The Chapter on Long Wandering

AN 5.221 Long Wandering (1st) Paṭhamadīghacārikasutta

"Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks for someone who likes long and aimless wandering. What five? You don't learn new things. You don't clarify what you've learned. You lack confidence in some things you have learned. You contract a severe illness. You don't have any friends. These are the five drawbacks for someone who likes long and aimless wandering.

There are these five benefits of a reasonable amount of wandering. What five? You learn new things. You clarify what you've learned. You have confidence in some things you have learned. You don't contract severe illness. You have friends. These are the five benefits of a reasonable amount of wandering."

AN 5.222 Long Wandering (2nd) Dutiyadīghacārikasutta

"Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks for someone who likes long and aimless wandering. What five? You don't achieve the unachieved. What you have achieved falls away. You lose confidence in some things you've achieved. You contract a severe illness. You don't have any friends. These are the five drawbacks for someone who likes long and aimless wandering.

There are these five benefits of a reasonable amount of wandering. What five? You achieve the unachieved. What you have achieved doesn't fall away. You're confident in some things you've achieved. You don't contract severe illness. You have friends. These are the five benefits of a reasonable amount of wandering."

AN 5.223 Overstaying Atinivāsasutta

"Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks of overstaying. What five? You have a lot of stuff and store it up. You have a lot of medicine and store it up. You have a lot of duties and responsibilities, and become capable in whatever needs to be done. You mix closely with laypeople and renunciates, socializing inappropriately like a layperson. And when you leave that monastery, you miss it. These are the five drawbacks of overstaying.

There are these five benefits of staying for a reasonable length of time. What five? You don't have a lot of stuff and store it up. You don't have a lot of medicine and store it up. You don't have a lot of duties and responsibilities, or become capable in whatever needs to be done. You don't mix closely with laypeople and renunciates, socializing inappropriately like a layperson. And when you leave that monastery, you don't miss it. These are the five benefits of staying for a reasonable length of time."

AN 5.224 Stingy Maccharīsutta

"Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks of overstaying. What five? You become stingy with dwellings, families, material things, praise, and the teaching. These are the five drawbacks of overstaying.

There are these five benefits of staying for a reasonable length of time. What five? You're not stingy with dwellings, families, material things, praise, and the teaching. These are the five benefits of staying for a reasonable length of time."

AN 5.225 Visiting Families (1st) Paṭhamakulūpakasutta

"Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks of visiting families. What five? You fall into an offense for wandering without leave. You fall into an offense for sitting in a private place with someone of the opposite sex. You fall into an offense for sitting in a hidden place with someone of the opposite sex. You fall into an offense for teaching more than five or six sentences to someone of the opposite sex. You have a lot of sensual thoughts. These are the five drawbacks of visiting families."

AN 5.226 Visiting Families (2nd) Dutiyakulūpakasutta

"Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks for a mendicant who visits families for too long, mixing closely with them. What five? You often see members of the opposite sex. Seeing them, you become close. Being so close, you become intimate. Being intimate, lust overcomes you. When your mind is swamped by lust, you can expect that you will lead the spiritual life dissatisfied, or commit one of the corrupt offenses, or resign the training and return to a lesser life. These are the five drawbacks for a mendicant who visits families for too long, mixing closely with them."

AN 5.227 Riches Bhogasutta

"Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks of riches. What five? Fire, water, kings, thieves, and unloved heirs all take a share. These are the five drawbacks of riches.

There are these five benefits of riches. What five? Riches enable you to make yourself happy and pleased, to make your mother and father; your children, partners, bondservants, workers, and staff, and your friends and colleagues happy and pleased, and to keep them all happy. And they enable you to establish an uplifting religious donation for ascetics and brahmins that's conducive to heaven, ripens in happiness, and leads to heaven. These are the five benefits of riches."

AN 5.228 Eating Late Ussūrabhattasutta

"Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks for a family who takes their meals late in the day. What five? When guests visit, they are not served on time. The deities who accept spirit-offerings are not served on time. Ascetics and brahmins who eat in one part of the day, abstaining from eating at night, and from food at the wrong time are not served on time. Bondservants, workers, and staff do their duties neglectfully. A meal eaten during the wrong period is not nutritious. These are the five drawbacks for a family who takes their meals late in the day.

There are these five benefits for a family who takes their meals at a proper time. What five? When guests visit, they are served on time. The deities who accept spirit-offerings are served on time. Ascetics and brahmins who eat in one part of the day, abstaining from eating at night, and from food at the wrong time are served on time. Bondservants, workers, and staff do their duties attentively. A meal eaten during the proper period is nutritious. These are the five benefits for a family who takes their meals at a proper time."

AN 5.229 Black Snakes (1st) Paṭhamakaṇhasappasutta

"Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks of a black snake. What five? It's filthy, stinking, cowardly, frightening, and treacherous. These are the five dangers of a black snake.

In the same way there are five drawbacks of a female. What five? She's filthy, stinking, cowardly, frightening, and treacherous. These are the five drawbacks of a female."

AN 5.230 Black Snakes (2nd) Dutiyakaṇhasappasutta

"Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks of a black snake. What five? It's irritable, acrimonious, venomous, fork-tongued, and treacherous. These are the five dangers of a black snake.

In the same way there are five drawbacks of a female. What five? She's irritable, acrimonious, venomous, fork-tongued, and treacherous. This is a female's venom: usually she's very lustful. This is a female's forked tongue: usually she speaks divisively. This is a female's treachery: usually she's an adulteress. These are the five drawbacks of a female."