Aṅguttara Nikāya 5.78
Translators: sujato
Numbered Discourses 5.78
8. Yodhājīvavagga
8. Warriors
Dutiyaanāgatabhayasutta
Future Perils (2nd)
“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, anāgatabhayāni sampassamānena alameva bhikkhunā appamattena ātāpinā pahitattena viharituṁ appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.
“Mendicants, seeing these five future perils is quite enough for a mendicant to meditate diligently, keenly, and resolutely for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.
Katamāni pañca?
What five?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu iti paṭisañcikkhati:
A mendicant reflects:
‘ahaṁ kho etarahi daharo yuvā susukāḷakeso bhadrena yobbanena samannāgato paṭhamena vayasā.
‘Currently I’m a youth, young, with pristine black hair, blessed with youth, in the prime of life.
Hoti kho pana so samayo yaṁ imaṁ kāyaṁ jarā phusati.
But there will come a time when this body is struck with old age.
Jiṇṇena kho pana jarāya abhibhūtena na sukaraṁ buddhānaṁ sāsanaṁ manasi kātuṁ, na sukarāni araññavanapatthāni pantāni senāsanāni paṭisevituṁ.
When you’re old, overcome by old age, it’s not easy to focus on the instructions of the Buddhas, and it’s not easy to frequent remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest.
Purā maṁ so dhammo āgacchati aniṭṭho akanto amanāpo;
Before that unlikable, undesirable, and disagreeable thing happens,
handāhaṁ paṭikacceva vīriyaṁ ārabhāmi appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya, yenāhaṁ dhammena samannāgato jiṇṇakopi phāsuṁ viharissāmī’ti.
I’d better preempt it by rousing up energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized. That way, when it happens, I’ll live comfortably even though I’m old.’
Idaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamaṁ anāgatabhayaṁ sampassamānena alameva bhikkhunā appamattena ātāpinā pahitattena viharituṁ appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.
This is the first future peril …
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu iti paṭisañcikkhati:
Furthermore, a mendicant reflects:
‘ahaṁ kho etarahi appābādho appātaṅko samavepākiniyā gahaṇiyā samannāgato nātisītāya nāccuṇhāya majjhimāya padhānakkhamāya.
‘Currently, I’m rarely ill or unwell. My stomach digests well, being neither too hot nor too cold, but just right, and fit for meditation.
Hoti kho pana so samayo yaṁ imaṁ kāyaṁ byādhi phusati.
But there will come a time when this body is struck with sickness.
Byādhitena kho pana byādhinā abhibhūtena na sukaraṁ buddhānaṁ sāsanaṁ manasi kātuṁ, na sukarāni araññavanapatthāni pantāni senāsanāni paṭisevituṁ.
When you’re sick, overcome by sickness, it’s not easy to focus on the instructions of the Buddhas, and it’s not easy to frequent remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest.
Purā maṁ so dhammo āgacchati aniṭṭho akanto amanāpo;
Before that unlikable, undesirable, and disagreeable thing happens,
handāhaṁ paṭikacceva vīriyaṁ ārabhāmi appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya, yenāhaṁ dhammena samannāgato byādhitopi phāsuṁ viharissāmī’ti.
I’d better preempt it by rousing up energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized. That way, when it happens, I’ll live comfortably even though I’m sick.’
Idaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyaṁ anāgatabhayaṁ sampassamānena alameva bhikkhunā appamattena ātāpinā pahitattena viharituṁ appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.
This is the second future peril …
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu iti paṭisañcikkhati:
Furthermore, a mendicant reflects:
‘etarahi kho subhikkhaṁ susassaṁ sulabhapiṇḍaṁ, sukaraṁ uñchena paggahena yāpetuṁ.
‘Currently, there’s plenty of food, a good harvest, so it’s easy to get almsfood, and easy to keep going by collecting alms.
Hoti kho pana so samayo yaṁ dubbhikkhaṁ hoti dussassaṁ dullabhapiṇḍaṁ, na sukaraṁ uñchena paggahena yāpetuṁ.
But there will come a time of famine, a bad harvest, when it’s hard to get almsfood, and not easy to keep going by collecting alms.
Dubbhikkhe kho pana manussā yena subhikkhaṁ tena saṅkamanti.
In a time of famine, people move to where there’s plenty of food,
Tattha saṅgaṇikavihāro hoti ākiṇṇavihāro.
where they live crowded and cramped together.
Saṅgaṇikavihāre kho pana sati ākiṇṇavihāre na sukaraṁ buddhānaṁ sāsanaṁ manasi kātuṁ, na sukarāni araññavanapatthāni pantāni senāsanāni paṭisevituṁ.
When you live crowded and cramped together, it’s not easy to focus on the instructions of the Buddhas, and it’s not easy to frequent remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest.
Purā maṁ so dhammo āgacchati aniṭṭho akanto amanāpo;
Before that unlikable, undesirable, and disagreeable thing happens,
handāhaṁ paṭikacceva vīriyaṁ ārabhāmi appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya, yenāhaṁ dhammena samannāgato dubbhikkhepi phāsu viharissāmī’ti.
I’d better preempt it by rousing up energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized. That way, when it happens, I’ll live comfortably even though there’s a famine.’
Idaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyaṁ anāgatabhayaṁ sampassamānena alameva bhikkhunā appamattena ātāpinā pahitattena viharituṁ appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.
This is the third future peril …
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu iti paṭisañcikkhati:
Furthermore, a mendicant reflects:
‘etarahi kho manussā samaggā sammodamānā avivadamānā khīrodakībhūtā aññamaññaṁ piyacakkhūhi sampassantā viharanti.
‘Currently, people live in harmony, appreciating each other, without quarreling, blending like milk and water, and regarding each other with kindly eyes.
Hoti kho pana so samayo yaṁ bhayaṁ hoti aṭavisaṅkopo, cakkasamārūḷhā jānapadā pariyāyanti.
But there will come a time of peril due to turmoil in the wilds, so the countryfolk mount their vehicles and flee everywhere.
Bhaye kho pana sati manussā yena khemaṁ tena saṅkamanti.
In a time of peril, people move to where there’s sanctuary,
Tattha saṅgaṇikavihāro hoti ākiṇṇavihāro.
where they live crowded and cramped together.
Saṅgaṇikavihāre kho pana sati ākiṇṇavihāre na sukaraṁ buddhānaṁ sāsanaṁ manasi kātuṁ, na sukarāni araññavanapatthāni pantāni senāsanāni paṭisevituṁ.
When you live crowded and cramped together, it’s not easy to focus on the instructions of the Buddhas, and it’s not easy to frequent remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest.
Purā maṁ so dhammo āgacchati aniṭṭho akanto amanāpo;
Before that unlikable, undesirable, and disagreeable thing happens,
handāhaṁ paṭikacceva vīriyaṁ ārabhāmi appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya, yenāhaṁ dhammena samannāgato bhayepi phāsuṁ viharissāmī’ti.
I’d better preempt it by rousing up energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized. That way, when it happens, I’ll live comfortably even in a time of peril.’
Idaṁ, bhikkhave, catutthaṁ anāgatabhayaṁ sampassamānena alameva bhikkhunā appamattena ātāpinā pahitattena viharituṁ appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.
This is the fourth future peril …
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu iti paṭisañcikkhati:
Furthermore, a mendicant reflects:
‘etarahi kho saṅgho samaggo sammodamāno avivadamāno ekuddeso phāsu viharati.
‘Currently, the Saṅgha lives comfortably, in harmony, appreciating each other, without quarreling, with one recitation.
Hoti kho pana so samayo yaṁ saṅgho bhijjati.
But there will come a time of schism in the Saṅgha.
Saṅghe kho pana bhinne na sukaraṁ buddhānaṁ sāsanaṁ manasi kātuṁ, na sukarāni araññavanapatthāni pantāni senāsanāni paṭisevituṁ.
When there is schism in the Saṅgha, it’s not easy to focus on the instructions of the Buddhas, and it’s not easy to frequent remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest.
Purā maṁ so dhammo āgacchati aniṭṭho akanto amanāpo;
Before that unlikable, undesirable, and disagreeable thing happens,
handāhaṁ paṭikacceva vīriyaṁ ārabhāmi appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya, yenāhaṁ dhammena samannāgato bhinnepi saṅghe phāsuṁ viharissāmī’ti.
I’d better preempt it by rousing up energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized. That way, when it happens, I’ll live comfortably even though there’s schism in the Saṅgha.’
Idaṁ, bhikkhave, pañcamaṁ anāgatabhayaṁ sampassamānena alameva bhikkhunā appamattena ātāpinā pahitattena viharituṁ appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.
This is the fifth future peril …
Imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañca anāgatabhayāni sampassamānena alameva bhikkhunā appamattena ātāpinā pahitattena viharituṁ appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.
These are the five future perils, seeing which is quite enough for a mendicant to meditate diligently, keenly, and resolutely for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.”
Aṭṭhamaṁ.