Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.122

Numbered Discourses 4.122

13. Bhayavagga

13. Fears

Ūmibhayasutta

The Danger of Waves

“Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, bhayāni udakorohantassa pāṭikaṅkhitabbāni. Katamāni cattāri? Ūmibhayaṁ, kumbhīlabhayaṁ, āvaṭṭabhayaṁ, susukābhayaṁ—

“Bhikkhus, anyone who enters the water should anticipate four dangers. What four? The dangers of waves, marsh crocodiles, whirlpools, and gharials.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri bhayāni udakorohantassa pāṭikaṅkhitabbāni. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattāri bhayāni idhekaccassa kulaputtassa imasmiṁ dhammavinaye agārasmā¹ anagāriyaṁ pabbajitassa pāṭikaṅkhitabbāni. Katamāni cattāri? Ūmibhayaṁ, kumbhīlabhayaṁ, āvaṭṭabhayaṁ, susukābhayaṁ.

These are the four dangers that anyone who enters the water should anticipate. In the same way, a gentleman who goes forth from the lay life to homelessness in this teaching and training should anticipate four dangers. What four? The dangers of waves, marsh crocodiles, whirlpools, and gharials.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, ūmibhayaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco kulaputto saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti: ‘otiṇṇomhi jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi, dukkhotiṇṇo dukkhapareto; appeva nāma imassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa antakiriyā paññāyethā’ti. Tamenaṁ tathā pabbajitaṁ samānaṁ sabrahmacārino ovadanti anusāsanti: ‘evaṁ te abhikkamitabbaṁ, evaṁ te paṭikkamitabbaṁ, evaṁ te āloketabbaṁ, evaṁ te viloketabbaṁ, evaṁ te samiñjitabbaṁ, evaṁ te pasāritabbaṁ, evaṁ te saṅghāṭipattacīvaraṁ dhāretabban’ti. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘mayaṁ kho pubbe agāriyabhūtā samānā aññe ovadāmapi anusāsāmapi. Ime panamhākaṁ puttamattā maññe nattamattā maññe ovaditabbaṁ anusāsitabbaṁ maññantī’ti. So kupito anattamano sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattati. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ūmibhayassa bhīto sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvatto. Ūmibhayanti kho, bhikkhave, kodhūpāyāsassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ūmibhayaṁ.

And what, bhikkhus, is the danger of waves? It’s when a gentleman has gone forth from the lay life to homelessness, thinking: ‘I’m swamped by rebirth, old age, and death; by sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. I’m swamped by suffering, mired in suffering. Hopefully I can find an end to this entire mass of suffering.’ When they’ve gone forth, their spiritual companions advise and instruct them: ‘You should go out like this, and come back like that. You should look to the front like this, and to the side like that. You should contract your limbs like this, and extend them like that. This is how you should bear your outer robe, bowl, and robes.’ They think: ‘Formerly, as a lay person, I advised and instructed others. And now these bhikkhus—who you’d think were my children or grandchildren—imagine they can advise and instruct me!’ Angry and upset, they resign the training and return to a lesser life. This is called a bhikkhu who resigns the training and returns to a lesser life because they’re afraid of the danger of waves. ‘Danger of waves’ is a term for anger and distress. This is called the danger of waves.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, kumbhīlabhayaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco kulaputto saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti: ‘otiṇṇomhi jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi, dukkhotiṇṇo dukkhapareto; appeva nāma imassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa antakiriyā paññāyethā’ti. Tamenaṁ tathā pabbajitaṁ samānaṁ sabrahmacārino ovadanti anusāsanti: ‘idaṁ te khāditabbaṁ, idaṁ te na khāditabbaṁ, idaṁ te bhuñjitabbaṁ, idaṁ te na bhuñjitabbaṁ, idaṁ te sāyitabbaṁ, idaṁ te na sāyitabbaṁ, idaṁ te pātabbaṁ, idaṁ te na pātabbaṁ, kappiyaṁ te khāditabbaṁ, akappiyaṁ te na khāditabbaṁ, kappiyaṁ te bhuñjitabbaṁ, akappiyaṁ te na bhuñjitabbaṁ, kappiyaṁ te sāyitabbaṁ, akappiyaṁ te na sāyitabbaṁ, kappiyaṁ te pātabbaṁ, akappiyaṁ te na pātabbaṁ, kāle te khāditabbaṁ, vikāle te na khāditabbaṁ, kāle te bhuñjitabbaṁ, vikāle te na bhuñjitabbaṁ, kāle te sāyitabbaṁ, vikāle te na sāyitabbaṁ, kāle te pātabbaṁ, vikāle te na pātabban’ti. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘mayaṁ kho pubbe agāriyabhūtā samānā yaṁ icchāma taṁ khādāma, yaṁ na icchāma na taṁ khādāma; yaṁ icchāma taṁ bhuñjāma, yaṁ na icchāma na taṁ bhuñjāma; yaṁ icchāma taṁ sāyāma, yaṁ na icchāma na taṁ sāyāma; yaṁ icchāma taṁ pivāma, yaṁ na icchāma na taṁ pivāma; kappiyampi khādāma akappiyampi khādāma kappiyampi bhuñjāma akappiyampi bhuñjāma kappiyampi sāyāma akappiyampi sāyāma kappiyampi pivāma akappiyampi pivāma, kālepi khādāma vikālepi khādāma kālepi bhuñjāma vikālepi bhuñjāma kālepi sāyāma vikālepi sāyāma kālepi pivāma vikālepi pivāma; yampi no saddhā gahapatikā divā vikāle paṇītaṁ khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā denti, tatrapime mukhāvaraṇaṁ maññe karontī’ti. So kupito anattamano sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattati. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kumbhīlabhayassa bhīto sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvatto. Kumbhīlabhayanti kho, bhikkhave, odarikattassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, kumbhīlabhayaṁ.

And what, bhikkhus, is the danger of marsh crocodiles? It’s when a gentleman has gone forth from the lay life to homelessness … When they’ve gone forth, their spiritual companions advise and instruct them: ‘You may eat, consume, taste, and drink these things, but not those. You may eat what’s allowable, but not what’s unallowable. You may eat at the right time, but not at the wrong time.’ They think: ‘Formerly, as a lay person, I used to eat, consume, taste, and drink what I wanted, not what I didn’t want. I ate and drank both allowable and unallowable things, at the right time and the wrong time. And these faithful householders give us delicious fresh and cooked foods at the wrong time of day. But these bhikkhus imagine they can gag our mouths!’ Angry and upset, they resign the training and return to a lesser life. This is called a bhikkhu who resigns the training and returns to a lesser life because they’re afraid of the danger of marsh crocodiles. ‘Danger of marsh crocodiles’ is a term for gluttony. This is called the danger of marsh crocodiles.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, āvaṭṭabhayaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco kulaputto saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti: ‘otiṇṇomhi jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi, dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi dukkhotiṇṇo dukkhapareto; appeva nāma imassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa antakiriyā paññāyethā’ti. So evaṁ pabbajito samāno pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā piṇḍāya pavisati arakkhiteneva kāyena arakkhitāya vācāya arakkhitena cittena anupaṭṭhitāya satiyā asaṁvutehi indriyehi. So tattha passati gahapatiṁ vā gahapatiputtaṁ vā pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappitaṁ samaṅgībhūtaṁ paricārayamānaṁ. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘mayaṁ kho pubbe agāriyabhūtā samānā pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappitā samaṅgībhūtā paricārimhā; saṁvijjanti kho pana me kule bhogā. Sakkā bhoge ca bhuñjituṁ puññāni ca kātuṁ. Yannūnāhaṁ sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattitvā bhoge ca bhuñjeyyaṁ puññāni ca kareyyan’ti. So sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattati. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu āvaṭṭabhayassa bhīto sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvatto. Āvaṭṭabhayanti kho, bhikkhave, pañcannetaṁ kāmaguṇānaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, āvaṭṭabhayaṁ.

And what, bhikkhus, is the danger of whirlpools? It’s when a gentleman has gone forth from the lay life to homelessness … When they’ve gone forth, they robe up in the morning and, taking their bowl and robe, enter a village or town for alms without guarding body, speech, and mind, without establishing mindfulness, and without restraining the sense faculties. There they see a householder or their child amusing themselves, supplied and provided with the five kinds of sensual stimulation. They think: ‘Formerly, as a lay person, I amused myself, supplied and provided with the five kinds of sensual stimulation. And it’s true that my family is wealthy. I can both enjoy my wealth and make merit. Why don’t I resign the training and return to a lesser life, so I can enjoy my wealth and make merit?’ They resign the training and return to a lesser life. This is called a bhikkhu who resigns the training and returns to a lesser life because they’re afraid of the danger of whirlpools. ‘Danger of whirlpools’ is a term for the five kinds of sensual stimulation. This is called the danger of whirlpools.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, susukābhayaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco kulaputto saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti: ‘otiṇṇomhi jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi, dukkhotiṇṇo dukkhapareto; appeva nāma imassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa antakiriyā paññāyethā’ti. So evaṁ pabbajito samāno pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā piṇḍāya pavisati arakkhiteneva kāyena arakkhitāya vācāya arakkhitena cittena anupaṭṭhitāya satiyā asaṁvutehi indriyehi. So tattha passati mātugāmaṁ dunnivatthaṁ vā duppārutaṁ vā. Tassa mātugāmaṁ disvā dunnivatthaṁ vā duppārutaṁ vā rāgo cittaṁ anuddhaṁseti. So rāgānuddhaṁsitena cittena sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattati. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu susukābhayassa bhīto sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvatto. Susukābhayanti kho, bhikkhave, mātugāmassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, susukābhayaṁ.

And what, bhikkhus, is the danger of gharials? It’s when a gentleman has gone forth from the lay life to homelessness … When they’ve gone forth, they robe up in the morning and, taking their bowl and robe, enter a village or town for alms without guarding body, speech, and mind, without establishing mindfulness, and without restraining the sense faculties. There they see a female scantily clad, with revealing clothes. Lust infects their mind, so they resign the training and return to a lesser life. This is called a bhikkhu who resigns the training and returns to a lesser life because they’re afraid of the danger of gharials. ‘Danger of gharials’ is a term for females. This is called the danger of gharials.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri bhayāni idhekaccassa kulaputtassa imasmiṁ dhammavinaye agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitassa pāṭikaṅkhitabbānī”ti.

These are the four dangers that a gentleman who goes forth from the lay life to homelessness in this teaching and training should anticipate.”

Dutiyaṁ.