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← Aṅguttara Nikāya

Corpse-worker

AN 5.175 · Caṇḍālasutta

A quiet forest path opens beneath dark trees in gentle moonlight.

“Mendicants, a lay follower with five qualities is a corpse-worker, a stain, and a reject among lay followers. What five? They’re faithless. They’re unethical. They follow boisterous, superstitious rites, believing in omens rather than deeds. They seek outside of the Buddhist community for those worthy of religious donations. And they make offerings there first. A lay follower with these five qualities is a corpse-worker, a stain, and a reject among lay followers.

A lay follower with five qualities is a gem, a pink lotus, and a white lotus among lay followers. What five? They’re faithful. They’re ethical. They don’t practice boisterous, superstitious rites, and believe in deeds rather than omens. They don’t seek outside of the Buddhist community for those worthy of religious donations. And they don’t make offerings there first. A lay follower with these five qualities is a gem, a pink lotus, and a white lotus among lay followers.”

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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.