The eight worldly conditions
“Worldly Conditions (2nd)”
The eight worldly conditions are gain and loss, fame and disgrace, blame and praise, pleasure and pain. Everyone meets them. The difference, AN 8.6 says, is that a trained person reflects: “It’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable,” and so neither favours the pleasant four nor opposes the unpleasant four.
Four pairs
| Pleasant | Unpleasant |
|---|---|
| Gain | Loss |
| Fame | Disgrace |
| Praise | Blame |
| Pleasure | Pain |
Practising with them
“The world revolves around the eight worldly conditions.” The discourse does not ask you to avoid them, which is impossible, but to notice each one as it arrives and see it as passing. One simple evening practice: name one of the eight that came to you today, and whether you leaned toward it or away from it.
About this text
The Buddha tells the mendicants about eight worldly conditions that revolve around the world: gain and loss, fame and disgrace, blame and praise, pleasure and pain. An ordinary person and a learned noble disciple both meet all eight. The difference, the Buddha says, is in reflection. The ordinary person does not see that each condition is impermanent and perishable, so gain and loss occupy their mind and they favor one side and oppose the other. The noble disciple reflects on each as impermanent, does not favor or oppose, and is freed from suffering. A verse restates the eight and the mind that is not shaken by them.
A note on this text. Repetitive in structure, and describes the outcome as freedom from being born again, and from old age and death, as well as from sorrow.
The full text
Numbered Discourses 8.6 · 1. Love · Worldly Conditions (2nd) · translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · public domain (CC0) · about 2 min · on SuttaCentral
“Mendicants, the eight worldly conditions revolve around the world, and the world revolves around the eight worldly conditions. What eight? Gain and loss, fame and disgrace, blame and praise, pleasure and pain. These eight worldly conditions revolve around the world, and the world revolves around these eight worldly conditions.
An unlearned ordinary person encounters gain and loss, fame and disgrace, blame and praise, and pleasure and pain. And so does a learned noble disciple. What, then, is the difference between a learned noble disciple and an ordinary unlearned person?” “Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. He is our guide and our refuge. Sir, may the Buddha himself please clarify the meaning of this. The mendicants will listen and remember it.”
“Well then, mendicants, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this: “Mendicants, an unlearned ordinary person encounters gain. They don’t reflect: ‘I’ve encountered this gain. It’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable.’ They don’t truly understand it. They encounter loss … fame … disgrace … blame … praise … pleasure … pain. They don’t reflect: ‘I’ve encountered this pain. It’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable.’ They don’t truly understand it.
So gain and loss, fame and disgrace, blame and praise, and pleasure and pain occupy their mind. They favor gain and oppose loss. They favor fame and oppose disgrace. They favor praise and oppose blame. They favor pleasure and oppose pain. Being so full of favoring and opposing, they’re not freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re not freed from suffering, I say.
A learned noble disciple encounters gain. They reflect: ‘I’ve encountered this gain. It’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable.’ They truly understand it. They encounter loss … fame … disgrace … blame … praise … pleasure … pain. They reflect: ‘I’ve encountered this pain. It’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable.’ They truly understand it.
So gain and loss, fame and disgrace, blame and praise, and pleasure and pain don’t occupy their mind. They don’t favor gain or oppose loss. They don’t favor fame or oppose disgrace. They don’t favor praise or oppose blame. They don’t favor pleasure or oppose pain. Having given up favoring and opposing, they’re freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re freed from suffering, I say. This is the difference between a learned noble disciple and an unlearned ordinary person.
Gain and loss, fame and disgrace,blame and praise, and pleasure and pain.These qualities among mankind are impermanent,transient, and perishable.Explained: Praise and blame pass through
An intelligent and mindful person knows these things,seeing that they’re perishable.Desirable things don’t disturb their mind,nor are they repelled by the undesirable.
Both favoring and opposingare cleared and disappeared, they are no more.Knowing the stainless, sorrowless state,they who have gone beyond rebirthunderstand rightly.”
Questions
Why are they sometimes called the eight worldly winds?
It is a common modern name, in the spirit of Dhammapada 81: “As the wind cannot stir a solid mass of rock, so too blame and praise do not affect the wise.” The discourse itself calls them conditions (lokadhammā).