{"collection":"Anguttara Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_an3.78/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_an3.78","id":"suttacentral_an3.78","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/an3.78/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Anguttara Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"Then Venerable \u0100nanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him: \u201c\u0100nanda, are all precepts and observances, lifestyles, and spiritual paths fruitful when taken as the essence?\u201d \u201cThis matter is not categorical, sir.\u201d \u201cWell then, \u0100nanda, break it down.\u201d \u201cTake the case of someone who cultivates precepts and observances, a lifestyle, and a spiritual path, taking this as the essence. If unskillful qualities grow while skillful qualities decline, that\u2019s not fruitful. However, if unskillful qualities decline while skillful qualities grow, that is fruitful.\u201d That is what Venerable \u0100nanda said, and the Teacher concurred. Then \u0100nanda, knowing that the Teacher concurred, got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving. Then, not long after \u0100nanda had left, the Buddha addressed the mendicants: \u201cMendicants, \u0100nanda is a trainee, but it\u2019s not easy to find his equal in wisdom.\u201d","title":"Precepts and Observances","tradition":"Anguttara Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":154}