Aṇguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka Nipāta
8. Yodhājīva Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fives
VIII. The Warrior
Sutta 77
Paṭhama Anāgata-Bhaya Suttaṃ
Fear in the Way (a)
Translated by E. M. Hare
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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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, there are these five fears in the way[1]
from contemplating which
the earnest,
ardent,
resolute monk,
forest-gone,
ought to live
just to attain the unattained,
to master the unmastered,
to realize the unrealized.
What five?
Take the case of a monk,
forest-gone,
who reflects thus:
"I am now quite alone in the forest;
and living here alone,
a snake may bite me,
a scorpion may bite me,
or a centipede may bite me,[2]
and cause my death;
and that would be a hindrance to me.
Behold now,
I will put forth energy
to attain the unattained,
to master the unmastered,
to realize the unrealized.[3]
■
Monks, this is the first fear in the way
from contemplating which
the earnest,
ardent,
resolute monk,
forest-gone,
ought to live
just to attain the unattained,
to master the unmastered,
to realize the unrealized.
■
Again take the case of a monk,
forest-gone,
who reflects thus:
"I am now quite alone in the forest;
and living here alone,
I may stumble and fall;
the food I have eaten may make me ill;
bile may convulse me;
phlegm choke me;
wind within stab and shake me,[4]
and cause my death;
and that would.be a hindrance to me.
Behold now,
I will put forth energy
to attain the unattained,
to master the unmastered,
to realize the unrealized.
Monks, this is the second fear in the way
from contemplating which
the earnest,
ardent,
resolute monk,
forest-gone,
ought to live
just to attain the unattained,
to master the unmastered,
to realize the unrealized.
■
Again take the case of a monk,
forest-gone,
who reflects thus:
"I am now quite alone in the forest;
and living here alone,
an I consort with fearsome creatures:
lion,
tiger,
leopard,
bear
or hyena[5] —
they may take my life
and cause my death;
and that would be a hindrance to me.
Behold now,
I will put forth energy
[82] to attain the unattained,
to master the unmastered,
to realize the unrealized.
Monks, this is the third fear in the way
from contemplating which
the earnest,
ardent,
resolute monk,
forest-gone,
ought to live
just to attain the unattained,
to master the unmastered,
to realize the unrealized.
■
Again take the case of a monk,
forest-gone,
who reflects thus:
"I am now quite alone in the forest;
and living here alone,
an I consort with thieves,[6]
who either have done their deed
or go about to do it,[7]
they may take my life
and cause my death;
and that would be a hindrance to me..
Behold now,
I will put forth energy
to attain the unattained,
to master the unmastered,
to realize the unrealized.
Monks, this is the fourth fear in the way
from contemplating which
the earnest,
ardent,
resolute monk,
forest-gone,
ought to live
just to attain the unattained,
to master the unmastered,
to realize the unrealized.
■
Moreover, monks, the monk,
forest-gone,
reflects thus:
"I am now quite alone in the forest;
and living here alone,
and there are fearsome non-humans[8] here.
They may take my life
and cause my death;
and that would be a hindrance to me.
Behold now,
I will put forth energy
to attain the unattained,
to master the unmastered,
to realize the unrealized.
Monks, this is the fifth fear in the way
from contemplating which
the earnest,
ardent,
resolute monk,
forest-gone,
ought to live
just to attain the unattained,
to master the unmastered,
to realize the unrealized.
Monks, these are the five fears in the way from contemplating which
the earnest,
ardent,
resolute monk,
forest-gone,
ought to live
just to attain the unattained,
to master the unmastered,
to realize the unrealized.'
[1] Anāgata, not come, future.
[2] This is a stock set; see A. ii, 73; iv, 320; Vin. ii, 110; below VI, § 20.
[3] Cf. D. iii, 255; A. iv, 332 for this passage.
[4] This set is at A. iv, 320 and below loc. cit.
[5] Cf. J. v, 416; Mil. 149 and Vin. iii, 58.
[6] Māṇavehi. Comy. corehi; Cf. DA. i, 36, quoting our passage.
[7] See Vism. 180. Mp. says they take the throat-blood (gala-lohita) and make an offering to the devas.
[8] Comy. harsh, evil yakkhas.
