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← Aṅguttara Nikāya

Supported

AN 9.2 · Nissayasutta

A young green shoot growing beneath a mature tree.

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

“Sir, they speak of being ‘supported’. How is a mendicant who is supported defined?”

“Mendicant, if a mendicant supported by faith gives up the unskillful and develops the skillful, the unskillful is actually given up by them.

If a mendicant supported by conscience …

If a mendicant supported by prudence …

If a mendicant supported by energy …

If a mendicant supported by wisdom gives up the unskillful and develops the skillful, the unskillful is actually given up by them. What’s been given up is completely given up when it has been given up by seeing with noble wisdom.

But then, a mendicant grounded on these five things should rely on four things. What four? After appraisal, a mendicant uses some things, endures some things, avoids some things, and dispels some things. That’s how a mendicant is supported.”

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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.