The Buddha explains the proximate causes of non-regret, joy, tranquility, and other qualities leading to liberation, contrasting how they are fulfilled in a virtuous person versus an unprincipled person.

AN 11.3  Paṭhamaupanisā sutta - Proximate Cause (First)

Lacking Proximate Cause

“Dussīlassa, bhikkhave, sīlavipannassa hatūpaniso hoti avippaṭisāro.

“1. For |an unprincipled person::one without regard for ethical conduct [dussīla]|, bhikkhus, |for one deficient in virtuous conduct::who has transgressed the moral precepts [sīlavipanna]|, |non-regret::not experiencing remorse [avippaṭisāra]| lacks its proximate cause.

Avippaṭisāre asati avippaṭisāravipannassa hatūpanisaṁ hoti pāmojjaṁ.

2.) When there is no non-regret, for one without non-regret, |joy::cheerfulness, gladness; a fresh and mild happiness arising from a sense of spiritual well-being and a clear conscience [pāmojja]| lacks its proximate cause.

Pāmojje asati pāmojjavipannassa hatūpanisā hoti pīti.

3.) When there is no joy, for one without joy, |uplifting joy::mental exhilaration; it ranges from a gentle delight to overwhelming rapture [pīti]| lacks its proximate cause.

Pītiyā asati pītivipannassa hatūpanisā hoti passaddhi.

4.) When there is no uplifting joy, for one without uplifting joy, |tranquility::peace, serenity, stillness [passaddhi]| lacks its proximate cause.

Passaddhiyā asati passaddhivipannassa hatūpanisaṁ hoti sukhaṁ.

5.) When there is no tranquility, for one without tranquility, |ease::contentment, happiness, pleasant abiding [sukha]| lacks its proximate cause.

Sukhe asati sukhavipannassa hatūpaniso hoti sammāsamādhi.

6.) When there is no ease, for one without ease, |right collectedness::perfect stability of mind, correct mental composure [sammāsamādhi]| lacks its proximate cause.

Sammāsamādhimhi asati sammāsamādhivipannassa hatūpanisaṁ hoti yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ.

7.) When there is no right collectedness, for one without right collectedness, |understanding and insight into things as they truly are::knowing and seeing reality [yathābhūtañāṇadassana]| lacks its proximate cause.

Yathābhūtañāṇadassane asati yathābhūtañāṇadassanavipannassa hatūpanisā hoti nibbidā.

8.) When there is no understanding and insight into things as they truly are, for one without the understanding and insight into things as they truly are, |disenchantment::de-illusionment, disinterest, dispassion [nibbidā]| lacks its proximate cause.

Nibbidāya asati nibbidāvipannassa hatūpaniso hoti virāgo.

9.) Where there is no disenchantment, for one without disenchantment, |fading of desire::dispassion, detachment [virāga]| lacks its proximate cause.

Virāge asati virāgavipannassa hatūpanisaṁ hoti vimuttiñāṇadassanaṁ.

10.) When there is no fading of desire, for one without fading of desire, 11. |knowledge and vision of liberation::understanding and realization of liberation, total understanding of emancipation [vimuttiñāṇadassana]| lacks its proximate cause.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, rukkho sākhāpalāsavipanno. Tassa papaṭikāpi na pāripūriṁ gacchati, tacopi pheggupi sāropi na pāripūriṁ gacchati.

Suppose, bhikkhus, there is a tree without branches and leaves. Then its shoots do not grow to fullness; also its bark, sapwood, and heartwood do not grow to fullness.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dussīlassa sīlavipannassa hatūpaniso hoti avippaṭisāro, avippaṭisāre asati avippaṭisāravipannassa hatūpanisaṁ hoti pāmojjaṁ …pe… vimuttiñāṇadassanaṁ.

So too, bhikkhus, for an unprincipled person, for one deficient in virtuous conduct, non-regret lacks its proximate cause. When there is no non-regret, for one without non-regret, joy lacks its proximate cause. When there is no joy, for one without joy, uplifting joy lacks its proximate cause. When there is no uplifting joy, for one without uplifting joy, tranquility lacks its proximate cause. When there is no tranquility, for one without tranquility, ease lacks its proximate cause. When there is no ease, for one without ease, right collectedness lacks its proximate cause. When there is no right collectedness, for one without right collectedness, understanding and insight into things as they truly are lacks its proximate cause. When there is no understanding and insight into things as they truly are, for one without the understanding and insight into things as they truly are, disenchantment lacks its proximate cause. When there is no disenchantment, for one without disenchantment, fading of desire lacks its proximate cause. When there is no fading of desire, for one without fading of desire, knowledge and vision of liberation lacks its proximate cause.

With Proximate Cause

Sīlavato, bhikkhave, sīlasampannassa upanisasampanno hoti avippaṭisāro,

1.) For a |virtuous person::ethical, moral [sīlavant]|, bhikkhus, who is accomplished in virtuous conduct, non-regret has its proximate cause.

avippaṭisāre sati avippaṭisārasampannassa upanisasampannaṁ hoti pāmojjaṁ,

2.) When there is non-regret, for one accomplished in non-regret, joy has its proximate cause.

pāmojje sati pāmojjasampannassa upanisasampannā hoti pīti,

3.) When there is joy, for one accomplished in joy, uplifting joy has its proximate cause.

pītiyā sati pītisampannassa upanisasampannā hoti passaddhi,

4.) When there is uplifting joy, for one accomplished in uplifting joy, tranquility has its proximate cause.

passaddhiyā sati passaddhisampannassa upanisasampannaṁ hoti sukhaṁ,

5.) When there is tranquility, for one accomplished in tranquility, ease has its proximate cause.

sukhe sati sukhasampannassa upanisasampanno hoti sammāsamādhi,

6.) When there is ease, for one accomplished in ease, right collectedness has its proximate cause.

sammāsamādhimhi sati sammāsamādhisampannassa upanisasampannaṁ hoti yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ,

7.) When there is right collectedness, for one accomplished in right collectedness, understanding and insight into things as they truly are has its proximate cause.

yathābhūtañāṇadassane sati yathābhūtañāṇadassanasampannassa upanisasampannā hoti nibbidā,

8.) When there is understanding and insight into things as they truly are, for one accomplished in the understanding and insight into things as they truly are, disenchantment has its proximate cause.

nibbidāya sati nibbidāsampannassa upanisasampanno hoti virāgo,

9.) When there is disenchantment, for one accomplished in disenchantment, fading of desire has its proximate cause.

virāge sati virāgasampannassa upanisasampannaṁ hoti vimuttiñāṇadassanaṁ.

10.) When there is fading of desire, for one accomplished in fading of desire, 11. knowledge and vision of liberation has its proximate cause.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, rukkho sākhāpalāsasampanno. Tassa papaṭikāpi pāripūriṁ gacchati, tacopi pheggupi sāropi pāripūriṁ gacchati.

Suppose, bhikkhus, there is a tree abundant in branches and leaves. Then its shoots grow to fullness; also its bark, sapwood, and heartwood grow to fullness.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, sīlavato sīlasampannassa upanisasampanno hoti avippaṭisāro, avippaṭisāre sati avippaṭisārasampannassa upanisasampannaṁ hoti …pe… vimuttiñāṇadassanan”ti.

So too, bhikkhus, for a virtuous person, for one accomplished in virtuous conduct, non-regret has its proximate cause. When there is non-regret, for one accomplished in non-regret, joy has its proximate cause. When there is joy, for one accomplished in joy, uplifting joy has its proximate cause. When there is uplifting joy, for one accomplished in uplifting joy, tranquility has its proximate cause. When there is tranquility, for one accomplished in tranquility, ease has its proximate cause. When there is ease, for one accomplished in ease, right collectedness has its proximate cause. When there is right collectedness, for one accomplished in right collectedness, understanding and insight into things as they truly are has its proximate cause. When there is understanding and insight into things as they truly are, for one accomplished in the understanding and insight into things as they truly are, disenchantment has its proximate cause. When there is disenchantment, for one accomplished in disenchantment, fading of desire has its proximate cause. When there is fading of desire, for one accomplished in fading of desire, knowledge and vision of liberation has its proximate cause.”

Topics & Qualities:

Jhana

Jhana

A mental quality of composure where awareness is gathered, steady, rather than scattered or tense. In such collectedness, supported by mindfulness and right view, experience is clearly known and can be wisely contemplated, unlike narrow or disconnected concentration that shuts out the senses and feeds delusion.

Also known as: absorption, concentration, collectedness, mental composure, stability of mind, undistracted awareness
Pāli: jhāna, samādhi, samāhita, susamāhita, sammāsamādhi
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Disenchantment

Disenchantment

The turning away from fascination with conditioned things through clear seeing of their impermanence and unsatisfactoriness.

Also known as: de-illusionment, disinterest
Pāli: nibbidā
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Dispassion

Dispassion

The fading of desire and attraction toward conditioned things. It arises through seeing the impermanent and unsatisfactory nature of experience. It is the natural fragrance of understanding and the forerunner of release.

Also known as: detachment, disinterest, fading of desire, disentanglement
Pāli: virāga, visaṃyutta
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Ethical conduct

Ethical conduct

A disciplined way of living grounded in harmlessness and integrity. Ethical conduct restrains the body and speech from harm, purifies behavior, and forms the foundation for collectedness and wisdom.

Also known as: moral integrity, right action, virtue
Pāli: sīla, sammākammanta
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Happiness

Happiness

Bodily ease and comfort; a pleasant feeling experienced with the body. In the third jhāna, one dwells experiencing this pleasure with the body. It is abandoned, along with bodily pain, for the fourth jhāna to arise.

Also known as: pleasant abiding, positive state of mind, sense of ease
Pāli: sukha
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Insight

Insight

Insight is the deep, intuitive realization, a penetrative seeing into the true nature of things that transforms understanding

Also known as: having insight, with understanding, right knowledge
Pāli: ñāṇa, sammāñāṇa
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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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Tranquility

Tranquility

A mental quality of calm and stillness that arises when the body and mind are unburdened by agitation.

Also known as: calmness, peacefulness, serenity
Pāli: passaddhi, santi, upasama, upasanta
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Uplifting joy

Uplifting joy

An energetic mental quality that creates a sense of lift or thrill; it ranges from a gentle delight to overwhelming rapture

Also known as: heartfelt joy, mental exhilaration, rapture, lit. refreshment
Pāli: pīti
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Vision

Vision

The corrective clarity that clearly sees into the true nature of things as they actually are.

Also known as: seeing clearly, seeing things as they are, seeing the truth, seeing the dhamma
Pāli: dassana
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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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Unprincipled conduct

Unprincipled conduct

Conduct that disregards moral restraint and ignores the consequences of harm done to oneself or others through body or speech. Such behavior clouds the mind and leads to regret and further decline.

Also known as: lacking in moral principles, lacking in ethics, immoral, wrong action
Pāli: dussīlya, micchākammanta
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Last updated on December 13, 2025