AN 3.62 Perils – Bhayasutta

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AN 3.62 Perils – Bhayasutta

Numbered Discourses 3.62 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.62

7. The Great Chapter – 7. Mahāvagga

AN 3.62 Perils – Bhayasutta

 

1.1

Bhikkhū, an uneducated ordinary person speaks of three perils that tear mothers and children apart.

“Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, amātāputtikāni bhayānīti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.

1.2

What three?

Katamāni tīṇi?

1.3

There comes a time when a great fire flares up,

Hoti so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṁ mahāaggiḍāho vuṭṭhāti.

1.4

and it burns villages, towns, and cities.

Mahāaggiḍāhe kho pana, bhikkhave, vuṭṭhite tena gāmāpi ḍayhanti nigamāpi ḍayhanti nagarāpi ḍayhanti.

1.5

When this happens, a mother can’t find her child, and a child can’t find their mother.

Gāmesupi ḍayhamānesu nigamesupi ḍayhamānesu nagaresupi ḍayhamānesu tattha mātāpi puttaṁ nappaṭilabhati, puttopi mātaraṁ nappaṭilabhati.

1.6

This is the first peril that tears mothers and children apart.

Idaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamaṁ amātāputtikaṁ bhayanti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.

2.1

Furthermore, there comes a time when a great storm gathers,

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, hoti so samayo yaṁ mahāmegho vuṭṭhāti.

2.2

and it unleashes a mighty flood

Mahāmeghe kho pana, bhikkhave, vuṭṭhite mahāudakavāhako sañjāyati.

2.3

that sweeps away villages, towns, and cities.

Mahāudakavāhake kho pana, bhikkhave, sañjāyante tena gāmāpi vuyhanti nigamāpi vuyhanti nagarāpi vuyhanti.

2.4

When this happens, a mother can’t find her child, and a child can’t find their mother.

Gāmesupi vuyhamānesu nigamesupi vuyhamānesu nagaresupi vuyhamānesu tattha mātāpi puttaṁ nappaṭilabhati, puttopi mātaraṁ nappaṭilabhati.

2.5

This is the second peril that tears mothers and children apart.

Idaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyaṁ amātāputtikaṁ bhayanti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.

3.1

Furthermore, there comes a time of peril from wild savages, and the countryfolk mount their vehicles and flee everywhere.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, hoti so samayo yaṁ bhayaṁ hoti aṭavisaṅkopo, cakkasamāruḷhā jānapadā pariyāyanti.

3.2

When this happens, a mother can’t find her child, and a child can’t find their mother.

Bhaye kho pana, bhikkhave, sati aṭavisaṅkope cakkasamāruḷhesu jānapadesu pariyāyantesu tattha mātāpi puttaṁ nappaṭilabhati, puttopi mātaraṁ nappaṭilabhati.

3.3

This is the third peril that tears mothers and children apart.

Idaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyaṁ amātāputtikaṁ bhayanti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.

3.4

These are the three perils an uneducated ordinary person speaks of that tear mothers and children apart.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi amātāputtikāni bhayānīti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.

4.1

Bhikkhū, an uneducated ordinary person speaks of three perils that don’t tear mothers and children apart.

Tāni kho panimāni, bhikkhave, tīṇi samātāputtikāniyeva bhayāni amātāputtikāni bhayānīti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.

4.2

What three?

Katamāni tīṇi?

4.3

There comes a time when a great fire flares up,

Hoti so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṁ mahāaggiḍāho vuṭṭhāti.

4.4

and it burns villages, towns, and cities.

Mahāaggiḍāhe kho pana, bhikkhave, vuṭṭhite tena gāmāpi ḍayhanti nigamāpi ḍayhanti nagarāpi ḍayhanti.

4.5

When this happens, sometimes a mother can find her child, and a child can find their mother.

Gāmesupi ḍayhamānesu nigamesupi ḍayhamānesu nagaresupi ḍayhamānesu hoti so samayo yaṁ kadāci karahaci mātāpi puttaṁ paṭilabhati, puttopi mātaraṁ paṭilabhati.

4.6

This is the first peril that doesn’t tear mothers and children apart.

Idaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamaṁ samātāputtikaṁyeva bhayaṁ amātāputtikaṁ bhayanti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.

5.1

Furthermore, there comes a time when a great storm gathers,

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, hoti so samayo yaṁ mahāmegho vuṭṭhāti.

5.2

and it unleashes a mighty flood

Mahāmeghe kho pana, bhikkhave, vuṭṭhite mahāudakavāhako sañjāyati.

5.3

that sweeps away villages, towns, and cities.

Mahāudakavāhake kho pana, bhikkhave, sañjāte tena gāmāpi vuyhanti nigamāpi vuyhanti nagarāpi vuyhanti.

5.4

When this happens, sometimes a mother can find her child, and a child can find their mother.

Gāmesupi vuyhamānesu nigamesupi vuyhamānesu nagaresupi vuyhamānesu hoti so samayo yaṁ kadāci karahaci mātāpi puttaṁ paṭilabhati, puttopi mātaraṁ paṭilabhati.

5.5

This is the second peril that doesn’t tear mothers and children apart.

Idaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyaṁ samātāputtikaṁyeva bhayaṁ amātāputtikaṁ bhayanti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.

6.1

Furthermore, there comes a time of peril from wild savages, and the countryfolk mount their vehicles and flee everywhere.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, hoti so samayo yaṁ bhayaṁ hoti aṭavisaṅkopo, cakkasamāruḷhā jānapadā pariyāyanti.

6.2

When this happens, sometimes a mother can find her child, and a child can find their mother.

Bhaye kho pana, bhikkhave, sati aṭavisaṅkope cakkasamāruḷhesu jānapadesu pariyāyantesu hoti so samayo yaṁ kadāci karahaci mātāpi puttaṁ paṭilabhati, puttopi mātaraṁ paṭilabhati.

6.3

This is the third peril that doesn’t tear mothers and children apart.

Idaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyaṁ samātāputtikaṁyeva bhayaṁ amātāputtikaṁ bhayanti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.

6.4

These are the three perils an uneducated ordinary person speaks of that don’t tear mothers and children apart.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi samātāputtikāniyeva bhayāni amātāputtikāni bhayānīti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.

7.1

There are three perils that tear mothers and children apart.

Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, amātāputtikāni bhayāni.

7.2

What three?

Katamāni tīṇi?

7.3

The perils of old age, sickness, and death.

Jarābhayaṁ, byādhibhayaṁ, maraṇabhayanti.

7.4

When a child is growing old, a mother doesn’t get her wish:

Na, bhikkhave, mātā puttaṁ jīramānaṁ evaṁ labhati:

7.5

‘Let me grow old, may my child not grow old!’

‘ahaṁ jīrāmi, mā me putto jīrī’ti;

7.6

When a mother is growing old, a child doesn’t get their wish:

putto vā pana mātaraṁ jīramānaṁ na evaṁ labhati:

7.7

‘Let me grow old, may my mother not grow old!’

‘ahaṁ jīrāmi, mā me mātā jīrī’ti.

8.1

When a child is sick, a mother doesn’t get her wish:

Na, bhikkhave, mātā puttaṁ byādhiyamānaṁ evaṁ labhati:

8.2

‘Let me be sick, may my child not be sick!’

‘ahaṁ byādhiyāmi, mā me putto byādhiyī’ti;

8.3

When a mother is sick, a child doesn’t get their wish:

putto vā pana mātaraṁ byādhiyamānaṁ na evaṁ labhati:

8.4

‘Let me be sick, may my mother not be sick!’

‘ahaṁ byādhiyāmi, mā me mātā byādhiyī’ti.

9.1

When a child is dying, a mother doesn’t get her wish:

Na, bhikkhave, mātā puttaṁ mīyamānaṁ evaṁ labhati:

9.2

‘Let me die, may my child not die!’

‘ahaṁ mīyāmi, mā me putto mīyī’ti;

9.3

When a mother is dying, a child doesn’t get their wish:

putto vā pana mātaraṁ mīyamānaṁ na evaṁ labhati:

9.4

‘Let me die, may my mother not die!’

‘ahaṁ mīyāmi, mā me mātā mīyī’ti.

9.5

These are the three perils that tear mothers and children apart.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi amātāputtikāni bhayānīti.

10.1

There is a path and a practice that leads to giving up and going beyond the three perils that don’t tear mothers and children apart, and the three perils that do tear mothers and children apart.

Atthi, bhikkhave, maggo atthi paṭipadā imesañca tiṇṇaṁ samātāputtikānaṁ bhayānaṁ imesañca tiṇṇaṁ amātāputtikānaṁ bhayānaṁ pahānāya samatikkamāya saṁvattati.

10.2

What is that path and practice?

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, maggo katamā ca paṭipadā imesañca tiṇṇaṁ samātāputtikānaṁ bhayānaṁ imesañca tiṇṇaṁ amātāputtikānaṁ bhayānaṁ pahānāya samatikkamāya saṁvattati?

10.3

It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is:

Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, seyyathidaṁ—

10.4

right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right samādhi.

sammādiṭṭhi, sammāsaṅkappo, sammāvācā, sammākammanto, sammāājīvo, sammāvāyāmo, sammāsati, sammāsamādhi.

10.5

This is the path, this is the practice that leads to giving up and going beyond the three perils that don’t tear mothers and children apart, and the three perils that do tear mothers and children apart.”

Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, maggo ayaṁ paṭipadā imesañca tiṇṇaṁ samātāputtikānaṁ bhayānaṁ imesañca tiṇṇaṁ amātāputtikānaṁ bhayānaṁ pahānāya samatikkamāya saṁvattatī”ti.

10.6

Dutiyaṁ.