“Bhikkhus, these five things, when developed and cultivated, have liberation of mind as their fruit, liberation of mind as their fruit and benefit; they have liberation by wisdom as their fruit, liberation by wisdom as their fruit and benefit. What five?
Here, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating the unattractiveness of the body, perceiving the repulsiveness of food, perceiving nondelight in the entire world, contemplating impermanence in all conditioned phenomena; and he has the perception of death well established internally. These five things, when developed and cultivated, have liberation of mind as their fruit, liberation of mind as their fruit and benefit; they have liberation by wisdom as their fruit, liberation by wisdom as their fruit and benefit.
“When a bhikkhu is liberated in mind and liberated by wisdom, he is called a bhikkhu who has removed the crossbar, filled in the moat, pulled out the pillar, a boltless one, a noble one with banner lowered, with burden dropped, detached.
“And how has a bhikkhu removed the crossbar? Here, a bhikkhu has abandoned ignorance, cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it so that it is no more subject to future arising. It is in this way that a bhikkhu has removed the crossbar.
“And how has a bhikkhu filled in the moat? Here, a bhikkhu has abandoned the wandering on in birth that brings renewed existence; he has cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it so that it is no more subject to future arising. It is in this way that a bhikkhu has filled in the moat.
“And how has a bhikkhu pulled out the pillar? Here, a bhikkhu has abandoned craving, cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it so that it is no more subject to future arising. It is in this way that a bhikkhu has pulled out the pillar.
“And how is a bhikkhu a boltless one? Here, a bhikkhu has abandoned the five lower fetters, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, obliterated them so that they are no more subject to future arising. It is in this way that a bhikkhu is a boltless one.
“And how is a bhikkhu a noble one with banner lowered, with burden dropped, detached? Here, a bhikkhu has abandoned the conceit ‘I am,’ cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it so that it is no more subject to future arising. It is in this way that a bhikkhu is a noble one with banner lowered, with burden dropped, detached.”
“Bhikkhus, these five things, when developed and cultivated, have liberation of mind as their fruit, liberation of mind as their fruit and benefit; they have liberation by wisdom as their fruit, liberation by wisdom as their fruit and benefit. What five? The perception of impermanence, the perception of suffering in the impermanent, the perception of non-self in what is suffering, the perception of abandoning, the perception of dispassion. These five things, when developed and cultivated, have liberation of mind as their fruit, liberation of mind as their fruit and benefit; they have liberation by wisdom as their fruit, liberation by wisdom as their fruit and benefit.
“When a bhikkhu is liberated in mind and liberated by wisdom, he is called a bhikkhu who has removed the crossbar, filled in the moat, pulled out the pillar, a boltless one, a noble one with banner lowered, with burden dropped, detached.
“And how is a bhikkhu one who has removed the crossbar? ... [all as in 5:71, down:] ... It is in this way that a bhikkhu is a noble one with banner lowered, with burden dropped, detached.”
73 (3) One Who Dwells in the Dhamma (1)
Then a certain bhikkhu approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said:
“It is said, Bhante, ‘one who dwells in the Dhamma, one who dwells in the Dhamma.’ In what way is a bhikkhu one who dwells in the Dhamma?”
(1) “Here, bhikkhu, a bhikkhu learns the Dhamma: the discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, quotations, birth stories, amazing accounts, and questions-and-answers. He passes the day in learning the Dhamma but neglects seclusion and does not devote himself to internal serenity of mind. This is called a bhikkhu who is absorbed in learning, not one who dwells in the Dhamma.
(2) “Again, a bhikkhu teaches the Dhamma to others in detail as he has heard and learned it. He passes the day communicating the Dhamma but neglects seclusion and does not devote himself to internal serenity of mind. This is called a bhikkhu who is absorbed in communication, not one who dwells in the Dhamma.
(3) “Again, a bhikkhu recites the Dhamma in detail as he has heard it and learned it. He passes the day in recitation but neglects seclusion and does not devote himself to internal serenity of mind. This is called a bhikkhu who is absorbed in recitation, not one who dwells in the Dhamma.
(4) “Again, a bhikkhu ponders, examines, and mentally inspects the Dhamma as he has heard it and learned it. He passes the day in thinking about the Dhamma but neglects seclusion and does not devote himself to internal serenity of mind. This is called a bhikkhu who is absorbed in thought, not one who dwells in the Dhamma.
(5) “Here, a bhikkhu learns the Dhamma — the discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, quotations, birth stories, amazing accounts, and questions-andanswers — but he does not pass the day [solely] in learning the Dhamma. He does not neglect seclusion but devotes himself to internal serenity of mind. It is in this way that a bhikkhu is one who dwells in the Dhamma.
“Thus, bhikkhu, I have taught the one absorbed in learning, the one absorbed in communication, the one absorbed in recitation, the one absorbed in thought, and the one who dwells in the Dhamma. Whatever should be done by a compassionate teacher out of compassion for his disciples, seeking their welfare, that I have done for you. These are the feet of trees, these are empty huts. Meditate, bhikkhu, do not be heedless. Do not have cause to regret it later. This is our instruction to you.”
74 (4) One Who Dwells in the Dhamma (2)
Then a certain bhikkhu approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said:
“It is said, Bhante, ‘one who dwells in the Dhamma, one who dwells in the Dhamma.’ In what way is a bhikkhu one who dwells in the Dhamma?”
(1) “Here, bhikkhu, a bhikkhu learns the Dhamma — the discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, quotations, birth stories, amazing accounts, and questions-and-answers — but he does not go further and understand its meaning with wisdom. This is called a bhikkhu who is absorbed in learning, not one who dwells in the Dhamma.
(2) “Again, a bhikkhu teaches the Dhamma to others in detail as he has heard and learned it, but he does not go further and understand its meaning with wisdom. This is called a bhikkhu who is absorbed in communication, not one who dwells in the Dhamma.
(3) “Again, a bhikkhu recites the Dhamma in detail as he has heard it and learned it, but he does not go further and understand its meaning with wisdom. This is called a bhikkhu who is absorbed in recitation, not one who dwells in the Dhamma.
(4) “Again, a bhikkhu ponders, examines, and mentally inspects the Dhamma as he has heard it and learned it, but he does not go further and understand its meaning with wisdom. This is called a bhikkhu who is absorbed in thought, not one who dwells in the Dhamma.
(5) “Here, a bhikkhu learns the Dhamma — the discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, quotations, birth stories, amazing accounts, and questions-andanswers — but he goes further and understands its meaning with wisdom. It is in this way that a bhikkhu is one who dwells in the Dhamma.
“Thus, bhikkhu, I have taught the one absorbed in learning, the one absorbed in communication, the one absorbed in recitation, the one absorbed in thought, and the one who dwells in the Dhamma. Whatever should be done by a compassionate teacher out of compassion for his disciples, seeking their welfare, that I have done for you. These are the feet of trees, these are empty huts. Meditate, bhikkhu, do not be heedless. Do not have cause to regret it later. This is our instruction to you.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these five kinds of warriors found in the world. What five?
(1) “Here, some warrior, when he sees the cloud of dust, sinks, founders, does not brace himself, and cannot enter the battle. There is, bhikkhus, such a warrior here. This is the first kind of warrior found in the world.
(2) “Again, some warrior can endure the cloud of dust, but when he sees the crests of the standards, he sinks, founders, does not brace himself, and cannot enter the battle. There is, bhikkhus, such a warrior here. This is the second kind of warrior found in the world.
(3) “Again, some warrior can endure the cloud of dust and the crests of the standards, but when he hears the uproar, he sinks, founders, does not brace himself, and cannot enter the battle. There is, bhikkhus, such a warrior here. This is the third kind of warrior found in the world.
(4) “Again, some warrior can endure the cloud of dust, the crests of the standards, and the uproar, but he is struck down and wounded by blows. There is, bhikkhus, such a warrior here. This is the fourth kind of warrior found in the world.
(5) “Again, some warrior can endure the cloud of dust, the crests of the standards, the uproar, and the blows. Having triumphed in that battle, he emerges victorious and settles at the head of the battlefield. There is, bhikkhus, such a warrior here. This is the fifth kind of warrior found in the world.
“These are the five kinds of warriors found in the world. “So too, there are these five kinds of persons similar to warriors found among the bhikkhus. What five?
(1) “Here, some bhikkhu, when he sees the cloud of dust, sinks, founders, does not brace himself, and cannot maintain the spiritual life. He discloses his weakness in the training, gives up the training, and reverts to the lower life. What is the cloud of dust in his case? The bhikkhu hears: ‘In such and such a village or town the women or girls are beautiful, attractive, graceful, possessing supreme beauty of complexion.’ Having heard this, he sinks, founders, does not brace himself, and cannot maintain the spiritual life. He discloses his weakness in the training, gives up the training, and reverts to the lower life. This is the cloud of dust in his case. I say that this person is just like the warrior who, when he sees the cloud of dust, sinks, founders, does not brace himself, and cannot enter the battle. There is, bhikkhus, such a person here. This is the first kind of person similar to a warrior found among the bhikkhus.
(2) “Again, some bhikkhu can endure the cloud of dust, but when he sees the crests of the standards, he sinks, founders, does not brace himself, and cannot maintain the spiritual life. He discloses his weakness in the training, gives up the training, and reverts to the lower life. What are the crests of the standards in his case? The bhikkhu does not hear: ‘In such and such a village or town the women or girls are beautiful, attractive, graceful, possessing supreme beauty of complexion,’ but he himself sees a woman or a girl who is beautiful, attractive, graceful, possessing supreme beauty of complexion. Having seen her, he sinks, founders, does not brace himself, and cannot maintain the spiritual life. He discloses his weakness in the training, gives up the training, and reverts to the lower life. These are the crests of the standards in his case. I say that this person is just like the warrior who can endure the cloud of dust, but when he sees the crests of the standards, he sinks, founders, does not brace himself, and cannot enter the battle. There is, bhikkhus, such a person here. This is the second kind of person similar to a warrior found among the bhikkhus.
(3) “Again, some bhikkhu can endure the cloud of dust and the crests of the standards, but when he hears the uproar, he sinks, founders, does not brace himself, and cannot maintain the spiritual life. He discloses his weakness in the training, gives up the training, and reverts to the lower life. What is the uproar in his case? When the bhikkhu has gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty hut, a woman approaches him, smiles at him, chats with him, laughs at him, and teases him. As the woman is smiling at him, chatting with him, laughing at him, and teasing him, he sinks, founders, does not brace himself, and cannot maintain the spiritual life. He discloses his weakness in the training, gives up the training, and reverts to the lower life. This is the uproar in his case. I say that this person is just like the warrior who can endure the cloud of dust and the crests of the standards, but when he hears the uproar, he sinks, founders, does not brace himself, and cannot enter the battle. There is, bhikkhus, such a person here. This is the third kind of person similar to a warrior found among the bhikkhus.
(4) “Again, some bhikkhu can endure the cloud of dust, the crests of the standards, and the uproar, but he is struck down and wounded by a blow. What is the blow in his case? When the bhikkhu has gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty hut, a woman approaches him, sits down or lies down next to him, and embraces him. When she does so, he has sexual intercourse with her without having given up the training and disclosed his weakness. This is the blow in his case. I say that this person is just like the warrior who can endure the cloud of dust, the crests of the standards, and the uproar, but who is struck down and wounded by a blow. There is, bhikkhus, such a person here. This is the fourth kind of person similar to a warrior found among the bhikkhus.
(5) “Again, some bhikkhu can endure the clouds of dust, the crests of the standards, the uproar, and a blow. Having triumphed in that battle, he emerges victorious and settles at the head of the battlefield. What is the victory in his case? When the bhikkhu has gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty hut, a woman approaches him, sits down or lies down next to him, and embraces him. But he disentangles himself, frees himself, and goes off wherever he wants.
“He resorts to a secluded lodging: the forest, the foot of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a hillside cave, a charnel ground, a jungle highland, the open air, a heap of straw. Gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty hut, he sits down, folding his legs crosswise, straightening his body, and establishing mindfulness in front of him. Having abandoned longing for the world, he dwells with a mind free from longing; he purifies his mind from longing. Having abandoned ill will and hatred, he dwells with a mind free from ill will, compassionate toward all living beings; he purifies his mind from ill will and hatred. Having abandoned dullness and drowsiness, he dwells free from dullness and drowsiness, percipient of light, mindful and clearly comprehending; he purifies his mind from dullness and drowsiness. Having abandoned restlessness and remorse, he dwells without agitation, with a mind inwardly peaceful; he purifies his mind from restlessness and remorse. Having abandoned doubt, he dwells having gone beyond doubt, unperplexed about wholesome qualities; he purifies his mind from doubt.
“Having abandoned these five hindrances, defilements of the mind that weaken wisdom, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, he enters and dwells in the first jhāna ... the fourth jhāna, neither painful nor pleasant, which has purification of mindfulness by equanimity.
“When his mind is thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, unblemished, rid of defilement, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs it to the knowledge of the destruction of the taints. He understands as it really is: ‘This is suffering.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the origin of suffering.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the cessation of suffering.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.’ He understands as it really is: ‘These are the taints.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the origin of the taints.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the cessation of the taints.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of the taints.’ When he knows and sees thus, his mind is liberated from the taint of sensual desire, from the taint of existence, and from the taint of ignorance. When it is liberated, there comes the knowledge: ‘[It’s] liberated.’ He understands: ‘Destroyed is birth, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being.’ This is his victory in battle.
“Bhikkhus, I say that this person is like the warrior who can endure the cloud of dust, the crests of the standards, the uproar, and the blow, and who, having triumphed in that battle, emerges victorious and settles at the head of the battlefield. There is, bhikkhus, such a person here. This is the fifth kind of person similar to a warrior found among the bhikkhus.
“These are the five kinds of persons similar to warriors found among the bhikkhus.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these five kinds of warriors found in the world. What five?
(1) “Here, some warrior takes up a sword and shield, arms himself with a bow and quiver, and enters the fray of battle. He strives and exerts himself in the battle, but his foes slay him and finish him off. There is, bhikkhus, such a warrior here. This is the first kind of warrior found in the world.
(2) “Again, some warrior takes up a sword and shield, arms himself with a bow and quiver, and enters the fray of battle. He strives and exerts himself in the battle, but his foes wound him. [His comrades] carry him off and bring him to his relatives. While he is being brought to his relatives, he dies along the way even before he arrives. There is, bhikkhus, such a warrior here. This is the second kind of warrior found in the world.
(3) “Again, some warrior takes up a sword and shield, arms himself with a bow and quiver, and enters the fray of battle. He strives and exerts himself in the battle, but his foes wound him. [His comrades] carry him off and bring him to his relatives. His relatives nurse him and look after him, but while they are doing so he dies from that injury. There is, bhikkhus, such a warrior here. This is the third kind of warrior found in the world.
(4) “Again, some warrior takes up a sword and shield, arms himself with a bow and quiver, and enters the fray of battle. He strives and exerts himself in the battle, but his foes wound him. [His comrades] carry him off and bring him to his relatives. His relatives nurse him and look after him, and as a result he recovers from that injury. There is, bhikkhus, such a warrior here. This is the fourth kind of warrior found in the world.
(5) “Again, some warrior takes up a sword and shield, arms himself with a bow and quiver, and enters the fray of battle. Having triumphed in that battle, he emerges victorious and settles at the head of the battlefield. There is, bhikkhus, such a warrior here. This is the fifth kind of warrior found in the world.
“These are the five kinds of warriors found in the world. “So too, there are these five kinds of persons similar to warriors found among the bhikkhus. What five?
(1) “Here, some bhikkhu dwells in dependence upon a certain village or town. In the morning, he dresses, takes his robe and bowl, and enters that village or town for alms, with body, speech, and mind unguarded, without having established mindfulness, his sense faculties unrestrained. There he sees women with their dress in disarray and loosely attired. When he sees them, lust invades his mind. With his mind invaded by lust, he has sexual intercourse without having disclosed his weakness and given up the training. This person, I say, is just like the warrior who takes up a sword and shield, arms himself with a bow and quiver, and enters the fray of battle, and whose foes slay him and finish him off while he is striving and exerting himself in battle. There is, bhikkhus, such a person here. This is the first kind of person similar to a warrior found among the bhikkhus.
(2) “Again, some bhikkhu dwells in dependence upon a certain village or town. In the morning, he dresses, takes his robe and bowl, and enters that village or town for alms ... [and] lust invades his mind. With his mind invaded by lust, he burns bodily and mentally [with the fever of lust]. He thinks: ‘Let me return to the monastery and inform the bhikkhus: “Friends, I am obsessed by lust, oppressed by lust. I cannot maintain the spiritual life. Having disclosed my weakness in the training, I will give up the training and revert to the lower life.”’ While he is returning to the monastery, even before he arrives, he discloses his weakness in the training, gives up the training, and reverts to the lower life along the way. This person, I say, is just like the warrior who takes up a sword and shield, arms himself with a bow and quiver, enters the fray of battle, is wounded by his foes while he strives and exerts himself in the battle, and is then carried off and brought to his relatives but dies along the way even before he arrives. There is, bhikkhus, such a person here. This is the second kind of person similar to a warrior found among the bhikkhus.
(3) “Again, some bhikkhu dwells in dependence upon a certain village or town. In the morning, he dresses, takes his robe and bowl, and enters that village or town for alms ... [and] lust invades his mind. With his mind invaded by lust, he burns bodily and mentally [with the fever of lust]. He thinks: ‘Let me return to the monastery and inform the bhikkhus: “Friends, I am obsessed by lust, oppressed by lust. I cannot maintain the spiritual life. Having disclosed my weakness in the training, I will give up the training and revert to the lower life.”’ He returns to the monastery and informs the bhikkhus: ‘Friends, I am obsessed by lust, oppressed by lust. I cannot maintain the spiritual life. Having disclosed my weakness in the training, I will give up the training and revert to the lower life.’ His fellow monks then exhort and instruct him: ‘Friend, the Blessed One has stated that sensual pleasures provide little gratification, much suffering and anguish, and that the danger in them is more. With the simile of the skeleton the Blessed One has stated that sensual pleasures provide little gratification, much suffering and anguish, and that the danger in them is more. With the simile of the piece of meat ... with the simile of the grass torch ... with the simile of the charcoal pit ... with the simile of the dream ... with the simile of the borrowed goods ... with the simile of fruits on a tree ... with the simile of the butcher’s knife and block ... with the simile of the sword stake ... with the simile of the snake’s head, the Blessed One has stated that sensual pleasures provide little gratification, much suffering and anguish, and that the danger in them is more. Enjoy the spiritual life. Do not think you are unable to follow the training, give it up, and revert to the lower life.’ While he is being exhorted and instructed by his fellow monks in this way, he protests: ‘Friends, although the Blessed One has stated that sensual pleasures provide little gratification, much suffering and anguish, and that the danger in them is more, still, I am unable to maintain the spiritual life. Having disclosed my weakness in the training, I will give up the training and revert to the lower life.’ Having disclosed his weakness in the training, he gives up the training and reverts to the lower life. This person, I say, is just like the warrior who takes up a sword and shield, arms himself with a bow and quiver, enters the fray of battle, is wounded by his foes while he strives and exerts himself in the battle, and is then carried off and brought to his relatives, who nurse him and look after him, but who dies from that injury. There is, bhikkhus, such a person here. This is the third kind of person similar to a warrior found among the bhikkhus.
(4) “Again, some bhikkhu dwells in dependence upon a certain village or town. In the morning, he dresses, takes his robe and bowl, and enters that village or town for alms ... lust invades his mind. With his mind invaded by lust, he burns bodily and mentally [with the fever of lust]. He thinks: ‘Let me return to the monastery and inform the bhikkhus: “Friends, I am obsessed by lust, oppressed by lust. I cannot maintain the spiritual life. Having disclosed my weakness in the training, I will give up the training and revert to the lower life.”’ He returns to the monastery and informs the bhikkhus: ‘Friends, I am obsessed by lust, oppressed by lust. I cannot maintain the spiritual life. Having disclosed my weakness in the training, I will give up the training and revert to the lower life.’ His fellow monks then exhort and instruct him: ‘Friend, the Blessed One has stated that sensual pleasures provide little gratification, much suffering and anguish, and that the danger in them is more. With the simile of the skeleton ... ...with the simile of the snake’s head, the Blessed One has stated that sensual pleasures provide little gratification, much suffering and anguish, and that the danger in them is more. Enjoy the spiritual life. Do not think you are unable to follow the training, give it up, and revert to the lower life.’ While he is being exhorted and instructed by his fellow monks in this way, he says: ‘I will try, friends, I will carry on, I will enjoy it. I won’t think I am unable to follow the training, give it up, and revert to the lower life.’ This person, I say, is just like the warrior who takes up a sword and shield, arms himself with a bow and quiver, and enters the fray of battle, who is wounded by his foes while he strives and exerts himself in the battle, and is then carried off and brought to his relatives, who nurse him and look after him, and who then recovers from that injury. There is, bhikkhus, such a person here. This is the fourth kind of person similar to a warrior found among the bhikkhus.
(5) “Again, some bhikkhu dwells in dependence upon a certain village or town. In the morning, he dresses, takes his robe and bowl, and enters that village or town for alms with body, speech, and mind guarded, mindfulness established, and sense faculties restrained. Having seen a form with the eye, he does not grasp its marks and features. Since, if he left the eye faculty unrestrained, bad unwholesome states of longing and dejection might invade him, he practices restraint over it; he guards the eye faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the eye faculty. Having heard a sound with the ear ... Having smelled an odor with the nose ... Having tasted a taste with the tongue ... ... Having felt a tactile object with the body ... Having cognized a mental phenomenon with the mind, he does not grasp its marks and features. Since, if he left the mind faculty unrestrained, bad unwholesome states of longing and dejection might invade him, he practices restraint over it; he guards the mind faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the mind faculty. After his meal, on returning from his alms round, he resorts to a secluded lodging: the forest, the foot of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a hillside cave, a charnel ground, a jungle highland, the open air, a heap of straw. Gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty hut, he sits down, folding his legs crosswise, straightening his body, and establishing mindfulness in front of him. Having abandoned longing for the world ... [as in 5:75] ... he purifies his mind from doubt.
“Having abandoned these five hindrances, defilements of the mind that weaken wisdom, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, he enters and dwells in the first jhāna ... the second jhāna ... the third jhāna ... the fourth jhāna, neither painful nor pleasant, which has purification of mindfulness by equanimity.
“When his mind is thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, unblemished, rid of defilement, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs it to the knowledge of the destruction of the taints. He understands as it really is: ‘This is suffering’ ... ‘Destroyed is birth, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being.’ This person, I say, is just like the warrior who takes up a sword and shield, arms himself with a bow and quiver, enters the fray of battle, and having triumphed in that battle, emerges victorious and settles at the head of the battlefield. There is, bhikkhus, such a person here. This is the fifth kind of person similar to a warrior found among the bhikkhus.
“These are the five kinds of persons similar to warriors found among the bhikkhus.”
“Bhikkhus, when a forest bhikkhu considers five future perils, it is enough for him to dwell heedful, ardent, and resolute for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yetunrealized. What five?
(1) “Here, a forest bhikkhu reflects thus: ‘I am now dwelling all alone in the forest. But while I am living here, a snake might bite me, a scorpion might sting me, or a centipede might sting me. Because of that I might die, which would be an obstacle for me. Let me now arouse energy for the attainment of the as-yetunattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized.’ This is the first future peril considering which it is enough for a forest bhikkhu to dwell heedful, ardent, and resolute ... for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized.
(2) “Again, a forest bhikkhu reflects thus: ‘I am now dwelling all alone in the forest. But while I am living here, I might trip and fall down, or the food that I have eaten might harm me, or my bile or phlegm or sharp winds might become agitated in me. Because of that I might die, which would be an obstacle for me. Let me now arouse energy for the attainment of the asyet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized.’ This is the second future peril considering which it is enough for a forest bhikkhu to dwell heedful, ardent, and resolute ... for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized.
(3) “Again, a forest bhikkhu reflects thus: ‘I am now dwelling all alone in the forest. But while I am living here, I might encounter wild beasts, such as a lion, a tiger, a leopard, a bear, or a hyena, and they might take my life. Because of that I would die, which would be an obstacle for me. Let me now arouse energy for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized.’ This is the third future peril considering which it is enough for a forest bhikkhu to dwell heedful, ardent, and resolute ... for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized.
(4) “Again, a forest bhikkhu reflects thus: ‘I am now dwelling all alone in the forest. But while I am living here, I might encounter hoodlums escaping a crime or planning one and they might take my life. Because of that I would die, which would be an obstacle for me. Let me now arouse energy for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yetunachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized.’ This is the fourth future peril considering which it is enough for a forest bhikkhu to dwell heedful, ardent, and resolute ... for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized.
(5) “Again, a forest bhikkhu reflects thus: ‘I am now dwelling all alone in the forest. But in the forest there are wild spirits, and they might take my life. Because of that I would die, which would be an obstacle for me. Let me now arouse energy for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized.’ This is the fifth future peril considering which it is enough for a forest bhikkhu to dwell heedful, ardent, and resolute ... for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized.
“These, bhikkhus, are the five future perils considering which it is enough for a forest bhikkhu to dwell heedful, ardent, and resolute for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized.”
“Bhikkhus, when a forest bhikkhu considers five future perils, it is enough for him to dwell heedful, ardent, and resolute for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. What five?
(1) “Here, a bhikkhu reflects thus: ‘I am now young, a blackhaired young man endowed with the blessing of youth, in the prime of life. But there will come a time when old age assails this body. Now when one is old, overcome by old age, it is not easy to attend to the Buddhas’ teaching; it is not easy to resort to remote lodgings in forests and jungle groves. Before that unwished for, undesirable, disagreeable condition comes upon me, let me in advance arouse energy for the attainment of the asyet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. Thus when I am in that condition, I will dwell at ease even though I am old.’ This is the first future peril considering which it is enough for a bhikkhu to dwell heedful, ardent, and resolute ... for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized.
(2) “Again, a bhikkhu reflects thus: ‘I am now seldom ill or afflicted; I possess an even digestion that is neither too cool nor too hot but moderate and suitable for striving. But there will come a time when illness assails this body. Now when one is ill, overcome by illness, it is not easy to attend to the Buddhas’ teaching; it is not easy to resort to remote lodgings in forests and jungle groves. Before that unwished for, undesirable, disagreeable condition comes upon me, let me in advance arouse energy for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. Thus when I am in that condition, I will dwell at ease even though I am ill.’ This is the second future peril considering which it is enough for a bhikkhu to dwell heedful, ardent, and resolute ... for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized.
(3) “Again, a bhikkhu reflects thus: ‘Food is now plentiful; there has been a good harvest and almsfood is abundant, so that one can easily subsist by means of gleaning. But there will come a time of famine, a poor harvest, when almsfood is hard to obtain and one cannot easily subsist by means of gleaning. In a time of famine, people migrate to places where food is plentiful and living conditions there are congested and crowded. Now when living conditions are congested and crowded, it is not easy to attend to the Buddhas’ teaching; it is not easy to resort to remote lodgings in forests and jungle groves. Before that unwished for, undesirable, disagreeable condition comes upon me, let me in advance arouse energy for the attainment of the asyet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. Thus when I am in that condition, I will dwell at ease even in a famine.’ This is the third future peril considering which it is enough for a bhikkhu to dwell heedful, ardent, and resolute ... for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized.
(4) “Again, a bhikkhu reflects thus: ‘People are now dwelling in concord, harmoniously, without disputes, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with eyes of affection. But there will come a time of peril, of turbulence in the wilderness, when the people of the countryside, mounted on their vehicles, flee on all sides. In a time of peril, people migrate to places where there is safety and living conditions there are congested and crowded.
Now when living conditions are congested and crowded, it is not easy to attend to the Buddhas’ teaching; it is not easy to resort to remote lodgings in forests and jungle groves. Before that unwished for, undesirable, disagreeable condition comes upon me, let me in advance arouse energy for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yetunachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. Thus when I am in that condition, I will dwell at ease even in time of peril.’ This is the fourth future peril considering which it is enough for a bhikkhu to dwell heedful, ardent, and resolute ... for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized.
(5) “Again, a bhikkhu reflects thus: ‘The Saṅgha is now dwelling at ease — in concord, harmoniously, without disputes, with a single recitation. But there will come a time when there will be a schism in the Saṅgha. Now when there is a schism in the Saṅgha, it is not easy to attend to the Buddhas’ teaching; it is not easy to resort to remote lodgings in forests and jungle groves. Before that unwished for, undesirable, disagreeable condition comes upon me, let me in advance arouse energy for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yetunrealized. Thus when I am in that condition, I will dwell at ease even though there is a schism in the Saṅgha.’ This is the fifth future peril considering which it is enough for a bhikkhu to dwell heedful, ardent, and resolute ... for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized.
“These, bhikkhus, are the five future perils considering which it is enough for a bhikkhu to dwell heedful, ardent, and resolute for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these five future perils as yet unarisen that will arise in the future. You should recognize them and make an effort to abandon them. What five?
(1) “In the future, there will be bhikkhus who are undeveloped in body, virtuous behavior, mind, and wisdom. They will give full ordination to others but will not be able to discipline them in the higher virtuous behavior, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom. These [pupils] too will be undeveloped in body, virtuous behavior, mind, and wisdom. They in turn will give full ordination to others but will not be able to discipline them in the higher virtuous behavior, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom. These [pupils] too will be undeveloped in body, virtuous behavior, mind, and wisdom. Thus, bhikkhus, through corruption of the Dhamma comes corruption of the discipline, and from corruption of the discipline comes corruption of the Dhamma. This is the first future peril as yet unarisen that will arise in the future. You should recognize it and make an effort to abandon it.
(2) “Again, in the future there will be bhikkhus who are undeveloped in body, virtuous behavior, mind, and wisdom. They will give dependence to others but will not be able to discipline them in the higher virtuous behavior, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom. These [pupils] too will be undeveloped in body, virtuous behavior, mind, and wisdom. They in turn will give dependence to others but will not be able to discipline them in the higher virtuous behavior, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom. These [pupils] too will be undeveloped in body, virtuous behavior, mind, and wisdom. Thus, bhikkhus, through corruption of the Dhamma comes corruption of the discipline, and from corruption of the discipline comes corruption of the Dhamma. This is the second future peril as yet unarisen that will arise in the future. You should recognize it and make an effort to abandon it.
(3) “Again, in the future there will be bhikkhus who are undeveloped in body, virtuous behavior, mind, and wisdom. While engaged in talk pertaining to the Dhamma, in questionsand-answers, they will slide down into a dark Dhamma but will not recognize it. Thus, bhikkhus, through corruption of the Dhamma comes corruption of the discipline, and from corruption of the discipline comes corruption of the Dhamma. This is the third future peril as yet unarisen that will arise in the future. You should recognize it and make an effort to abandon it.
(4) “Again, in the future there will be bhikkhus who are undeveloped in body, virtuous behavior, mind, and wisdom. When those discourses spoken by the Tathāgata are being recited that are deep, deep in meaning, world-transcending, connected with emptiness, they will not want to listen to them, will not lend an ear to them, or apply their minds to understand them; they will not think those teachings should be studied and learned. But when those discourses are being recited that are mere poetry composed by poets, beautiful in words and phrases, created by outsiders, spoken by disciples, they will want to listen to them, lend an ear to them, and apply their minds to understand them; they will think those teachings should be studied and learned. Thus, bhikkhus, through corruption of the Dhamma comes corruption of the discipline, and from corruption of the discipline comes corruption of the Dhamma. This is the fourth future peril as yet unarisen that will arise in the future. You should recognize it and make an effort to abandon it.
(5) “Again, in the future there will be bhikkhus who are undeveloped in body, virtuous behavior, mind, and wisdom. The elder bhikkhus — being undeveloped in body, virtuous behavior, mind, and wisdom — will be luxurious and lax, leaders in backsliding, discarding the duty of solitude; they will not arouse energy for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. Those in the next generation will follow their example. They, too, will be luxurious and lax, leaders in backsliding, discarding the duty of solitude; they, too, will not arouse energy for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. Thus, bhikkhus, through corruption of the Dhamma comes corruption of the discipline, and from corruption of the discipline comes corruption of the Dhamma. This is the fifth future peril as yet unarisen that will arise in the future. You should recognize it and make an effort to abandon it.
“These, bhikkhus, are the five future perils as yet unarisen that will arise in the future. You should recognize them and make an effort to abandon them.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these five future perils as yet unarisen that will arise in the future. You should recognize them and make an effort to abandon them. What five?
(1) “In the future, there will be bhikkhus who desire fine robes. They will give up the use of rag robes, give up remote lodgings in forests and jungle groves, and having converged upon the villages, towns, and capital cities, will take up their residence there; and they will engage in many kinds of wrong and improper searches for the sake of a robe. This is the first future peril as yet unarisen that will arise in the future. You should recognize it and make an effort to abandon it.
(2) “Again, in the future there will be bhikkhus who desire fine almsfood. They will give up going on alms round, give up remote lodgings in forests and jungle groves, and having converged upon the villages, towns, and capital cities, will take up their residence there, seeking the finest delicacies with the tips of their tongues; and they will engage in many kinds of wrong and improper searches for the sake of almsfood. This is the second future peril as yet unarisen that will arise in the future. You should recognize it and make an effort to abandon it.
(3) “Again, in the future there will be bhikkhus who desire fine lodgings. They will give up dwelling at the foot of a tree, will give up remote lodgings in forests and jungle groves, and having converged upon the villages, towns, and capital cities, will take up their residence there; and they will engage in many kinds of wrong and improper searches for the sake of lodgings. This is the third future peril as yet unarisen that will arise in the future. You should recognize it and make an effort to abandon it.
(4) “Again, in the future there will be bhikkhus who bond closely with bhikkhunīs, female probationers, and novices. When they form such close bonds, it can be expected that they will live the spiritual life dissatisfied, commit a certain defiled offense, or give up the training and revert to the lower life. This is the fourth future peril as yet unarisen that will arise in the future. You should recognize it and make an effort to abandon it.
(5) “Again, in the future there will be bhikkhus who bond closely with monastery workers and novices. When they form such close bonds, it can be expected that they will engage in the use of various kinds of stored-up goods and give gross hints in regard to the ground and vegetation. This is the fifth future peril as yet unarisen that will arise in the future. You should recognize it and make an effort to abandon it.
“These, bhikkhus, are the five future perils as yet unarisen that will arise in the future. You should recognize them and make an effort to abandon them.”