an.5.80 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

The Discourse on Future Dangers (4)

“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 desirous of fine robes. They, desirous of fine robes, will neglect the practice of wearing cast-off cloth; will neglect isolated forest and wilderness dwellings; will move to towns, cities, and royal capitals, taking up residence there. For the sake of a robe they will do many kinds of unseemly, inappropriate things.

“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.

“Furthermore, in the course of the future there will be monks desirous of fine food. They, desirous of fine food, will neglect the practice of going for alms; will neglect isolated forest and wilderness dwellings; will move to towns, cities, and royal capitals, taking up residence there and searching out the tip-top tastes with the tip of the tongue. For the sake of food they will do many kinds of unseemly, inappropriate things.

“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.

“Furthermore, in the course of the future there will be monks desirous of fine lodgings. They, desirous of fine lodgings, will neglect the practice of living in the wilds; will neglect isolated forest and wilderness dwellings; will move to towns, cities, and royal capitals, taking up residence there. For the sake of lodgings they will do many kinds of unseemly, inappropriate things.

“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.

“Furthermore, in the course of the future there will be monks who will live in close association with nuns, female probationers, and female novices. As they interact with nuns, female probationers, and female novices, they can be expected either to lead the holy life dissatisfied or to fall into one of the grosser offenses, leaving the training, returning to a lower way of life.

“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.

“Furthermore, in the course of the future there will be monks who will live in close association with monastery attendants and novices. As they interact with monastery attendants and novices, they can be expected to live intent on storing up all kinds of possessions and to stake out crops and fields.

“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 (4th)

“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 like nice robes.
They will neglect the practice of wearing rag robes and the practice of frequenting remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest.
They will come down to the villages, towns, and capital cities and make their homes there. And they will try to get robes in many kinds of wrong and inappropriate ways.
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 like nice almsfood.
They will neglect the practice of walking for almsfood and the practice of frequenting remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest.
They will come down to the villages, towns, and capital cities and make their homes there. And they will try to get almsfood in many kinds of wrong and inappropriate ways.
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 like nice lodgings.
They will neglect the practice of staying at the root of a tree and the practice of frequenting remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest.
They will come down to the villages, towns, and capital cities and make their homes there. And they will try to get lodgings in many kinds of wrong and inappropriate ways.
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 mix closely with nuns, trainee nuns, and novice nuns.
In such conditions, it can be expected that
they will lead the spiritual life dissatisfied, or commit one of the corrupt offenses, or resign the training and return to a lesser life.
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 mix closely with monastery attendants and novices.
In such conditions it can be expected that
they will engage in storing up goods for their own use, and making obvious hints about digging the earth and cutting plants.
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.”