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an.5.79 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

The Discourse on Future Dangers (3)

“Monks, these five future dangers, unarisen at present, will arise in the future. Be alert to them and, being alert, work to get rid of them. Which five?

“There will be, in the course of the future, monks undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in discernment. They—being undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in discernment—will give full ordination to others and will not be able to discipline them in heightened virtue, heightened mind, heightened discernment. These too will then be undeveloped in body… virtue… mind… discernment. They—being undeveloped in body… virtue… mind… discernment—will give full ordination to still others and will not be able to discipline them in heightened virtue, heightened mind, heightened discernment. These too will then be undeveloped in body… virtue… mind… discernment. Thus from corrupt Dhamma comes corrupt discipline; from corrupt discipline, corrupt Dhamma.

“This, monks, is the first future danger, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future. Be alert to it and, being alert, work to get rid of it.

“And again, there will be in the course of the future monks undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in discernment. They—being undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in discernment—will take on others as students and will not be able to discipline them in heightened virtue, heightened mind, heightened discernment. These too will then be undeveloped in body… virtue… mind… discernment. They—being undeveloped in body… virtue… mind… discernment—will take on still others as students and will not be able to discipline them in heightened virtue, heightened mind, heightened discernment. These too will then be undeveloped in body… virtue… mind… discernment. Thus from corrupt Dhamma comes corrupt discipline; from corrupt discipline, corrupt Dhamma.

“This, monks, is the second future danger, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future. Be alert to it and, being alert, work to get rid of it.

“And again, there will be in the course of the future monks undeveloped in body… virtue… mind… discernment. They—being undeveloped in body… virtue… mind… discernment—when giving a talk on higher Dhamma or a talk composed of questions and answers, will fall into dark mental states without being aware of it. Thus from corrupt Dhamma comes corrupt discipline; from corrupt discipline, corrupt Dhamma.

“This, monks, is the third future danger, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future. Be alert to it and, being alert, work to get rid of it.

“And again, there will be in the course of the future monks undeveloped in body… virtue… mind… discernment. They—being undeveloped in body… virtue… mind… discernment—will not listen when discourses that are words of the Tathagata—deep, profound, transcendent, connected with the Void—are being recited. They will not lend ear, will not set their hearts on knowing them, will not regard these teachings as worth grasping or mastering. But they will listen when discourses that are literary works—the works of poets, elegant in sound, elegant in rhetoric, the work of outsiders, words of disciples—are recited. They will lend ear and set their hearts on knowing them. They will regard these teachings as worth grasping and mastering. Thus from corrupt Dhamma comes corrupt discipline; from corrupt discipline, corrupt Dhamma.

“This, monks, is the fourth future danger, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future. Be alert to it and, being alert, work to get rid of it.

“And again, there will be in the course of the future monks undeveloped in body… virtue… mind… discernment. They—being undeveloped in body… virtue… mind… discernment—will become elders living in luxury, lethargic, foremost in falling back, shirking the duties of solitude. They will not make an effort for the attaining of the as-yet-unattained, the reaching of the as-yet-unreached, the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. They will become an example for later generations, who will become luxurious in their living, lethargic, foremost in falling back, shirking the duties of solitude, and who will not make an effort for the attaining of the as-yet-unattained, the reaching of the as-yet-unreached, the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. Thus from corrupt Dhamma comes corrupt discipline; from corrupt discipline, corrupt Dhamma.

“This, monks, is the fifth future danger, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future. Be alert to it and, being alert, work to get rid of it.

“These, monks, are the five future dangers, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future. Be alert to them and, being alert, work to get rid of them.”

- Translator: Thanissaro Bhikkhu

- Editor: Gabriel Laera

Future Perils (3rd)

“Mendicants, these five future perils have not currently arisen, but they will arise in the future.
You should look out for them
and try to give them up.
What five?
In a future time there will be mendicants who have not developed their physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.
They will ordain others,
but be unable to guide them in the higher ethics, mind, and wisdom.
They too will not develop their physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.
They too will ordain others,
but be unable to guide them in the higher ethics, mind, and wisdom.
They too will not develop their physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.
And that is how corrupt training comes from corrupt teachings,
and corrupt teachings come from corrupt training.
This is the first future peril that has not currently arisen, but will arise in the future …


Furthermore, in a future time there will be mendicants who have not developed their physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.
They will give dependence to others,
but be unable to guide them in the higher ethics, mind, and wisdom.
They too will not develop their physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.
They too will give dependence to others,
but be unable to guide them in the higher ethics, mind, and wisdom.
They too will not develop their physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.
And that is how corrupt training comes from corrupt teachings,
and corrupt teachings come from corrupt training.
This is the second future peril that has not currently arisen, but will arise in the future …


Furthermore, in a future time there will be mendicants who have not developed their physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.
In discussion about the teachings and classifications they’ll fall into dark ideas without realizing it.
And that is how corrupt training comes from corrupt teachings,
and corrupt teachings come from corrupt training.
This is the third future peril that has not currently arisen, but will arise in the future …


Furthermore, in a future time there will be mendicants who have not developed their physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.
When discourses spoken by the Realized One—deep, profound, transcendent, dealing with emptiness—are being recited they won’t want to listen. They won’t pay attention or apply their minds to understand them, nor will they think those teachings are worth learning and memorizing.
But when discourses composed by poets—poetry, with fancy words and phrases, composed by outsiders or spoken by disciples—are being recited they will want to listen. They’ll pay attention and apply their minds to understand them, and they’ll think those teachings are worth learning and memorizing.
And that is how corrupt training comes from corrupt teachings,
and corrupt teachings come from corrupt training.
This is the fourth future peril that has not currently arisen, but will arise in the future …


Furthermore, in a future time there will be mendicants who have not developed their physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.
The senior mendicants will be indulgent and slack, leaders in backsliding, neglecting seclusion, not rousing energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.
Those who come after them will follow their example.
They too will become indulgent and slack, leaders in backsliding, neglecting seclusion, not rousing energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.
And that is how corrupt training comes from corrupt teachings,
and corrupt teachings come from corrupt training.
This is the fifth future peril that has not currently arisen, but will arise in the future …


These are the five future perils that have not currently arisen, but will arise in the future.
You should look out for them,
and try to give them up.”