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← Aṅguttara Nikāya

A Murderer

AN 6.87 · Voropitasutta

Three birch trunks in an open misty woodland.

“Mendicants, someone with six qualities is unable to step into the sure path with regard to skillful qualities even when listening to the true teaching. What six? They murder their mother or father or a perfected one. They maliciously shed the blood of a Realized One. They cause a schism in the Saṅgha. They’re witless, dull, and idiotic. Someone with these six qualities is unable to step into the sure path with regard to skillful qualities, even when listening to the true teaching.

Someone with six qualities is able to step into the sure path with regard to skillful qualities when listening to the true teaching. What six? They don’t murder their mother or father or a perfected one. They don’t maliciously shed the blood of a Realized One. They don’t cause a schism in the Saṅgha. They’re wise, bright, and clever. Someone with these six qualities is able to step into the sure path with regard to skillful qualities when listening to the true teaching.”

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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.