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← Aṅguttara Nikāya

The King of Mountains

AN 3.48 · Pabbatarājasutta

Tiny meadow blossoms among softly lit grasses.

“Mendicants, great sal trees grow in three ways supported by the Himalayas, the king of mountains. What three? The branches, leaves, and foliage; the bark and shoots; and the softwood and heartwood. Great sal trees grow in these three ways supported by the Himalayas, the king of mountains.

In the same way, a family grows in three ways supported by a family head with faith. What three? Faith, ethics, and wisdom. A family grows in these three ways supported by a family head with faith.

Supported by the rocky mountain in the wilds, the formidable forest, the tree grows to become lord of the forest.

So too, when the family head is ethical and faithful, supported by them, they grow: children, partners, and kin, colleagues, relatives, and those dependent for their livelihood.

Seeing the ethical conduct of the virtuous, the generosity and good deeds, those who see clearly do likewise.

Having practiced the teaching here, the path that goes to a good place, they delight in the heavenly realm, enjoying all the pleasures they desire.”

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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.