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AN 7.65 
 
Hirī Ottappa Sutta 
“Wise Moral Shame & Wise Moral Fear” 
 
Translated by Bhikkhu Candana 
 
Copyright © Bhikkhu Candana 2023 
 
a. “Bhikkhus, when wise moral shame and wise moral fear are not present in you, then your 
moral compass has gone wrong, and you are no longer able to exercise the restraint over your 
sense faculties, which become in themselves doorways for further deception.  
b. “When you are not exercising restraint over your sense faculties, then the development of your 
virtuous character fails, and you cannot live with virtue.  
c. “When there is no development of virtue in your life, then attaining to Right Collectedness of 
Mind simply becomes impossible. 
d. “When you are unable to attain to Right Collectedness of Mind, then the Knowledge and 
Vision of Seeing Things As They Are, is impossible to occur in you.  
e. “When the Knowledge and Vision of Seeing Things As They Are does not occur, then neither 
dispassion nor disenchantment take place in you.  
f. “And when neither dispassion nor disenchantment take place in you, then it is impossible for 
the Knowledge and Vision of freedom to occur.  
“Bhikkhus, a tree that has lost its branches and leaves can no longer fully develop its shoots, its 
bark, its sap wood nor its heartwood.  
a. “In the same manner, Bhikkhus, when wise moral shame and wise moral fear are not present 
in you, then your moral compass has gone wrong, and you are no longer able to exercise the 
restraint over your sense faculties, which thereby become in themselves doorways for further 
deception.  
b. “When you are not exercising restraint over your sense faculties, then the development of your 
virtuous character has failed, and you are no longer able to live with virtue.  
c. “When there is no development of virtue in your life, then attaining to Right Collectedness of 
Mind simply becomes impossible. 
d. “When you are unable to attain to Right Collectedness of Mind, then the Knowledge and 
Vision of Seeing Things As They Are is impossible to occur in you.  
e. “When the Knowledge and Vision of Seeing Things As They Are does not occur, then neither 
dispassion nor disenchantment take place in you.

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f. “And when neither dispassion nor disenchantment take place in you, then it is impossible for 
the Knowledge and Vision of freedom to occur. 
a. “Bhikkhus, when wise moral shame and wise moral fear are present in you, then your moral 
virtues develop unhindered, as you exercise the restraint over your sense faculties, which become 
in themselves doorways for further understanding.  
b. “When you exercise restraint over your sense faculties, then the development of your virtuous 
character is imminent, and you live with virtue.  
c. “When there is thus the development of virtue in your life, then attaining to Right 
Collectedness of Mind simply becomes inevitable. 
d. “When you are thus able to attain to Right Collectedness of Mind, then the Knowledge and 
Vision of Seeing Things As They Are is possible for you.  
e. “When the Knowledge and Vision of Seeing Things As They Are does occur, then dispassion 
and disenchantment take place in you.  
f. “And when dispassion and disenchantment take place in you, then the Knowledge and Vision 
of freedom occurs in you, sooner or later.  
“Bhikkhus, when a tree is endowed with its branches and leaves, it fully develops its shoots, its 
bark, its sap wood, and its heartwood.  
“In the same manner, Bhikkhus, when wise moral shame and wise moral fear are present in you, 
then your moral virtues develop unhindered, as you exercise the restraint over your sense 
faculties, which become in themselves doorways for further understanding.  
b. “When you exercise restraint over your sense faculties, then the development of your virtuous 
character is imminent, and you live with virtue.  
c. “When there is thus the development of virtue in your life, then attaining to Right 
Collectedness of Mind simply becomes inevitable. 
d. “When you are thus able to attain to Right Collectedness of Mind, then the Knowledge and 
Vision of Seeing Things As They Are is possible for you.  
e. “When the Knowledge and Vision of Seeing Things As They Are does occur, then dispassion 
and disenchantment take place in you.  
f. “And when dispassion and disenchantment take place in you, then the Knowledge and Vision 
of freedom occurs in you, sooner or later.” 
 
Sādhu 
Sādhu 
Sādhu
