Anguttara Nikaya

The Anguttara Nikaya, the fourth division of the Sutta Pitaka, consists of several thousand1 suttas arranged in eleven books (nipatas) according to numerical content. For example, the first nipata — the Book of the Ones — contains suttas concerning a single topic; the second nipata — the Book of the Twos — contains suttas concerning pairs of things (e.g., a sutta about tranquillity and insight; another about the two people one can never adequately repay (one's parents); another about two kinds of happiness; etc.); the third nipata contains suttas concerning three things (e.g., a sutta on the three kinds of praiseworthy acts; another about three kinds of offense), and so on.

At first glance this may seem a rather pedantic classification scheme, but in fact it often proves quite useful. For example, if you dimly recall having heard something about the five subjects worthy of daily contemplation and you'd like to track down the original passage in the Canon, a good place to begin your search is the Book of the Fives in the Anguttara. (The Index by Number may also be helpful in such cases.)

Two excellent print anthologies containing selected suttas from the Anguttara Nikaya are Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: An Anthology from the Anguttara Nikaya by Nyanaponika Thera and Bhikkhu Bodhi (Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society, 1999; also published in the USA by Altamira Press) and Handful of Leaves, Vol. 3, by Thanissaro Bhikkhu (distributed by the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies).

The suttas are numbered here by nipata (book) and sutta, with the suttas numbered sequentially from the start of each nipata, using as a guide the Woodward & Hare PTS English translations of the Anguttara Nikaya (The Book of the Gradual Sayings). Because suttas in the Anguttara have often been numbered inconsistently in different Tipitaka editions and translations, I have also provided alternate reference numbers in the braces {} that follow the sutta descriptions. For all suttas, these alternate references include the volume and starting page number in the PTS romanized Pali edition of the Anguttara Nikaya (example: A i 60 = PTS Anguttara Nikaya volume one, page 60). For suttas in the Ones and Twos, whose numberings are particularly problematic, I have also included the nipata, vagga (chapter), and number of the sutta, with suttas counted from the start of each vagga (example: II,iii,5 = Book of the Twos, third vagga, fifth sutta).

The translator appears in the square brackets [].

Note

1. The exact count of suttas in the Anguttara depends on the particular edition (Sri Lankan, Thai, or Burmese) and on the way the suttas are enumerated. Jayawardhana says: "Although the text tells us that it consists of 9,557 suttas, the present edition [the modern Sri Lankan Tipitaka] has only 8,777 suttas. Most of these suttas are mere repetitions with a new word added here and there. Therefore, the number of suttas distinctive in character could be brought down to a little over one thousand" [Somapala Jayawardhana, Handbook of Pali Literature (Colombo: Karunaratne, 1993), p. 12]. Bhikkhu Bodhi counts 2,344 suttas [Nyanaponika & Bodhi, Numerical Discourses of the Buddha, p. xv], while Webb counts 2,308 [Russell Webb, An Analysis of the Pali Canon, (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1975), p. 26].

1. Book of the Ones

AN 1.21-40: Ekadhamma Suttas — A Single Thing {I,iii,1-10 through I,iv,1-10; A i 5} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha enumerates twenty things of singular importance to the spiritual path.
AN 1.31-40: Adanta Sutta — Untamed (excerpts) {I,iii,1-4 and iv,9-10; A i 5} [Woodward]. There's nothing so conducive to happiness as a mind that has been tamed.
AN 1.45-46: Udakarahaka Sutta — A Pool of Water {I,v,5-6; A i 9} [Thanissaro]. The difference between a clear mind and a muddy one.
AN 1.47: Mudu Sutta — Soft {I,v,7; A i 10} [Thanissaro]. A simile for a mind that's pliant.
AN 1.48: Lahu-parivatta Sutta — Quick to Reverse Itself {I,v,8; A i 10} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha, normally so adept at finding similes, is here at a loss.
AN 1.49-52: Pabhassara Sutta — Luminous {I,v,9-10; I,vi,1-2; A i 10} [Thanissaro]. The mind is inherently luminous; the unwise person can't even see that it is obscured by defilements.

2. Book of the Twos

AN 2.5: Appativana Sutta — Relentlessly {II,i,5; A i 49} [Thanissaro]. What is the one thing regarding which the Buddha does not recommend contentment?
AN 2.9: Lokapala Sutta — Guardians of the World {II,i,9; A i 51} [Ireland | Thanissaro]. Conscience and concern — two qualities that keep one from harm.
AN 2.19: Kusala Sutta — Skillful {II,ii,9; A i 58} [Thanissaro]. Yes, it really is possible to abandon unskillful habits and to develop skillful ones.
AN 2.21: Bala-pandita Sutta — Fools & Wise People {II,iii,1; A i 59} [Thanissaro]. What's the difference between a fool and a wise person?
AN 2.23: Abhasita Sutta — What Was Not Said. {II,iii,3; A i 59}
AN 2.25: Neyyatha Sutta — A Meaning to be Inferred {II,iii,5; A i 60} [Thanissaro].
Two short reminders not to misquote or misrepresent the Buddha's teachings.
AN 2.30: Vijja-bhagiya Sutta — A Share in Clear Knowing {II,iii,10; A i 61} [Thanissaro]. How tranquillity (samatha) and insight (vipassana) function together to uproot passion and ignorance.
AN 2.31-32: Kataññu Sutta — Gratitude {II,iv,1-2; A i 61} [Thanissaro]. We owe a great debt to our parents. The gratitude we show to them is a measure of our personal integrity.
AN 2.38: Kandarayana Sutta — To Kandarayana {II,iv,8; A i 67} [Thanissaro]. What makes a person an elder worthy of respect?
AN 2.98: Bala Sutta — Fools {II,x,1; A i 83} [Thanissaro]. Two kinds of fools.
AN 2.119: Dullabha Sutta — Hard to Find {II,xi,2; A i 86} [Thanissaro]. A grateful person is hard to find.
AN 2.125-126: Ghosa Suttas — Voice {II,xi,8-9; A i 87} [Thanissaro]. Appropriate attention (yoniso manasikara) is a condition for Right View.

3. Book of the Threes

AN 3.2: Lakkhana Sutta — Characterized (by Action) {A i 102} [Thanissaro]. How to recognize a wise person and a fool.
AN 3.15: Rathakara (Pacetana) Sutta — The Chariot Maker {A i 110} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha recalls a previous lifetime during which he was a chariot-maker "skilled in dealing with the crookedness of wood." Now, as the Buddha, he is skilled in dealing with the crookedness of thought, word, and deed.
AN 3.22: Gilana Sutta — Sick People {A i 120} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha compares the Dhamma to good medicine.
AN 3.33: Nidana Sutta — Causes {A i 134; Thai III.34; BJT III.34} [Thanissaro]. An action (kamma) performed by an arahant bears no kammic fruit. This sutta explains why.
AN 3.34: Hatthaka Sutta — To Hatthaka (on Sleeping Well in the Cold Forest) {A i 136; Thai III.35; BJT III.35} [Thanissaro]. Is a comfortable home the best guarantee for a good night's sleep?
AN 3.38: Sukhamala Sutta — Refinement {A i 145; Thai III.39; BJT III.39} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha describes the insights that led him as a young man to go forth, and how those insights apply to the conduct of our own lives.
AN 3.40: Adhipateyya Sutta — Governing Principles {A i 147} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha describes three governing principles that keep one's Dhamma practice on-track. Beware: there's nowhere to hide from your unskillful actions!
AN 3.47: Sankhata Sutta — Fabricated {A i 152} [Thanissaro]. The marks by which fabricated and unfabricated experiences can be recognized.
AN 3.48: Pabbata Sutta — A Mountain {A i 152} [Thanissaro]. A parent's responsibility to his or her family. If you want your family to prosper, then be like a mountain of virtue, conviction, and discernment.
AN 3.51: Dvejana Sutta — Two People (1). {A i 155; Thai III.52; BJT III.52}
AN 3.52: Dvejana Sutta — Two People (2) {A i 156; Thai III.53; BJT III.53} [Thanissaro].
The Buddha offers advice to two aging brahmans who are facing the end of life.
AN 3.57: Vaccha Sutta — To Vaccha (on Giving) {A i 160; Thai III.58} [Thanissaro]. Every act of generosity is meritorious, but some are more so than others.
AN 3.60: Sangarava Sutta — To Sangarava {A i 168; Thai III.61} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha answers the accusation that the spiritual path he teaches is a selfish one.
AN 3.61: Tittha Sutta — Sectarians {A i 173; Thai III.62} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha explains how three common views about pain and pleasure can, if followed to their logical conclusion, lead to a life of inaction. He then shows how pain and pleasure actually do come about and how they can be transcended.
AN 3.62: Bhaya Sutta — Danger {A i 178} [Thanissaro]. Although fire, flood, and war may threaten to divide families, the world is fraught with even greater dangers. Here is a surefire way to overcome them all.
AN 3.65: Kalama Sutta — To the Kalamas/The Buddha's Charter of Free Inquiry {A i 188; Thai III.66} [Thanissaro | Soma]. The Buddha explains to a group of skeptics the proper criteria for accepting a spiritual teaching.
AN 3.66: Salha Sutta — To Salha {A i 193; Thai III.67} [Ñanamoli]. The arahant Ven. Nandaka engages the layman Salha in a dialogue that ranges from elementary principles all the way to the nature of arahantship.
AN 3.67: Kathavatthu Sutta — Topics for Discussion {A i 197} [Thanissaro]. This short discourse contains detailed practical instructions on how to answer questions skillfully. A valuable teaching for politicians, debaters, and the rest of us.
AN 3.68: Titthiya Sutta — Sectarians {A i 199} [Thanissaro]. How appropriate attention (yoniso manasikara) lies at the heart of any effort to abandon the roots of greed, hatred, and delusion.
AN 3.69: Mula Sutta — Roots {A i 201} [Thanissaro]. What motivates a person to wrongly imprison people and subject them to beatings? The answer lies right here, in your own heart.
AN 3.70: Muluposatha Sutta — The Roots of the Uposatha {A i 205; Thai III.71} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha describes to Visakha, the laywoman, right and wrong ways of observing the Uposatha days. Those who observe the Uposatha correctly are destined to reap heavenly rewards.
AN 3.71: Channa Sutta — To Channa the Wanderer {A i 215; Thai III.72} [Thanissaro]. Ven. Ananda instructs Channa on abandoning the mental defilements of passion, aversion, and delusion.
AN 3.72: Ajivaka Sutta — To the Fatalists' Student {A i 217; Thai III.73} [Thanissaro]. Ven. Ananda gives a skillful answer to the questions, "Whose teaching is right? Whose practice is right?"
AN 3.73: Sakka Sutta — To the Sakyan {A i 219; Thai III.74} [Thanissaro]. Mahanama asks the Buddha, "Which comes first: concentration or wisdom?" Ven. Ananda answers on behalf of the Buddha, who is recovering from an illness.
AN 3.78: Silabbata Sutta — Precept & Practice {A i 225; Thai III.79} [Thanissaro]. Are all religious paths fruitful? Ven. Ananda answers.
Gadrabha Sutta (AN 3.81 (ii)) — The Donkey {A i 229; Thai III.83} [Thanissaro]. Practicing the Dhamma means more than simply acting the part.
AN 3.88: Sikkha Sutta — Trainings (1) {A i 235; Thai III.90}
AN 3.89: Sikkha Sutta — Trainings (2) {A i 235; Thai III.91} [Thanissaro].
The Buddha summarizes the three aspects of Dhamma practice that should be developed.
AN 3.93: Accayika Sutta — Urgent {A i 239; Thai III.93} [Thanissaro]. Just as a farmer can't predict when the fruit will ripen, so we can't predict when Awakening will occur. So just keep your practice strong; the rest will take care of itself.
AN 3.94: Ajaniya Sutta — The Thoroughbred {A i 244; Thai III.97} [Thanissaro]. What qualities make a monk worthy of respect?
AN 3.99: Lonaphala Sutta — The Salt Crystal {A i 249; Thai III.101} [Thanissaro]. A Buddhist response to the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?"
AN 3.100 (i-x): Pansadhovaka Sutta — The Dirt-washer {A i 256; Thai III.102}
AN 3.100 (xi-xv): Nimitta Sutta — Themes {A i 255; Thai III.103} [Thanissaro].
The Buddha compares the skillful training of one's mind to the way a goldsmith purifies gold ore.
AN 3.105: Kuta Sutta — The Peak of the Roof {A i 261; Thai III.110} [Thanissaro]. Protect your mind, and you guard yourself from harm.
AN 3.120: Moneyya Sutta — Sagacity {A i 273; Thai III.123} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha describes three kinds of wisdom: bodily, verbal, and mental. (This is one of the suttas selected by King Asoka (r. 270-232 BCE) to be studied and reflected upon frequently by all practicing Buddhists. See That the True Dhamma Might Last a Long Time: Readings Selected by King Asoka, by Thanissaro.)
AN 3.123: Gotamaka-cetiya Sutta — At Gotamaka Shrine {A i 276; Thai III.126} [Thanissaro]. What more do you want from the Buddha's teachings?
AN 3.126: Katuviya Sutta — Putrid {A i 279; Thai III.129} [Thanissaro]. When you let your concentration slip and your mindfulness falter, there's no telling what nasty sorts of flies will start swarming around you.
AN 3.130: Lekha Sutta — Inscriptions {A i 283; Thai III.133} [Thanissaro]. Why hold on to your anger? Beware you don't let it get carved deep into your psyche, like an inscription in solid rock.
AN 3.134: Dhamma-niyama Sutta — The Orderliness of the Dhamma {A i 286; Thai III.137} [Thanissaro]. Whether or not a Buddha arises in the world, the three characteristics of existence always remain: impermanence, stress, and not-self.

4. Book of the Fours

AN 4.1: Anubuddha Sutta — Understanding {A ii 1} [Thanissaro]. Why do we continue to wander aimlessly in samsara? It's because we haven't yet realized four noble qualities.
AN 4.5: Anusota Sutta — With the Flow {A ii 5} [Thanissaro]. A reminder that the popular advice to "just go with the flow" finds no support in the Buddha's teachings.
AN 4.10: Yoga Sutta — Yokes {A ii 10} [Thanissaro]. In many discourses, the Buddha speaks of "the unexcelled rest from the yoke." In this discourse he explains what yokes he is referring to, and how that rest comes about.
AN 4.19: Agati Sutta — Off Course {A ii 18} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha explains the difference between staying "on course" and straying "off course" in one's Dhamma practice.
AN 4.24: Kalaka Sutta — At Kalaka's Park {A ii 23} [Thanissaro]. Even though the Buddha has deep understanding, he doesn't take a stance on any of it.
AN 4.28: Ariya-vamsa Sutta — The Discourse on the Traditions of the Noble Ones {A ii 27} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha describes four good qualities in a monk: contentment with regard to robes, almsfood, and lodging, and finding pleasure in cultivating wholesome mental states. (This is one of the suttas selected by King Asoka (r. 270-232 BCE) to be studied and reflected upon frequently by all practicing Buddhists. See That the True Dhamma Might Last a Long Time: Readings Selected by King Asoka, by Thanissaro.)
AN 4.31: Cakka Sutta — Wheels {A ii 32} [Thanissaro]. Here is one kind of four-wheel drive that is sure to keep you on the road.
AN 4.32: Sangaha Sutta — The Bonds of Fellowship {A ii 32} [Thanissaro]. The qualities that help hold together a family — or any community.
AN 4.35: Vassakara Sutta — With Vassakara {A ii 35} [Thanissaro]. Four distinguishing qualities of a wise person.
AN 4.36: Dona Sutta — With Dona {A ii 37} [Thanissaro]. A passerby, struck by the Buddha's serene presence, asks him, "What are you? Are you a deva? A spirit? A human being?" The Buddha's now-famous reply has made this one of the most oft-quoted passages in the entire Canon.
AN 4.37: Aparihani Sutta — No Falling Away {A ii 39} [Thanissaro]. If one is sincere in one's aspirations to realize Awakening, these four aspects of Dhamma practice should be constantly developed.
AN 4.41: Samadhi Sutta — Concentration {A ii 44} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha explains how concentration, when fully developed, can bring about any one of four different desirable results.
AN 4.42: Pañha Sutta — Questions {A ii 46} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha's teachings on skillfulness and speech extend to mastering the art of answering questions.
AN 4.45: Rohitassa Sutta — To Rohitassa {A ii 47} [Thanissaro]. A well-traveled deva learns that we don't have to go to the ends of the world to find an end to suffering; we need look no further than right here, in this very body. (This sutta also appears at SN 2.26.)
AN 4.49: Vipallasa Sutta — Perversions {A ii 52} [Olendzki (excerpt) | Thanissaro]. Four kinds of misperceptions that keep us bound to the cycle of rebirths.
AN 4.50: Upakkilesa Sutta — Obscurations {A ii 53} [Thanissaro]. Four unskillful activities that prevent a monk from shining with Dhamma.
AN 4.55: Samajivina Sutta — Living in Tune {A ii 61} [Thanissaro]. Would you like to live with your current spouse in future lives, too? Here's how.
AN 4.62: Anana Sutta — Debtless {A ii 69} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha tells the wealthy lay-follower Anathapindika about four kinds of happiness that a householder may enjoy. Some require wealth, but the best is free of charge.
AN 4.67: Ahina (Ahi) Sutta — By a Snake {A ii 72} [Piyadassi | Thanissaro]. How the practice of metta (loving-kindness) can serve as a protection against harm.
AN 4.73: Sappurisa Sutta — A Person of Integrity {A ii 77} [Thanissaro]. Are you a person of integrity? How you speak about yourself and others reveals much about your personal integrity.
AN 4.77: Acintita Sutta — Unconjecturable {A ii 80} [Thanissaro]. If you spend too much time pondering these four things you will surely drive yourself crazy.
AN 4.79: Vanijja Sutta — Trade {A ii 81} [Thanissaro]. One reason why some people succeed and others fail in their trades.
AN 4.85: Tamonata Sutta — Darkness {A ii 85} [Thanissaro]. A person's goodness is measured not by his or her wealth, beauty, or status, but by the goodness of his or her actions.
AN 4.94: Samadhi Sutta — Concentration (Tranquillity and Insight) {A ii 93} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha explains how correct meditation practice consists of the development of both insight (vipassana) and tranquillity (samatha).
AN 4.95: Chavalata Sutta — The Firebrand {A ii 95} [Buddharakkhita | Thanissaro]. Which is better: to practice Dhamma for one's own benefit or for another's? The answer may surprise you.
AN 4.96: Raga-vinaya Sutta — The Subduing of Passion {A ii 96} [Thanissaro]. What does it mean to practice Dhamma for one's own benefit — and for another's?
AN 4.99: Sikkha Sutta — Trainings {A ii 98} [Thanissaro]. It is best of all if you not only follow the precepts yourself, but can support others in following them, too.
AN 4.102: Valahaka Sutta — Thunderheads {A ii 103} [Thanissaro]. Reading suttas is good, but there is more to be done. Go meditate!
AN 4.111: Kesi Sutta — To Kesi the Horsetrainer {A ii 111} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha explains to Kesi, a horsetrainer, how he teaches Dhamma. This brilliant exposition warrants close study by every teacher, as it reveals the multiple levels in which effective teaching operates: the Buddha speaks in terms that the listener understands (horsetraining), he uses similes to great effect, and he deftly answers the real question that lies behind the student's query ("Please, can you train me?").
AN 4.113: Patoda Sutta — The Goad-stick {A ii 114} [Thanissaro | Woodward]. How much dukkha does it take to motivate you to practice the Dhamma in earnest? The Buddha illustrates his point with the famous simile of a thoroughbred horse stirred to action by its rider.
AN 4.115: Thana Sutta — Courses of Action {A ii 118} [Thanissaro]. When faced with a choice, how does one decide which course of action to follow? The Buddha here offers some helpful advice.
AN 4.123: Jhana Sutta — Mental Absorption (1) {A ii 126} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha describes four possible courses of rebirth open to someone who practices jhana.
AN 4.124: Jhana Sutta — Mental Absorption (2) {A ii 128} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha describes another possible course of rebirth open to someone who practices jhana.
AN 4.125: Metta Sutta — Good Will (1) {A ii 128} [Ñanamoli | Thanissaro]. The Buddha describes four possible courses of rebirth open to someone who practices the brahma-vihara (good will, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity).
AN 4.126: Metta Sutta — Good Will (2) {A ii 129} [Ñanamoli | Thanissaro]. The Buddha describes another possible course of rebirth open to someone who practices the brahma-vihara (good will, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity).
AN 4.144: Obhasa Sutta — Brightness {A ii 139} [Thanissaro]. What provides the most brightness in life?
AN 4.159: Bhikkhuni Sutta — The Nun {A ii 144} [Thanissaro]. Ven. Ananda teaches a nun that, although craving can be used to overcome craving, and conceit to overcome conceit, the same principle does not hold for sexual intercourse.
AN 4.170: Yuganaddha Sutta — In Tandem {A ii 156} [Thanissaro]. Ven. Ananda describes the paths to arahantship by which insight (vipassana) and tranquillity (samatha) work hand-in-hand.
AN 4.174: Kotthita Sutta — To Kotthita {A ii 161} [Thanissaro]. How the Buddha answers the question, "What lies beyond Nibbana?"
AN 4.178: Jambali Sutta — The Waste-water Pool {A ii 165} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha uses some memorable similes to describe the overcoming of self-identification and ignorance.
AN 4.179: Nibbana Sutta — Unbinding {A ii 167} [Thanissaro]. Why do some people gain Awakening in this life, while others don't?
AN 4.181: Yodhajiva Sutta — The Warrior {A ii 170} [Thanissaro]. An accomplished meditator — like a great warrior — develops these four qualities.
AN 4.183: Suta Sutta — On What is Heard {A ii 172} [Thanissaro]. Why the principle of truthfulness does not imply total frankness or openness.
AN 4.184: Abhaya Sutta — Fearless {A ii 173} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha explains to Janussonin four ways to overcome the fear of death.
AN 4.192: Thana Sutta — Traits {A ii 187} [Thanissaro]. How can you recognize a good and wise person? The Buddha explains what qualities to look for and how to spot them.
AN 4.199: Tanha Sutta — Craving {A ii 211} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha enumerates the many kinds of tangled thoughts experienced by a mind not yet free of craving. Sound familiar?
AN 4.200: Pema Sutta — Affection {A ii 213} [Thanissaro]. The opinions of our friends and enemies often influence our own thoughts and feelings about others. This kind of thinking is rooted in craving, and the Buddha offers a cure.
AN 4.235: Ariyamagga Sutta — The Noble Path {A ii 235} [Thanissaro]. Skillful actions (kamma) eventually bring good results, while unskillful ones bring bad. But best of all are the actions that lead to the ending of kamma altogether.
AN 4.252: Pariyesana Sutta — Searches {A ii 247} [Thanissaro]. What are you searching for? Are you looking for happiness in all the wrong places? Are you looking for a lasting, noble happiness?
AN 4.255: Kula Sutta — On Families {A ii 249} [Thanissaro]. How a family loses or preserves its wealth.
AN 4.259: Araññika Sutta — A Wilderness Dweller {A ii 252} [Thanissaro]. What sort of person is fit to live in the wilderness?

5. Book of the Fives

AN 5.2: Vitthara Sutta — (Strengths) in Detail {A iii 2} [Thanissaro]. A summary of the five "strengths" (bala) to be developed in Dhamma practice.
AN 5.20: Hita Sutta — Benefit {A iii 14} [Thanissaro]. How to practice Dhamma for the benefit of both oneself and others.
AN 5.25: Anugghita Sutta — Supported {A iii 20} [Thanissaro]. Five factors that lead to the fulfillment of right view.
AN 5.27: Samadhi Sutta — (Immeasurable) Concentration {A iii 24} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha encourages the practice of the brahmavihara (sublime states of metta, karuna, mudita, and upekkha) as a basis for concentration practice, as it leads to five important realizations.
AN 5.28: Samadhanga Sutta — The Factors of Concentration {A iii 25} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha explains how the progressive development of jhana (absorption) leads to the development of the supranormal powers and Awakening.
AN 5.30: Nagita Sutta — To Nagita {A iii 30} [Thanissaro]. The raucous carryings-on of a group of brahmans lead the Buddha to reflect on the rewards of detachment.
AN 5.34: Siha Sutta — To General Siha (On Generosity) {A iii 38} [Thanissaro]. General Siha, known for his generosity, asks the Buddha about the fruits of generosity that one can experience in this life. The Buddha describes four such fruits; a fifth (a happy rebirth) Siha can only take on faith.
AN 5.36: Kaladana Sutta — Seasonable Gifts {A iii 41} [Thanissaro]. Gifts given at the proper time bear the greatest fruit. Here the Buddha describes five such occasions. [Often chanted by monks as a blessing after receiving food or other offerings.]