The Buddha explains how clearly understanding the arising, ending, and the way of practice leading to the ending in regard to acquisitions, respect, and popularity leads to personal experience and attainment of the goal of asceticism or brahminhood in this very life.

SN 17.27  Tatiyasamaṇabrāhmaṇa sutta - Ascetics and Brahmins (Third)

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

At Sāvatthi.

“Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā lābhasakkārasilokaṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, lābhasakkārasilokasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, lābhasakkārasilokanirodhaṁ nappajānanti, lābhasakkārasilokanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti, na me te, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā samaṇesu samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu brāhmaṇasammatā, na ca pana te āyasmantā sāmaññatthaṁ brahmaññatthaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti.

“Bhikkhus, whoever among ascetics or brahmins does not clearly understand acquisitions, respect, and popularity as they truly are; does not clearly understand the |arising::appearance, origination [samudaya]| of acquisitions, respect; and popularity, does not clearly understand the |ending::cessation, termination [nirodha]| of acquisitions, respect, and popularity; and does not clearly understand the way of practice leading to the ending of acquisitions, respect, and popularity—they, bhikkhus, are not recognized by me as ascetics among ascetics or as brahmins among brahmins. Moreover, those venerable ones do not, in this very life, |personally experience::realize for oneself [sacchikatvā]| and attain the goal of asceticism or the goal of brahminhood through |direct knowledge::experiential realization [abhiññā]| and |abiding::dwelling, remaining, staying [viharanti]| in it.

Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā lābhasakkārasilokaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti, lābhasakkārasilokasamudayaṁ pajānanti, lābhasakkārasilokanirodhaṁ pajānanti, lābhasakkārasilokanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti, te ca kho me, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā samaṇesu ceva samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu ca brāhmaṇasammatā, te ca panāyasmanto sāmaññatthañca brahmaññatthañca diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharantī”ti.

But bhikkhus, whoever among ascetics or brahmins clearly understands acquisitions, respect, and popularity as they truly are; clearly understands the arising of acquisitions, respect, and popularity; clearly understands the ending of acquisitions, respect, and popularity; and clearly understands the way of practice leading to the ending of acquisitions, respect, and popularity—they, bhikkhus, are recognized by me as ascetics among ascetics and as brahmins among brahmins. Moreover, those venerable ones, in this very life, personally experience and attain the goal of asceticism or the goal of brahminhood through directly knowing and abiding in it.”

Qualities:

Direct knowledge

Direct knowledge

A deep, firsthand realization or knowing that arises from personal experience, not from study or conceptual understanding; it is an immediate, unmediated apprehension of truth.

Also known as: experiential understanding, direct experience
Pāli: abhiñña
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Discernment

Discernment

Clear seeing that distinguishes what is wholesome from unwholesome, true from false.

Also known as: ability to make out distinctions, ability to discriminate, distinguish, clear seeing, penetrating internal vision
Pāli: viveka, vipassanā, nipaka, niccheyya
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Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, vijjā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita
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Conceit

Conceit

Self-view expressed as comparison—seeing oneself as superior, inferior, or equal; the persistent “I am” conceit (asmimāna) that underlies identification and fuels rebirth

Also known as: arrogance, egotism, pride, self-importance, tendency of self-comparison
Pāli: māna, atimāna, unnaḷa
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Greed

Greed

A grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment

Also known as: acquisitiveness, avarice, covetousness, rapacity, money grabbing, grabbiness
Pāli: lobha, gedha
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Passion

Passion

Intense desire or lust that dyes the mind. It fixates on the features of objects, coloring perception with infatuation and making it difficult to see things as they truly are.

Also known as: burning fever, intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust
Pāli: rāga
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Last updated on December 13, 2025