The Book of the Sevens

Seven qualities that make a mendicant either agreeable or disagreeable to their fellow monastics.

Seven qualities that make a mendicant either agreeable or disagreeable to their fellow monastics.

The powers of faith, energy, conscience, prudence, mindfulness, samādhi, and wisdom.

The powers of faith, energy, conscience, prudence, mindfulness, samādhi, and wisdom.

The wealth of faith, ethics, conscience, prudence, learning, generosity, and wisdom.

The wealth of faith, ethics, conscience, prudence, learning, generosity, and wisdom.

Migāra of Rohaṇa is a wealthy man, but even his riches are vulnerable to the vicissitudes of life, unlike spiritual wealth.

The fetters of compliance, repulsion, views, doubt, conceit, desire to be reborn, and ignorance.

The purpose of the spiritual life is to give up the fetters of compliance, repulsion, views, doubt, conceit, desire to be reborn, and ignorance.

The fetters of compliance, repulsion, views, doubt, conceit, envy, and stinginess.

The underlying tendencies of sensual desire, repulsion, views, doubt, conceit, desire to be reborn, and ignorance.

The purpose of the spiritual life is to give up the underlying tendencies of sensual desire, repulsion, views, doubt, conceit, desire to be reborn, and ignorance.

Factors that make a family worth visiting.

Seven persons who are worthy of gifts and veneration.

Seven people found in the world who are like those in water.

Seven persons who are worthy of gifts and veneration.

Seven persons who are worthy of gifts and veneration.

Seven persons who are worthy of gifts and veneration.

Seven persons who are worthy of gifts and veneration.

A mendicant with seven qualities is qualified to graduate.

The Buddha teaches the seven principles of non-decline to the Licchavis at the Sārandada shrine near Vesālī.

King Ajātasattu of Magadha wishes to invade the Vajjians, and sends his minister Vassakāra to tell the Buddha of his intentions. The Buddha recalls the time he taught the seven principles of non-decline to the Vajjians.

The Buddha teaches the seven principles of non-decline to the mendicants.

The Buddha teaches seven principles of non-decline to the mendicants.

The Buddha teaches seven principles of non-decline to the mendicants.

The Buddha teaches seven principles of non-decline to the mendicants.

The Buddha teaches seven principles of non-decline to the mendicants.

Seven qualities leading to the decline of a mendicant who is a trainee.

Seven qualities leading to the decline of a lay follower.

Seven failures for a lay follower.

Seven ruins for a lay follower.

A god speaks of the the seven principles of non-decline to the Buddha, who repeats it to the mendicants.

The Buddha tells of hearing the seven principles of non-decline from a god.

The Buddha tells of hearing the seven principles of non-decline from a god.

The Buddha tells of hearing the seven principles of non-decline from a god. Sāriputta offers additional explanation.

When a friend has seven factors, one should associate with them.

When a mendicant has seven factors, one should stay close to them even if they send you away.

With seven qualities, a mendicant will soon realize the four kinds of textual analysis.

With seven qualities, Sāriputta realized the four kinds of textual analysis.

Seven qualities leading to mastery of meditation.

With seven qualities, Sāriputta became a master of meditation.

Sāriputta visits a sectarian hermitage and hears them saying that someone who lives the spiritual life for twelve years is fit to graduate. The Buddha rejects this, saying that a mendicant is qualified to graduate not merely by completing a certain number of years, but because of their spiritual qualities.

Ānanda visits a sectarian hermitage and hears them saying that someone who lives the spiritual life for twelve years is fit to graduate. The Buddha rejects this, saying that a mendicant is qualified to graduate not merely by completing a certain number of years, but because of their spiritual qualities.

Seven planes of consciousness in which beings may be reborn.

The path factors are the prerequisite for right immersion.

Seven fires, some physical, some psychological.

The brahmin Uggatasarīra has arranged a great sacrifice. On Ānanda’s advice, he asks the Buddha how to make a sacrifice beneficial.

Meditating on seven perceptions leads to the deathless, in brief.

Meditating on seven perceptions leads to the deathless, in detail.

The brahmin Jāṇussoṇī asks the Buddha about behaviors that are a blemish to the celibate life.

By focusing on their own gendered attributes, a man or woman becomes attached to them and develops lust for the opposite sex.

The lay followers of Campā seek a teaching from the Buddha. Together with Sāriputta, they ask the Buddha about what makes a gift fruitful.

Sāriputta and Moggallāna are on tour in the southern hills. A deity informs the laywoman Veḷukaṇṭakī that they are approaching. When Sāriputta expresses his amazement that she speaks with the gods, she goes on to list many other of her own amazing qualities.

The Buddha explains why a noble disciple has no doubt when it comes to the unexplained points.

Seven kinds of rebirth for non-returners, as well as extinguishment with no fuel for grasping.

Two gods come to the Buddha on Vulture’s Peak and declare that the nuns are liberated. Moggallāna interrogates one of the deities on what he means, and the Buddha adds further explanation.

The Buddha explains the benefits of giving that are visible in the present life, and one that is only apparent in the next.

Four areas where the Realized One has nothing to hide, and three ways he is irreproachable.

Venerable Kimbila asks the Buddha the reasons for the long-lasting of Buddhism after the Buddha’s demise.

Qualities required for arahantship.

Before his awakening, Moggallāna is struggling with sleepiness in meditation. The Buddha visits him and gives seven ways to dispel drowsiness, and other important teachings.

The incalculable benefits of merit that last for many aeons.

Anāthapiṇḍika’s home was in an uproar due to the badly behaved Sujātā, newly wedded to one of his sons. The Buddha speaks to her on the different kinds of wives.

When someone is angry, they wish ill upon their enemy, and are disappointed if they do well. This sutta includes a powerful set of verses.

A sense of conscience is the foundation that leads step by step to liberation.

A rare discourse on cosmic evolution. The Buddha describes the successive appearance of seven suns and how even the earth will be burned up.

When a king’s fortress is well supplied with seven things and has four kinds of food supplies it is impregnable. Similarly, a noble disciple with seven qualities and the four absorptions is impregnable.

A mendicant who has seven qualities is worthy, with a special emphasis on listening to and learning the teaching.

The blossoming of the Shady Orchid Tree delights the gods of the Thirty-Three, and in the same way, the renunciation of a Buddhist ascetic is delightful.

Sāriputta reflects on what a mendicant should revere in order to develop the wholesome. He reports to the Buddha that these things are indeed found in himself.

Liberation doesn’t happen because you wish for it, but because you develop the path.

It would be better for a monk to embrace a blazing fire than to lie with a maiden.

There have been many great teachers in the past, who should not be reviled. But reviling a single noble disciple is even more serious.

Araka was a famous teacher long ago, when the life span was much greater than today. Nevertheless, he still taught impermanence; how much more is it relevant today!

An expert in monastic conduct has seven qualities.

An expert in monastic conduct has seven qualities.

An expert in monastic conduct has seven qualities.

An expert in monastic conduct has seven qualities.

An expert in monastic conduct shines with seven qualities.

An expert in monastic conduct shines with seven qualities.

An expert in monastic conduct shines with seven qualities.

An expert in monastic conduct shines with seven qualities.

The Buddha teaches the Vinaya expert Upāli a short summary of the teaching.

Seven principles for settling issues and disputes that have arisen in the community.

A mendicant destroys seven defilements.

An ascetic destroys seven defilements.

A brahmin destroys seven defilements.

A scholar destroys seven defilements.

A bathed initiate destroys seven defilements.

A knowledge master destroys seven defilements.

A noble one destroys seven defilements.

A perfected one destroys seven defilements.

Seven bad qualities starting with faithlessness.

Seven good qualities starting with faith.

Seven people worthy of offerings due to observing impermanence in the eye.

Seven people worthy of offerings due to observing suffering, etc., in the eye, etc.

Develop insight into greed through the awakening factors.

Develop insight into greed through seven perceptions starting with impermanence.

Develop insight into greed through seven perceptions starting with ugliness.

Develop complete understanding, etc., of greed.

Develop complete understanding, etc., of hate, etc.