mountain rock above a misty valley.

“There are three grounds, mendicants, by which a person with faith and confidence can be known. What three? They like to see ethical people. They like to hear the true teaching. And they live at home with heart rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share. These are the three grounds by which a person with faith and confidence can be known.

They like to see ethical people; they want to hear the true teaching; they’ve driven out the stain of stinginess: that’s who’s called an individual of faith.”

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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.