What Are the Four Gharavasa Dhamma? Sacca, Dama, Khanti, Caga in Daily Life

The four gharavasa dhamma are four qualities for householders: sacca, dama, khanti and caga, with the Navakovada's wording, the Pali from the Āḷavaka Sutta with a translation, and examples

The four gharavasa dhamma are four qualities for householders: sacca, honesty and sincerity towards each other; dama, training and restraining oneself; khanti, patience; and caga, generosity and sharing. This list comes from the conversation between the Buddha and the spirit Āḷavaka in the Āḷavaka Sutta. This page explains the four gharavasa dhamma one by one, quotes the Navakovada's wording, gives the Pali from the discourse with a translation, examples at home and at work, how to start practising, and a summary at the end.

What are the four gharavasa dhamma? The meaning of the name

Gharavasa comes from ghara, a house, and āvāsa, a dwelling: living in a household, the life of a lay person with a family, a home and work, as opposed to the life of a monastic who has left home. So gharavasa dhamma means the qualities of a householder. In the discourse the Buddha names these four as the qualities of a householder with faith, who does not grieve on passing from this world.

Household life means living with other people all the time: partner, children, parents, relatives, neighbours and the people we work with. The four gharavasa dhamma answer the question of what qualities make living together stable and happy. Sincerity lets people trust each other; self-training lets them correct their faults; patience gets them through hard times together; and generosity means no one has to carry the load alone.

What the four gharavasa dhamma are: the Navakovada's wording

The Navakovada, a widely used first-level Dhamma textbook, places this list in its section on practice for lay people, in the chapter of fours. What follows is the Navakovada's own wording (our translation), under the heading 'The four qualities of a householder'.

Sacca: being truthful and honest with one another.
Dama: knowing how to restrain one's own mind.
Khanti: patience.
Caga: giving and sharing one's own things with those to whom they should be given.

The Navakovada gives its source as the Sagāthavagga of the Saṁyutta Nikāya, which contains the conversation with Āḷavaka. The same conversation is in the Sutta Nipāta (Snp 1.10), the version whose Pali is quoted on this page. The Navakovada's order, sacca, dama, khanti, caga, is the order usually studied.

Sacca, dama, khanti, caga: one by one

Sacca, truth: the Navakovada explains it as being truthful and honest with one another, sincere in word and deed, telling the truth, keeping promises, being faithful to one's partner and to those who trust us. Truth is the base of trust. When the people in a home know that each other's word can be relied on, every other problem can be talked through. In the discourse, a good name is won through truth.
Dama, self-training: the Navakovada explains it as knowing how to restrain one's own mind: not letting anger, desire or hurt feelings drive us to say or do hurtful things, and correcting ourselves when we know we were wrong. Dama is not bottling up feelings; it is catching your own mind before a mood turns into an action.
Khanti, patience: steadiness, not giving up, and not hitting back in anger, whether at hard work, hardship, unwelcome words, or the different habits of the people we live with. Patience does not mean putting up with being harmed and doing nothing; it means not letting anger make our decisions for us.
Caga, generosity: the Navakovada explains it as giving and sharing one's own things with those to whom they should be given: sharing things, time and effort with family and those who should receive them, and also letting go of stinginess, pride and resentment. In the discourse, one who gives holds on to friends.

The source: Āḷavaka's questions

The Āḷavaka Sutta tells how the Buddha was once staying in the haunt of a spirit named Āḷavaka near the town of Āḷavī. The spirit told him to get out, then to come in, and the Buddha did so three times. The fourth time he refused. The spirit threatened to ask him questions and harm him if he could not answer. The Buddha said that no one in the world could do that to him, but told him to ask whatever he wished. So Āḷavaka asked a series of questions in verse: what is a person's best wealth, how does one cross the flood of defilements, how does one gain wisdom, how does one earn wealth, how does one win a good name, and how does one keep friends? The answers that bear directly on household life are in these verses.

Patirūpakārī dhuravā,
uṭṭhātā vindate dhanaṁ;
Saccena kittiṁ pappoti,
dadaṁ mittāni ganthati.
One who acts fittingly, takes responsibility and works hard earns wealth. A good name is won through truth. One who gives holds on to friends.
Snp 1.10

Yassete caturo dhammā,
saddhassa gharamesino;
Saccaṁ dhammo dhiti cāgo,
sa ve pecca na socati.
A householder with faith who has these four qualities, truth, principle, steadfastness and generosity, does not grieve after passing on.
Snp 1.10

Iṅgha aññepi pucchassu,
puthū samaṇa brāhmaṇe;
Yadi saccā damā cāgā,
khantyā bhiyyodha vijjati.
Go on, ask the many other ascetics and brahmins whether anything better than truth, self-training, generosity and patience is found here.
Snp 1.10

The last two verses use slightly different names. The first speaks of truth, dhamma, steadfastness (dhiti) and generosity; the second challenges Āḷavaka to ask others whether anything is better than truth, self-training, generosity and patience. The Navakovada's list follows the second verse, in the order sacca, dama, khanti, caga. When the answers are finished, Āḷavaka says that today he understands what is good for lives to come, so he has no need to ask other ascetics and brahmins, and declares that he will travel from village to village and town to town, paying homage to the Buddha and the excellence of the Dhamma.

Why these four suit family life

The four support each other as a set. Truth without self-training can become truth told in a hurtful way; self-training helps us tell the truth at the right time and in the right words. Patience keeps good intentions from collapsing at the first disappointment, and generosity keeps a relationship from turning into keeping score of who gave more. When one is missing, the others weaken. Someone patient but not sincere stores up resentment until it explodes; someone generous but untrained may give with one hand and hurt with their words on the other.

The verse in the discourse also says that earning wealth depends on fitting work, responsibility and diligence, which matches the teaching of the heart of a wealthy person; a good name comes from truth, and friends come from giving. So the four gharavasa dhamma are not only for the home; they work anywhere people have to live and work together.

Using the four gharavasa dhamma in daily life: examples

Partners: truth is not hiding money matters or anything important. Self-training is pausing in a quarrel before saying something you will regret. Patience is bearing with different habits and with times when the other is stressed. Generosity is sharing the housework and the time off fairly.
Parents and children: truth is keeping promises to your children, even small ones. Self-training is not punishing a child while you are still angry. Patience is giving children time to learn and to make mistakes. Generosity is giving them your full time, without the phone in between.
Adult children and elderly parents: truth is telling them the truth gently. Self-training is not getting irritated when they ask the same thing again. Patience is caring for them on tiring days. Generosity is making time to visit and helping with costs as you can.
At work: truth is reporting honestly even when there are problems. Self-training is not firing off a reply while angry. Patience is seeing long jobs through to the end. Generosity is sharing knowledge and helping colleagues.
With yourself: truth is keeping the promises you make to yourself. Self-training is building good habits one at a time. Patience is not giving up when you slip. Generosity is letting go of hurt feelings that make nothing better.

The gharavasa dhamma and other teachings

The gharavasa dhamma connect with several other teachings. Truth is close to the fourth precept, not lying, in the five precepts; generosity is close to giving, the first of the four sangahavatthu. The detailed duties between husband and wife, and between parents and children, are in the teaching of the six directions, and patience with life's gains and losses is linked to seeing clearly the eight worldly conditions.

How to start practising the four gharavasa dhamma

Practise one at a time, one a week, starting with the one you feel you lack most.
Make the commitment clear and small, for example: this week I will not lie even about small things, or I will not raise my voice at home.
Before sleeping, review briefly where you did well today and where you slipped, without being harsh on yourself.
If you want your family to practise too, start with yourself; there is no need to lecture or force anyone. An example usually works better than words.
Practising mindfulness and sitting meditation briefly every day helps a great deal with self-training and patience, because it lets you catch your own moods sooner.

The four gharavasa dhamma in brief

The four gharavasa dhamma are four qualities for householders: sacca, dama, khanti and caga.
Sacca: be honest and sincere with one another. Dama: restrain and train yourself. Khanti: be patient and steady. Caga: give and share.
The source is the Āḷavaka Sutta, the Buddha's answers to the spirit Āḷavaka's questions.
The four support each other; when one is missing, the others weaken.
They apply in the family, at work and with yourself.

Based on: Āḷavaka Sutta (Snp 1.10) · Navakovada (public domain)