25. Duccaritavaggo | 5 | Aṅguttara

Aṅguttara Nikāya

025. Duccatitavaggo

V. Misconduct

241 (1) Misconduct

Bhikkhus, there are these 5 dangers in misconduct. What 5?

1) One blames oneself.
2) The wise, having investigated, censure one.
3) One acquires a bad reputation.
4) One dies confused.
5) With the breakup of the body, after death, one is reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the lower world, in hell.

- These are the 5 dangers in misconduct.

Bhikkhus, there are these 5 benefits in good conduct.

What 5?

1) One does not censure oneself.
2) The wise, having investigated, praise one.
3) One acquires a good reputation.
4) One dies unconfused.
5) With the breakup of the body, after death, one is reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world.

These are the 5 benefits in good conduct.

242 (2) Bodily Misconduct

Bhikkhus, there are these 5 dangers in bodily misconduct. What 5?

1) One blames oneself.
2) The wise, having investigated, censure one.
3) One acquires a bad reputation.
4) One dies confused.
5) With the breakup of the body, after death, one is reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the lower world, in hell.

- These are the 5 dangers in bodily misconduct.

Bhikkhus, there are these 5 benefits in bodily good conduct. What 5?

1) One does not censure oneself.
2) The wise, having investigated, praise one.
3) One acquires a good reputation.
4) One dies unconfused.
5) With the breakup of the body, after death, one is reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world.

- These are the 5 benefits in bodily good conduct.

243 (3) Verbal Misconduct

Bhikkhus, there are these 5 dangers in verbal misconduct. What 5?

1) One blames oneself.
2) The wise, having investigated, censure one.
3) One acquires a bad reputation.
4) One dies confused.
5) With the breakup of the body, after death, one is reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the lower world, in hell.

- These are the 5 dangers in verbal misconduct.

Bhikkhus, there are these 5 benefits in verbal good conduct. What 5?

1) One does not censure oneself.
2) The wise, having investigated, praise one.
3) One acquires a good reputation.
4) One dies unconfused.
5) With the breakup of the body, after death, one is reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world.

- These are the 5 benefits in verbal good conduct.

244 (4) Mental Misconduct

Bhikkhus, there are these 5 dangers in mental misconduct. What 5?

1) One blames oneself.
2) The wise, having investigated, censure one.
3) One acquires a bad reputation.
4) One dies confused.
5) With the breakup of the body, after death, one is reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the lower world, in hell.

- These are the 5 dangers in mental misconduct.

Bhikkhus, there are these 5 benefits in mental good conduct. What 5?

1) One does not censure oneself.
2) The wise, having investigated, praise one.
3) One acquires a good reputation.
4) One dies unconfused.
5) With the breakup of the body, after death, one is reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world.

- These are the 5 benefits in mental good conduct.

245 (5) Another on Misconduct

Bhikkhus, there are these 5 dangers in misconduct. What 5?

1) One blames oneself.
2) The wise, having investigated, censure one.
3) One acquires a bad reputation.
4) One departs from the good Dhamma.
5) One becomes established in a bad Dhamma.

- These are the 5 dangers in misconduct.

Bhikkhus, there are these 5 benefits in good conduct. What 5?

1) One does not blame oneself.
2) The wise, having investigated, praise one.
3) One acquires a good reputation.
4) One departs from a bad Dhamma.
5) One becomes established in the good Dhamma.

- These are the 5 benefits in good conduct.

246 (6) Another on Bodily Misconduct

Bhikkhus, there are these 5 dangers in bodily misconduct. What 5?

1) One blames oneself.
2) The wise, having investigated, censure one.
3) One acquires a bad reputation.
4) One departs from the good Dhamma.
5) One becomes established in a bad Dhamma.

- These are the 5 dangers in bodily misconduct.

Bhikkhus, there are these 5 benefits in bodily good conduct. What 5?

1) One does not blame oneself.
2) The wise, having investigated, praise one.
3) One acquires a good reputation.
4) One departs from a bad Dhamma.
5) One becomes established in the good Dhamma.

- These are the 5 benefits in bodily good conduct.

247 (7) Another on Verbal Misconduct

Bhikkhus, there are these 5 dangers in verbal misconduct. What 5?

1) One blames oneself.
2) The wise, having investigated, censure one.
3) One acquires a bad reputation.
4) One departs from the good Dhamma.
5) One becomes established in a bad Dhamma.

- These are the 5 dangers in verbal misconduct.

Bhikkhus, there are these 5 benefits in verbal good conduct. What 5?

1) One does not blame oneself.
2) The wise, having investigated, praise one.
3) One acquires a good reputation.
4) One departs from a bad Dhamma.
5) One becomes established in the good Dhamma.

- These are the 5 benefits in verbal good conduct.

248 (8) Another on Mental Misconduct

Bhikkhus, there are these 5 dangers in mental misconduct. What 5?

1) One blames oneself.
2) The wise, having investigated, censure one.
3) One acquires a bad reputation.
4) One departs from the good Dhamma.
5) One becomes established in a bad Dhamma.

- These are the 5 dangers in mental misconduct.  

Bhikkhus, there are these 5 benefits in mental good conduct. What 5?

1) One does not blame oneself.
2) The wise, having investigated, praise one.
3) One acquires a good reputation.
4) One departs from a bad Dhamma.
5) One becomes established in the good Dhamma.

- These are the 5 benefits in mental good conduct.

249 (9) A Charnel Ground

Bhikkhus, there are these 5 dangers in a charnel ground. What 5?

1) It is impure,
2) foul-smelling,
3) dangerous,
4) the abode of wild spirits,
5) [a place where] many people weep.

- These are the 5 dangers in a charnel ground.

So too, there are these 5 dangers in a person who is similar to a charnel ground.

What 5?

1) Here, some person engages in impure bodily, verbal, and mental action.

This, I say, is how he is impure. Just as that charnel ground is impure, I say this person is similarly so.

2) Since he engages in impure bodily, verbal, and mental action, he acquires a bad reputation.

This, I say, is how he is foul-smelling. Just as that charnel ground is foul-smelling, I say this person is similarly so.

3) Since he engages in impure bodily, verbal, and mental action, his well-behaved fellow monks avoid him from afar.

This, I say, is how he is [regarded as] dangerous. Just as that charnel ground is [regarded as] dangerous, I say this person is similarly so.

4) Engaging in impure bodily, verbal, and mental action, he dwells together with persons similar to himself.

This, I say, is how he is an abode of wild [persons]. Just as that charnel ground is an abode of wild spirits, I say this person is similarly so.

5) Having seen him engaging in impure bodily, verbal, and mental action, his well-behaved fellow monks lodge complaints about him, saying:

‘Oh, what misery it is for us to live together with such persons!’

This, I say, is how there is weeping over him. Just as that charnel ground is [a place where] many people weep, I say this person is similarly so.

These, Bhikkhus, are the 5 dangers in a person who is like a charnel ground.

250 (10) Confidence in a Person

Bhikkhus, there are these 5 dangers in basing one’s confidence on a person. What 5?

1) The person in whom another has complete confidence may commit an offense because of which the Saṅgha suspends him.

It occurs to the one [who had such confidence in him]: ‘The person who is pleasing and agreeable to me has been suspended by the Saṅgha.’

He then loses much of his confidence in Bhikkhus. Since he has lost much of his confidence in them, he does not associate with other Bhikkhus.

Since he does not associate with other Bhikkhus, he does not get to hear the good Dhamma. Since he does not get to hear the good Dhamma, he falls away from the good Dhamma.

- This is the 1st danger in basing one’s confidence on a person.

2) Again, the person in whom another has complete confidence may commit an offense because of which the Saṅgha makes him sit at the end.

It occurs to the one [who had such confidence in him]: ‘The Saṅgha has made the person who is pleasing and agreeable to me sit at the end.’

He then loses much of his confidence in Bhikkhus... .

Since he does not get to hear the good Dhamma, he falls away from the good Dhamma.

- This is the 2nd danger in basing one’s confidence on a person.

3) Again, the person in whom another has complete confidence may depart for some other quarter ...

4) ... may disrobe ...

5) ... may pass away.

It occurs to the one [who had such confidence in him]:

‘The person who was pleasing and agreeable to me [has departed for some other quarter ... has disrobed ...] has passed away.’

He does not associate with other Bhikkhus. Since he does not associate with other Bhikkhus, he does not get to hear the good Dhamma.

Since he does not get to hear the good Dhamma, he falls away from the good Dhamma.

- This is the 5th danger in basing one’s confidence on a person.

These, Bhikkhus, are the 5 dangers in basing one’s confidence on a person.