Aṅguttara Nikāya


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Aṅguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka Nipāta
8. Yodhājīva Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fives
IX. The Elder

Chapter VIII
The Warrior

Sutta 79

Tatiya Anāgata-Bhaya Suttaɱ

Fear in the Way (c)

Translated by E. M. Hare

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[84]

[1][than] Thus have I heard:

Once the Exalted One dwelt near Sāvatthī, at Jeta Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park;
and there he addressed the monks,
saying:

"Monks."

'Yes, lord,' they replied;
and the Exalted One said:

"Monks, these five fears in the way,
which have not yet arisen,
will arise in the future.

Be ye fully awake for them;
and, being awake,
strive to get rid of them.

What five?

Monks, there will be, in the long road of the future,
monks who have not made body become,[1]
not made virtue become,
not made mind become,
not made insight become;
and those who have not made body become,
not made virtue become,
not made mind become,
not made insight become
will cause the acceptance[2] of others,
and verily they will not be able to lead them
in the way of higher virtue,
higher mind,
higher insight:
and they too will become monks
who have not made body beeome,
not made virtue become,
not made mind become,
not made insight become;
and those who have not made body beeome,
not made virtue become,
not made mind become,
not made insight become;
will cause the acceptance of others,
and verily they will not be able to lead them
in the way of higher virtue,
higher mind,
higher insight:
and they too will become monks
who have not made body become,
not made virtue become,
not made mind become,
not made insight become.

Thus verily, monks,
from corrupt Dhamma
comes corrupt Discipline;
from corrupt Discipline
corrupt Dhamma.

Monks, this is the first fear in the way which,
though not yet risen,
will arise in the future.

Be ye fully awake for it;
and being awake,
strive to get rid of it.

Again, monks who have not made body beeome,
not made virtue become,
not made mind become,
not made insight become;
will give guidance[3] to others,
and verily they will not be able to lead them
in the way of higher virtue,
higher mind,
higher in- [85] sight
and those too who have not made body beeome,
not made virtue become,
not made mind become,
not made insight become;
will give guidance to others,
and verily they will not be able to lead them
in the way of higher virtue,
higher mind,
higher insight:
and they too will become monks
who have not made body become,
not made virtue become,
not made mind become,
not made insight become.

Thua verily, monks,
from corrupt Dhamma
comes corrupt Discipline;
from corrupt Discipline
corrupt Dhamma.

Monks, this is the second fear in the way which,
though not yet risen,
will arise in the future.

Be ye fully awake for it;
and being awake,
strive to get rid of it.

Again, monks who have not made body beeome,
not made virtue become,
not made mind become,
not made insight become;
when giving a talk on more-Dhamma[4]
or on the runes,[5]
will not be fully awake (to the meaning),
but will enter on a state of darkness.[6]

Thus verily, monks,
from corrupt Dhamma
comes corrupt Discipline;
from corrupt Discipline
corrupt Dhamma.

Monks, this is the third fear in the way which,
though not yet risen,
will arise in the future.

Be ye fully awake for it;
and being awake,
strive to get rid of it.

Again, monks who have not made body beeome,
not made virtue become,
not made mind become,
not made insight become;
will not listen,
lend an ear,
set up an understanding mind
or deem such things should be grasped and mastered,
when those sayings,[7]
spoken by the Tathāgata,
deep,
deep in meaning,
world-beyond,
dealing with the void,
are recited;
but to the sayings of poets,
mere poems,
just a show of words and phrases,
the works of outsiders,
declaimed by their disciples —
to such, when recited, they will listen,
lend an ear,
set up an understanding mind
and deem such things should be grasped and mastered.[8]

Thus indeed, monks,
from corrupt Dhamma
comes corrupt Discipline;
from corrupt Discipline
corrupt Dhamma.

Monks, this is the fourth fear in the way which,
though not yet risen,
will arise in the future.

Be ye fully awake for it;
and being awake,
strive to get rid of it.

Moreover, monks, there will be
in the long road of the future
monks who have not made body beeome,
not made virtue become,
not made mind become,
not made insight become;
and those elders who have not made body beeome,
not made virtue become,
not made mind become,
not made insight become;
will become luxurious,[9]
lax,
prime-movers in backsliding,[10]
shirking [86] the burden of the secluded life;
and they will put forth no effort
to attain the unattained,
to master the unmastered,
to realize the unrealized;
and the folk who come after them
will fall into the way of (wrong) views:[11]
and they too will become luxurious,
lax,
prime-movers in backsliding,
shirking the burden of the secluded life,
and will put forth no effort
to attain the unattained,
to master the unmastered,
to realize the unrealized.

Thus indeed, monks,
from corrupt Dhamma
comes corrupt Discipline;
from corrupt Discipline
corrupt Dhamma.

Monks, this is the fifth fear in the way which,
though not ylt risen,
will arise in the future.

Be ye fully awake for it;
and being awake,
strive to get rid of it.

Monks, these are the five fears in the way,
which have not yet arisen,
will arise in the future.

Be ye fully awake for them;
and, being awake,
strive to get rid of them.[12]

 


[1] Abhāvita-kayā — untrained in body.

[2] Upasampādessanti, they will cause their acceptance as full monks.

[3] Nissayaɱ dassanti, see Childers, 291; P.E.D. omits this expression. The period of tutelage is at least five years.

[4] Abhidhamma. Comy. uttama-dhamma.

[5] Vedalla, Comy. Veda-paṭisaɱyuttaɱ ñāṇa-missaka-kathaɱ. See Exp. i, 33. They are suttas in the form of questions — e.g., F.Dial. i, 213; Dial. ii, 229.

[6] Kaṇhaɱ dhammaɱ; Cf. Dhp. 87; A. v, 253; K.S. v, 22. Comy. by looking for defects, mocking, preaching for gain and honour.

According to Rhys Davids Buddhist India, pg. 168. the term 'Suttanta' means 'end of the suttas' in our sense of 'the aim' or 'a summary', that is, compiled from smaller suttas. Suttantas are mostly found in the Dīgha and Majjhima Nikāyas.

p.p. explains it all — p.p.

[7] Suttantā, an honorific way of referring to suttas.

[8] This passage recurs at S. ii, 267; A. i, 73; see G.S. i, 08.

[9] Cf. M. i, 14, iii 6; A. ii, 148; below V, §150.

[10] Okkamane pubbaṅgamā.

[11] Cf. Vin. ii, 108; S. ii, 203.

Why this one? The choice is really only between this and the next sutta which are the only ones that deal with 'Fears to Come'. The problem is with translation of 'anāgata', non-got, as 'future' but which the passages in the other suttas suggest might be better translated 'possible'. This sutta deals with future dangers per se.

p.p. explains it all — p.p.

[12] At Dial. i, xiii, Rhys Davids observes that this sutta is the one referred to by Asoka in his Bhabra Edict -, but it is not clear why this of the four Anagatabhayani suttas is picked out.


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