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Tatiya Anāgatabhaya Suttaṃ

(A.iii.106)

Future Perils (3)

79. “Monks, these five future perils have not yet arisen, but they will arise in the future. You should be aware of them, and having become aware of them, you should strive to abandon them

“What five? In the future, monks, there will monks who are undeveloped in body,² undeveloped in morality, undeveloped in mind, and undeveloped in wisdom. They, being undeveloped in body, morality, mind, and wisdom, will give the higher ordination to others. They will not be able to train others in the higher morality, higher concentration, and higher wisdom. They, in turn, will be undeveloped in body, morality, mind, and wisdom. They too, being undeveloped in body, morality, mind, and wisdom, will give the higher ordination to others. They in turn will not be able to train others in the higher morality, higher concentration, and higher wisdom. They will also be undeveloped in body, morality, mind, and wisdom. Thus, monks, from the corruption of Dhamma comes the corruption of the Vinaya, from the corruption of the Vinaya comes the corruption of the Dhamma. This, monks, is the first future peril that has not yet arisen, but that will arise in the future. You should be aware of it, and having become aware of it, you should strive to abandon it.

“Again, monks, in the future there will monks who are undeveloped in body, undeveloped in morality, undeveloped in mind, and undeveloped in wisdom. They, being undeveloped in body, morality, mind, and wisdom, will give dependence to others.³ They will not be able to train others in the higher morality, higher concentration, and higher wisdom. They, in turn, will be undeveloped in body, morality, mind, and wisdom. They too, being undeveloped in body, morality, mind, and wisdom, will give dependence to others. They in turn will not be able to train others in the higher morality, higher concentration, and higher wisdom. They will also be undeveloped in body, morality, mind, and wisdom. Thus, monks, from the corruption of Dhamma comes the corruption of the Vinaya, from the corruption of the Vinaya comes the corruption of the Dhamma. This, monks, is the second future peril that has not yet arisen, but that will arise in the future. You should be aware of it, and having become aware of it, you should strive to abandon it. [107]

“Again, monks, In the future there will monks who are undeveloped in body, undeveloped in morality, undeveloped in mind, and undeveloped in wisdom. They, being undeveloped in body, morality, mind, and wisdom, when talking on the higher dhamma or the analytical teachings ⁴ will fall into an evil Dhamma,⁵ but will not be aware of it. Thus, monks, from the corruption of Dhamma comes the corruption of the Vinaya, from the corruption of the Vinaya comes the corruption of the Dhamma. This, monks, is the third future peril that has not yet arisen, but that will arise in the future. You should be aware of it, and having become aware of it, you should strive to abandon it.

“Again, monks, in the future there will monks who are undeveloped in body, undeveloped in morality, undeveloped in mind, and undeveloped in wisdom. They, being undeveloped in body, morality, mind, and wisdom, when those discourses taught by the Tathāgata, which are profound, profound in meaning, supramundane, connected with emptiness are being taught, they will not want to listen nor lend an ear nor apply the mind to understand them, nor think that these teachings should be learnt and mastered. However, those discourses of poetry with beautiful vowels and consonants spoken by outsiders (bāhirakā) and their disciples,⁶ they will want to listen to them lend and ear apply the mind to understand them, and think that they should be learnt and mastered. Thus, monks, from the corruption of Dhamma comes the corruption of the Vinaya, from the corruption of the Vinaya comes the corruption of the Dhamma. This, monks, is the fourth future peril that has not yet arisen, but that will arise in the future. You should be aware of it, and having become aware of it, you should strive to abandon it.

“Again, monks, in the future there will monks who are undeveloped in body, undeveloped in morality, undeveloped in mind, [108] and undeveloped in wisdom. They, being undeveloped in body, morality, mind, and wisdom, those elders will become dwellers in abundance, lax, taking the lead in back-sliding, neglecting seclusion, they will not arouse energy for achieving the unachieved, attaining the unattained, or realising the unrealised. Those who come after them too will become dwellers in abundance, lax, taking the lead in back-sliding. Thus, monks, from the corruption of Dhamma comes the corruption of the Vinaya, from the corruption of the Vinaya comes the corruption of the Dhamma. This, monks, is the fifth future peril that has not yet arisen, but that will arise in the future. You should be aware of it, and having become aware of it, you should strive to abandon it.

“Monks, these five future perils have not yet arisen, but they will arise in the future. You should be aware of them, and having become aware of them, you should strive to abandon them.”

Catuttha Anāgatabhaya Suttaṃ

(A.iii.108)

Future Perils (4)

80. “Monks, these five future perils have not yet arisen, but they will arise in the future. You should be aware of them, and having become aware of them, you should strive to abandon them.

“What five? In the future, monks, there will be monks who desire fine robes. Desiring fine robes they will neglect using rag robes; they will neglect using remote forest-dwellings and solitary dwellings, having visited villages, towns, and capital cities they will reside there; for the sake of robes they will make various improper and unbecoming quests.⁷ This, monks, is the first future peril that has not yet arisen, but that will arise in the future. You should be aware of it, and having become aware of it, you should strive to abandon it. [109]

“Again, monks, in the future there will be monks who desire fine almsfood. Desiring fine almsfood they will neglect going on almsround, they will neglect using remote forest-dwellings and solitary dwellings, having visited villages, towns, and capital cities they will reside there; for the sake of almsfood they will make various improper and unbecoming quests. This, monks, is the second future peril that has not yet arisen, but that will arise in the future. You should be aware of it, and having become aware of it, you should strive to abandon it.

“Again, monks, in the future there will be monks who desire fine dwellings. Desiring fine dwelling they will neglect using the root of a tree, they will neglect using remote forest-dwellings and solitary dwellings, having visited villages, towns, and capital cities they will reside there; for the sake of almsfood they will make various improper and unbecoming quests. This, monks, is the third future peril that has not yet arisen, but that will arise in the future. You should be aware of it, and having become aware of it, you should strive to abandon it.

“Again, monks, in the future there will be monks who will dwell in close association with nuns, female probationers, and novices. Dwelling in close association with nuns, female probationers, and novices, monks, it is to be expected that they will live dissatisfied with the holy life, that they will commit some depraved offence,⁸ and abandon the training to revert to the lower life. This, monks, is the fourth future peril that has not yet arisen, but that will arise in the future. You should be aware of it, and having become aware of it, you should strive to abandon it.

“Again, monks, in the future there will be monks who will dwell in close association with novices and lay attendants. Dwelling in close association with novices and lay attendants it is to be expected that they will make use of various stored up goods,⁹ [110] and make gross hints about digging and cultivation.¹⁰ This, monks, is the fourth future peril that has not yet arisen, but that will arise in the future. You should be aware of it, and having become aware of it, you should strive to abandon it.

“Monks, these five future perils have not yet arisen, but they will arise in the future. You should be aware of them, and having become aware of them, you should strive to abandon them.

Notes:

1. The third of four discourses titled: Paṭhama, Dutiya, Tatiya, and Catuttha Anāgatabhaya Suttaṃ. The first two deal with the perils that a forest monk should reflect on to stir up urgency. The third and fourth deal with the perils now facing the Buddhasāsana. They are widely prevalent nowadays, so I translate these latter two here.

2. Undisciplined in the proper way to wear the robes, sit, stand, walk, recline, and untrained in the practice of clear comprehension of all daily activities as explained in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta on mindfulness of the four postures and clear comprehension.

3. After taking the higher ordination with a preceptor (upajjhāya), a new monk should dwell in dependence (nissaya) for five years or until he is competent, whichever is longer, on an elder who will undertake to train him in the monk’s discipline.

4. The Abhidhamma Piṭaka is not what is intended here. The Commentary refers to teachings on the higher training in morality, etc., (sīlādi uttamadhamma kathaṃ). The analytical teachings (vedala) refers to teachings connected with insight and mixed with knowledge (vedapaṭisaṃyuttaṃ ñāṇamissakakathaṃ).

5. Falling into an evil Dhamma (kaṇhadhammaṃ okkamamāna) means seeking for a weakness to reproach others. One with a corrupted mind disparages others and praises himself for the sake of gain and fame.

6. Verses composed by those outside of the Buddhasāsana and their disciples.

7. Examples of improper quest are found in the eighth and ninth Nissaggiya Pācittiya rules. Making stipulations about the quality of the robe or asking two donors to combine their offers to provide one robe of high quality. All kinds of hinting and scheming to get fine robes is improper and unbecoming. Robes obtained in the wrong way should be forfeited and an offence confessed.

8. An offence involving defeat such as sexual intercourse, or one entailing a formal meeting of the community such as kissing, lustfully touching, or masturbation.

9. Almsfood that is received in the morning must be consumed before midday. If leftover food or provisions are stored in a kitchen they can be used by novices and lay attendants at the right time, but need to be offered again to the monks on the next day before they can use it. Novices and lay attendants can cook food, but monks can only reheat food that has already been cooked.

10. Novices and lay attendants can dig the earth, grow food, and harvest crops. Fully ordained monks can do none of these things. It is improper for a monk to tell a novice or lay attendant to dig the earth or harvest crops. However, if work needs to be done, a monk can hint “A hole is needed here for a cesspit,” or “This is a suitable place for a well,” or “A foundation is needed here.”