Overview
Reverence and respect (gārava) are foundational attitudes in Theravāda practice. A mind lacking respect is haughty, unteachable, and closed to spiritual progress. The Buddha explicitly identified six areas where a lack of respect guarantees that a practitioner will decline and fail to achieve liberation.
The List
- Satthari agāravo - Disrespect toward the Teacher: Lacking reverence and deference for the Buddha.
- Dhamme agāravo - Disrespect toward the Dhamma: Lacking reverence for the Teaching, studying it carelessly or altering it to suit oneself.
- Saṅghe agāravo - Disrespect toward the Saṅgha: Lacking reverence for the monastic community and one’s spiritual companions.
- Sikkhāya agāravo - Disrespect toward the Training: Treating the precepts, rules, and meditation instructions lightly or with contempt.
- Appamāde agāravo - Disrespect toward Heedfulness: Acting recklessly, letting mindfulness slip, and not valuing constant vigilance over the mind.
- Paṭisanthāre agāravo - Disrespect toward Hospitality: Failing to properly welcome, greet, and care for visiting monastics or guests.
Textual References
- Canonical: Agārava Sutta (AN 6.93) – The Buddha states that it is utterly impossible for a monk to reach Stream-entry, Once-returning, Non-returning, or Arahatship without abandoning these six forms of disrespect.