Paṭhamaanāgatabhayasutta

“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, anāgatabhayāni sampassamānena alameva āraññikena bhikkhunā appamattena ātāpinā pahitattena viharituṁ appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.

“Mendicants, seeing these five future perils is quite enough for a wilderness mendicant to meditate diligently, keenly, and resolutely for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.

Katamāni pañca? Idha, bhikkhave, āraññiko bhikkhu iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘ahaṁ kho etarahi ekako araññe viharāmi. Ekakaṁ kho pana maṁ araññe viharantaṁ ahi vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya, vicchiko vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya, satapadī vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya, tena me assa kālaṅkiriyā, so mamassa antarāyo; handāhaṁ vīriyaṁ ārabhāmi appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāyā’ti. Idaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamaṁ anāgatabhayaṁ sampassamānena alameva āraññikena bhikkhunā appamattena ātāpinā pahitattena viharituṁ appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.

What five? Firstly, a wilderness mendicant reflects: ‘Currently I’m living alone in a wilderness. While living here alone I might get bitten by a snake, a scorpion, or a centipede. And if I died from that it would be an obstacle to my progress. I’d better rouse up energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.’ This is the first future peril …

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, āraññiko bhikkhu iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘ahaṁ kho etarahi ekako araññe viharāmi. Ekako kho panāhaṁ araññe viharanto upakkhalitvā vā papateyyaṁ, bhattaṁ vā bhuttaṁ me byāpajjeyya, pittaṁ vā me kuppeyya, semhaṁ vā me kuppeyya, satthakā vā me vātā kuppeyyuṁ, tena me assa kālaṅkiriyā, so mamassa antarāyo; handāhaṁ vīriyaṁ ārabhāmi appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāyā’ti. Idaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyaṁ anāgatabhayaṁ sampassamānena alameva āraññikena bhikkhunā appamattena ātāpinā pahitattena viharituṁ appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.

Furthermore, a wilderness mendicant reflects: ‘Currently I’m living alone in a wilderness. While living here alone I might stumble off a cliff, or get food poisoning, or suffer a disturbance of bile, phlegm, or piercing winds. And if I died from that it would be an obstacle to my progress. I’d better rouse up energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.’ This is the second future peril …

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, āraññiko bhikkhu iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘ahaṁ kho etarahi ekako araññe viharāmi. Ekako kho panāhaṁ araññe viharanto vāḷehi samāgaccheyyaṁ, sīhena vā byagghena vā dīpinā vā acchena vā taracchena vā, te maṁ jīvitā voropeyyuṁ, tena me assa kālaṅkiriyā, so mamassa antarāyo; handāhaṁ vīriyaṁ ārabhāmi appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāyā’ti. Idaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyaṁ anāgatabhayaṁ sampassamānena alameva āraññikena bhikkhunā appamattena ātāpinā pahitattena viharituṁ appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.

Furthermore, a wilderness mendicant reflects: ‘Currently I’m living alone in a wilderness. While living here alone I might encounter wild beasts—a lion, a tiger, a leopard, a bear, or a hyena—which might take my life. And if I died from that it would be an obstacle to my progress. I’d better rouse up energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.’ This is the third future peril …

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, āraññiko bhikkhu iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘ahaṁ kho etarahi ekako araññe viharāmi. Ekako kho panāhaṁ araññe viharanto māṇavehi samāgaccheyyaṁ katakammehi vā akatakammehi vā, te maṁ jīvitā voropeyyuṁ, tena me assa kālaṅkiriyā, so mamassa antarāyo; handāhaṁ vīriyaṁ ārabhāmi appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāyā’ti. Idaṁ, bhikkhave, catutthaṁ anāgatabhayaṁ sampassamānena alameva āraññikena bhikkhunā appamattena ātāpinā pahitattena viharituṁ appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.

Furthermore, a wilderness mendicant reflects: ‘Currently I’m living alone in a wilderness. While living here alone I might encounter youths escaping a crime or on their way to commit one, and they might take my life. And if I died from that it would be an obstacle to my progress. I’d better rouse up energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.’ This is the fourth future peril …

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, āraññiko bhikkhu iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘ahaṁ kho etarahi ekako araññe viharāmi. Santi kho panāraññe vāḷā amanussā, te maṁ jīvitā voropeyyuṁ, tena me assa kālaṅkiriyā, so mamassa antarāyo; handāhaṁ vīriyaṁ ārabhāmi appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāyā’ti. Idaṁ, bhikkhave, pañcamaṁ anāgatabhayaṁ sampassamānena alameva āraññikena bhikkhunā appamattena ātāpinā pahitattena viharituṁ appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.

Furthermore, a wilderness mendicant reflects: ‘Currently I’m living alone in a wilderness. But in a wilderness there are savage monsters who might take my life. And if I died from that it would be an obstacle to my progress. I’d better rouse up energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.’ This is the fifth future peril …

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañca anāgatabhayāni sampassamānena alameva āraññikena bhikkhunā appamattena ātāpinā pahitattena viharituṁ appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti. Sattamaṁ.

These are the five future perils, seeing which is quite enough for a wilderness mendicant to meditate diligently, keenly, and resolutely for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.”