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Anguttara Nikaya

# AN 5.79 Tatiyaanāgatabhaya Sutta (Terrors to come - Part 3) AN 5.79

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    [page 1]
    AN 5.79

    Tatiyaanāgatabhaya Sutta

    “On Terrors to Come– Part 3”

    Translated by Bhikkhu Candana

    Copyright © Bhikkhu Candana 2021

    “Bhikkhus, these five are future terrors to come that are not yet here, but they will arrive
    in the future. You should be alert to them and make a strong effort to abandon them when they
    do arrive. What are these five?
    1) Bhikkhus, in the future there will be Bhikkhus, who will not be strong enough to persevere
    bodily hardship, and similarly will not be strong enough to persevere in developing virtuous
    behavior, similarly with their mental cultivation, and therefore, severely lacking in their wisdom.
    And although they will give the Higher Ordination to others but will be unable to discipline them
    in the higher virtues, in the higher mind, and in the higher wisdom. Then, similar to their own
    preceptors, those ordained Bhikkhus too who will not be strong enough to persevere bodily
    hardship, and similarly will not be strong enough to persevere in developing virtuous behavior,
    similarly with their mental cultivation, and therefore, severely lacking in their wisdom. And
    these too, in turn will give the Higher Ordination to others but will be unable to discipline them
    in the higher virtues, in the higher mind, and in the higher wisdom. And those Bhikkhus also will
    be unable to discipline them in the higher virtues, in the higher mind, and in the higher wisdom.
    In this manner, Bhikkhus, by corrupting the Dhamma, the Vinaya Discipline also becomes
    corrupted, and similarly by corrupting the Vinaya, the Dhamma itself becomes corrupted. This,
    Bhikkhus, is the first of the five terrors to come that are not yet here, but they will arrive in the
    future. You should be alert to them and make a strong effort to abandon them when they do
    arrive.
    2) Bhikkhus, in the future there will be Bhikkhus, who will not be strong enough to persevere
    bodily hardship, and similarly will not be strong enough to persevere in developing virtuous
    behavior, similarly with their mental cultivation, and therefore, severely lacking in their wisdom.
    And although they will provide dependence to others during their primary monastic years, but
    will be unable to discipline them in the higher virtues, in the higher mind, and in the higher
    wisdom. Then, similar to their own preceptors, those ordained Bhikkhus too who will not be
    strong enough to persevere bodily hardship, and similarly will not be strong enough to persevere
    in developing virtuous behavior, similarly with their mental cultivation, and therefore, severely
    lacking in their wisdom. And these too, in turn will provide dependence to others during their
    primary monastic years but will be unable to discipline them in the higher virtues, in the higher
    mind, and in the higher wisdom.

    [page 2]
    In this manner, Bhikkhus, by corrupting the Dhamma, the Vinaya Discipline also becomes
    corrupted, and similarly by corrupting the Vinaya, the Dhamma itself becomes corrupted. This,
    Bhikkhus, is the second of the five terrors to come that are not yet here, but they will arrive in the
    future. You should be alert to them and make a strong effort to abandon them when they do
    arrive.
    3) Bhikkhus, in the future there will be Bhikkhus, who will not be strong enough to persevere
    bodily hardship, and similarly will not be strong enough to persevere in developing virtuous
    behavior, similarly with their mental cultivation, and therefore, severely lacking in their wisdom.
    And as these Bhikkhus engage in discussions on the Dhamma, due to their lack in practice and
    therefore, genuine understanding, they will decline into evil ways by teaching and living
    according to what is aDhamma, as they even defend their wrong views when being questioned.
    In this manner, Bhikkhus, by corrupting the Dhamma, the Vinaya Discipline also becomes
    corrupted, and similarly by corrupting the Vinaya, the Dhamma itself becomes corrupted. This,
    Bhikkhus, is the third of the five terrors to come that are not yet here, but they will arrive in the
    future. You should be alert to them and make a strong effort to abandon them when they do
    arrive.
    4) Bhikkhus, in the future there will be Bhikkhus, who will not be strong enough to persevere
    bodily hardship, and similarly will not be strong enough to persevere in developing virtuous
    behavior, similarly with their mental cultivation, and therefore, severely lacking in their wisdom.
    And when the words of the Blessed One; the discourses spoken by the Tathāgata that are deep in
    meaning, leading one to the supramundane state, connected with emptiness are being spoken and
    recited, they will not want to listen to them, pay close attention to them, or try to apply their
    minds to them, in an effort to grasp their deep meanings. In fact, these Bhikkhus, will discourage
    and minimize in importance the study and learning of the Tathāgata’s words found within the
    Suttas. However, when the words spoken by the Blessed One have been altered by commentators
    or other disciples, and transformed into poetry, using flowery and fancy language, when these
    are then recited, suddenly these Bhikkhus, will want to listen to them, as they will respect and
    worship these words, memorizing them, claiming them as the words of the Blessed One, as it fits
    their defiled minds.
    In this manner, Bhikkhus, by corrupting the Dhamma, the Vinaya Discipline also becomes
    corrupted, and similarly by corrupting the Vinaya, the Dhamma itself becomes corrupted. This,
    Bhikkhus, is the fourth of the five terrors to come that are not yet here, but they will arrive in the
    future. You should be alert to them and make a strong effort to abandon them when they do
    arrive.
    5) Bhikkhus, in the future there will be Bhikkhus, who will not be strong enough to persevere
    bodily hardship, and similarly will not be strong enough to persevere in developing virtuous
    behavior, similarly with their mental cultivation, and therefore, severely lacking in their wisdom.

    [page 3]
    At that time, the elder Bhikkhus being themselves not strong enough to persevere bodily
    hardship, and similarly will not be strong enough to persevere in developing virtuous behavior,
    similarly with their mental cultivation, and therefore, severely lacking in their wisdom, they will
    then indulge in a luxurious and comfortable lifestyle, slacking in their practice and development
    in the Dhamma, as they become leaders in backsliding, neglecting the work to be done in
    seclusion, and therefore neither being vigilant nor alert, nor putting in the effort to strive
    diligently to attain what is yet to be attained, to experience what is yet to be experienced, to
    realize what is yet to be realized, as they will lack the resolve or desire to do it. And those
    Bhikkhus to follow them, will follow the example of their preceptors, as they too will then
    indulge in a luxurious and comfortable lifestyle, slacking in their practice and development in the
    Dhamma, as they too become leaders in backsliding, neglecting the work to be done in seclusion,
    and therefore neither being vigilant nor alert, nor putting in the effort to strive diligently to attain
    what is yet to be attained, to experience what is yet to be experienced, to realize what is yet to be
    realized, as they will lack the resolve or desire to do it.

    In this manner, Bhikkhus, by corrupting the Dhamma, the Vinaya Discipline also becomes
    corrupted, and similarly by corrupting the Vinaya, the Dhamma itself becomes corrupted. This,
    Bhikkhus, is the fifth of the five terrors to come that are not yet here, but they will arrive in the
    future. You should be alert to them and make a strong effort to abandon them when they do
    arrive.”

    Sādhu

    Sādhu

    Sādhu

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