SN 12-21 The Group of Connected Discourses Beginning With Causation – Nidānavaggasaṁyutta > SN 12 Connected Discourses on Causation – Nidānasaṁyutta > SN 12.41 Dangers and Threats

Linked Discourses 12.41 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.41

5. Householders – 5. Gahapativagga

SN 12.41 Dangers and Threats – Pañcaverabhayasutta

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the Buddha said to the householder Anāthapiṇḍika:

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho anāthapiṇḍikaṁ gahapatiṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

“Householder, when a noble disciple has quelled five dangers and threats, has the four factors of stream-entry, and has clearly seen and comprehended the noble cycle with wisdom, they may, if they wish, declare of themselves:

“Yato kho, gahapati, ariyasāvakassa pañca bhayāni verāni vūpasantāni honti, catūhi ca sotāpattiyaṅgehi samannāgato hoti, ariyo cassa ñāyo paññāya sudiṭṭho hoti suppaṭividdho, so ākaṅkhamāno attanāva attānaṁ byākareyya:

‘I’ve finished with rebirth in hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. I’ve finished with all places of loss, bad places, the underworld. I am a stream-enterer! I’m not liable to be reborn in the underworld, and am bound for awakening.’

‘khīṇanirayomhi khīṇatiracchānayoni khīṇapettivisayo khīṇāpāyaduggativinipāto, sotāpannohamasmi avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyano’ti.

What are the five dangers and threats they have quelled?

Katamāni pañca bhayāni verāni vūpasantāni honti?

Anyone who kills living creatures creates dangers and threats both in the present life and in lives to come, and experiences mental pain and sadness. That danger and threat is quelled for anyone who refrains from killing living creatures.

Yaṁ, gahapati, pāṇātipātī pāṇātipātapaccayā diṭṭhadhammikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, samparāyikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati, pāṇātipātā paṭiviratassa evaṁ taṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ vūpasantaṁ hoti.

Anyone who steals creates dangers and threats both in the present life and in lives to come, and experiences mental pain and sadness. That danger and threat is quelled for anyone who refrains from stealing.

Yaṁ, gahapati, adinnādāyī adinnādānapaccayā diṭṭhadhammikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, samparāyikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati, adinnādānā paṭiviratassa evaṁ taṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ vūpasantaṁ hoti.

Anyone who commits sexual misconduct creates dangers and threats both in the present life and in lives to come, and experiences mental pain and sadness. That danger and threat is quelled for anyone who refrains from committing sexual misconduct.

Yaṁ, gahapati, kāmesumicchācārī kāmesumicchācārapaccayā diṭṭhadhammikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, samparāyikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati, kāmesumicchācārā paṭiviratassa evaṁ taṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ vūpasantaṁ hoti.

Anyone who lies creates dangers and threats both in the present life and in lives to come, and experiences mental pain and sadness. That danger and threat is quelled for anyone who refrains from lying.

Yaṁ, gahapati, musāvādī musāvādapaccayā diṭṭhadhammikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, samparāyikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati, musāvādā paṭiviratassa evaṁ taṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ vūpasantaṁ hoti.

Anyone who uses alcoholic drinks that cause negligence creates dangers and threats both in the present life and in lives to come, and experiences mental pain and sadness. That danger and threat is quelled for anyone who refrains from using alcoholic drinks that cause negligence.

Yaṁ, gahapati, surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhāyī surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānapaccayā diṭṭhadhammikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, samparāyikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati, surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭiviratassa evaṁ taṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ vūpasantaṁ hoti.

These are the five dangers and threats they have quelled.

Imāni pañca bhayāni verāni vūpasantāni honti.

What are the four factors of stream-entry that they have?

Katamehi catūhi sotāpattiyaṅgehi samannāgato hoti?

It’s when a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha:

Idha, gahapati, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti:

‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’

‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti.

They have experiential confidence in the teaching:

Dhamme aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti:

‘The teaching is well explained by the Buddha—visible in this very life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.’

‘svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī’ti.

They have experiential confidence in the Saṅgha:

Saṅghe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti:

‘The Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples is practicing the way that’s good, direct, methodical, and proper. It consists of the four pairs, the eight individuals. This is the Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples that is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.’

‘suppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, ujuppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, ñāyappaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, sāmīcippaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, yadidaṁ cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha purisapuggalā, esa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho āhuneyyo pāhuneyyo dakkhiṇeyyo añjalikaraṇīyo anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassā’ti.

And a noble disciple’s ethical conduct is loved by the noble ones, unbroken, impeccable, spotless, and unmarred, liberating, praised by sensible people, not mistaken, and leading to samādhi.

Ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti akhaṇḍehi acchiddehi asabalehi akammāsehi bhujissehi viññuppasatthehi aparāmaṭṭhehi samādhisaṁvattanikehi.

These are the four factors of stream-entry that they have.

Imehi catūhi sotāpattiyaṅgehi samannāgato hoti.

And what is the noble cycle that they have clearly seen and comprehended with wisdom?

Katamo cassa ariyo ñāyo paññāya sudiṭṭho hoti suppaṭividdho?

A noble disciple carefully and properly attends to dependent origination itself:

Idha, gahapati, ariyasāvako paṭiccasamuppādaññeva sādhukaṁ yoniso manasi karoti:

‘When this exists, that is; when this doesn’t exist, that is not.

‘iti imasmiṁ sati idaṁ hoti, imasmiṁ asati idaṁ na hoti;

Due to the arising of this, that arises; due to the cessation of this, that ceases.

imassuppādā idaṁ uppajjati, imassa nirodhā idaṁ nirujjhati.

Ignorance is a condition for saṅkhāra.

Yadidaṁ avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā;

Saṅkhāra are a condition for consciousness. …

saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ …pe…

That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

When ignorance fades away and ceases with nothing left over, saṅkhāra cease.

Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho;

When saṅkhāra cease, consciousness ceases. …

saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho …pe…

That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.’

evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti.

This is the noble cycle that they have clearly seen and comprehended with wisdom.

Ayamassa ariyo ñāyo paññāya sudiṭṭho hoti suppaṭividdho.

When a noble disciple has quelled five dangers and threats, has the four factors of stream-entry, and has clearly seen and comprehended the noble cycle with wisdom, they may, if they wish, declare of themselves:

Yato kho, gahapati, ariyasāvakassa imāni pañca bhayāni verāni vūpasantāni honti, imehi catūhi sotāpattiyaṅgehi samannāgato hoti, ayañcassa ariyo ñāyo paññāya sudiṭṭho hoti suppaṭividdho, so ākaṅkhamāno attanāva attānaṁ byākareyya:

‘khīṇanirayomhi khīṇatiracchānayoni khīṇapettivisayo khīṇāpāyaduggativinipāto, sotāpannohamasmi avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyano’”ti.