One who delights in work, talk, sleep, company, bonding, and mental proliferation faces a passing full of regret and remains bound to personal existence.

AN 6.15 Anutappiya sutta - Regret

Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi:

There, the venerable Sāriputta addressed the bhikkhus:

Delighting in Personal Existence

“tathā tathāvuso, bhikkhu vihāraṁ kappeti yathā yathāssa vihāraṁ kappayato kālakiriyā anutappā hoti. Kathañcāvuso, bhikkhu tathā tathā vihāraṁ kappeti yathā yathāssa vihāraṁ kappayato kālakiriyā anutappā hoti?

“Friends, a bhikkhu |passes his time::dwells [viharati]| in such a way that his passing is full of |regret::experiences remorse [anutappa]|. And how does a bhikkhu pass his time in such a way that his passing is full of regret?

Idhāvuso, bhikkhu kammārāmo hoti kammarato kammārāmataṁ anuyutto,

1.) Here, friends, a bhikkhu |delights in work::enjoys activity, takes pleasure in work [kammārāma]|, relishes work, and is habitually devoted to work.

bhassārāmo hoti bhassarato bhassārāmataṁ anuyutto,

2.) He |delights in talk::enjoys talking, takes pleasure in speaking; lit. enjoying talk state [bhassārāmatā]|, relishes talk, and is habitually devoted to talk.

niddārāmo hoti niddārato niddārāmataṁ anuyutto,

3.) He |delights in sleep::enjoys dozing, takes pleasure in sleep [niddārāma]|, relishes sleep, and is habitually devoted to sleep.

saṅgaṇikārāmo hoti saṅgaṇikarato saṅgaṇikārāmataṁ anuyutto,

4.) He |delights in company::enjoys society, takes pleasure in company [saṅgaṇikārāma]|, relishes company, and is habitually devoted to company.

saṁsaggārāmo hoti saṁsaggarato saṁsaggārāmataṁ anuyutto,

5.) He |delights in bonding::enjoys association, takes pleasure in mingling and mixing [saṃsaggārāma]|, relishes bonding, and is habitually devoted to bonding.

papañcārāmo hoti papañcarato papañcārāmataṁ anuyutto.

6.) He |delights in mental proliferation::takes pleasure in manifold ideas, enjoys conceptualization [papañcārāma]|, relishes mental proliferation, and is habitually devoted to mental proliferation.

Evaṁ kho, āvuso, bhikkhu tathā tathā vihāraṁ kappeti yathā yathāssa vihāraṁ kappayato na bhaddakaṁ maraṇaṁ hoti, na bhaddikā kālakiriyā. Ayaṁ vuccatāvuso: ‘bhikkhu sakkāyābhirato nappajahāsi sakkāyaṁ sammā dukkhassa antakiriyāya’.

Friends, when a bhikkhu passes his time in such a way, his death is not a good one, his passing is not a good one. This is called a bhikkhu who delights in |personal existence::the felt sense of being someone; the five aggregates subject to clinging; the totality of psycho-physical experience within which a sense of “I” or “mine” arises [sakkāya]|, who has not given up personal existence to completely make an end of |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|.

Giving up Personal Existence

Tathā tathāvuso, bhikkhu vihāraṁ kappeti yathā yathāssa vihāraṁ kappayato kālakiriyā ananutappā hoti. Kathañcāvuso, bhikkhu tathā tathā vihāraṁ kappeti yathā yathāssa vihāraṁ kappayato kālakiriyā ananutappā hoti?

Friends, a bhikkhu passes his time in such a way that he dies without regret. And how does a bhikkhu pass his time in such a way that he dies without regret?

Idhāvuso, bhikkhu na kammārāmo hoti na kammarato na kammārāmataṁ anuyutto,

1.) Here, friends, a bhikkhu does not delight in work, does not relish work, and is not habitually devoted to work.

na bhassārāmo hoti na bhassarato na bhassārāmataṁ anuyutto,

2.) He does not delight in talk, does not relish talk, and is not habitually devoted to talk.

na niddārāmo hoti na niddārato na niddārāmataṁ anuyutto,

3.) He does not delight in sleep, does not relish sleep, and is not habitually devoted to sleep.

na saṅgaṇikārāmo hoti na saṅgaṇikarato na saṅgaṇikārāmataṁ anuyutto,

4.) He does not delight in company, does not relish company, and is not habitually devoted to company.

na saṁsaggārāmo hoti na saṁsaggarato na saṁsaggārāmataṁ anuyutto,

5.) He does not delight in bonding, does not relish bonding, and is not habitually devoted to bonding.

na papañcārāmo hoti na papañcarato na papañcārāmataṁ anuyutto.

6.) He does not delight in mental proliferation, does not relish mental proliferation, and is not habitually devoted to mental proliferation.

Evaṁ kho, āvuso, bhikkhu tathā tathā vihāraṁ kappeti yathā yathāssa vihāraṁ kappayato bhaddakaṁ maraṇaṁ hoti, bhaddikā kālakiriyā. Ayaṁ vuccatāvuso: ‘bhikkhu nibbānābhirato pajahāsi sakkāyaṁ sammā dukkhassa antakiriyāyā’ti.

When a bhikkhu passes his time in such a way, his death is a good one, his passing is a good one. This is called a bhikkhu who delights in |Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating; lit. blowing away [nibbāna]|, who has given up personal existence to completely make an end of suffering.

Verse

Yo papañcamanuyutto,
papañcābhirato mago;
Virādhayī so nibbānaṁ,
yogakkhemaṁ anuttaraṁ.

One devoted to mental proliferation,
a foolish animal relishing mental proliferation,
misses out on Nibbāna,
the unsurpassed security from bondage.

Yo ca papañcaṁ hitvāna,
nippapañcapade rato;
Ārādhayī so nibbānaṁ,
yogakkhemaṁ anuttaran”ti.

But whoever, having abandoned mental proliferation,
takes pleasure in the state free from mental proliferation;
attains Nibbāna,
the unsurpassed security from bondage.

Topics & Qualities:

Attachment

Attachment

A mental fastening onto people, things, views, or states as “me” or “mine,” unwilling to release them. This clinging can give a sense of security and sweetness.

Also known as: acquisition, bond, clinging, grasping, holding on, possession, entanglement, bound, connected, taking as mine
Pāli: upadhi, upādāna, sakiñcana, mamatta
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Delight

Delight

A mental quality of relishing and taking pleasure in what is experienced—especially in sensuality or the prospect of continued becoming. When it fastens onto gratification, it nourishes craving and keeps the mind circling around what it wants to experience again.

Also known as: relishing, enjoyment, taking pleasure
Pāli: nandi, ārāmatā
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Drowsiness

Drowsiness

A heaviness or stiffness of the mind that leads to sleepiness. It shrouds clarity like a fog, making the mind unwieldy and prone to drifting away from its object.

Also known as: sleepiness, torpor, feeling lethargic, lit. stiffness (of mind/body due to tiredness)
Pāli: middha
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Mental Proliferation

Mental Proliferation

Mental proliferation is the tendency to overelaborate mental constructs—such as opinions, judgments, narratives—endless conceptualization. It entangles the mind in a cascade of thoughts, concepts, and perceptions, giving rise to unwholesome states and suffering.

Also known as: conceptual proliferation, elaboration, papañca
Pāli: papañca
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Non-regret

Non-regret

A mental quality of not regretting past actions, characterized by a clear conscience and absence of remorse; it arises from accomplishment in ethical conduct

Also known as: non-remorse, lit. not remembering back negatively
Pāli: avippaṭisāra
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Personal existence view

Personal existence view

The view that there is a real self within or a substantial reality outside. This mistaken grasp of self and world sustains attachment, conceit, and the cycle of suffering.

Also known as: identity view, self-view, self-identification, embodied being, egoism
Pāli: sakkāya-diṭṭhi
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Regret

Regret

A remorseful stirring of the mind that recalls what was done or left undone, weighing heavily and disturbing inner calm. It binds awareness to the past and obscures clarity.

Also known as: to be burned, to be consumed, to suffer remorse
Pāli: tappati
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Wrong speech

Wrong speech

Speech that deceives, divides, wounds, or wastes. It includes lying, slander, harshness, and idle chatter. Such speech distorts truth, breaks trust, and stirs the mind toward harm and discord.

Also known as: false speech, lying, divisive, slanderous or defamatory or malicious speech, abusive or rude or unkind way of speaking, meaningless talk or idle chatter or gossip
Pāli: musāvāda, pisuṇavācā, pharusāvācā, samphappalāpa
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Last updated on July 11, 2026