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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.

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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.

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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
