Āpattibhayasutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.244

Numbered Discourses 4.244

25. Āpattibhayavagga

25. Perils of Offenses

Āpattibhayasutta

Perils of Offenses

“Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, āpattibhayāni.

“Mendicants, there are these four perils of offenses.

Katamāni cattāri?

What four?

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, coraṁ āgucāriṁ gahetvā rañño dasseyyuṁ:

Suppose they were to arrest a bandit, a criminal and present him to the king, saying:

‘ayaṁ te, deva, coro āgucārī.

‘Your Majesty, this is a bandit, a criminal.

Imassa devo daṇḍaṁ paṇetū’ti.

May Your Majesty punish them!’

Tamenaṁ rājā evaṁ vadeyya:

The king would say:

‘gacchatha, bho, imaṁ purisaṁ daḷhāya rajjuyā pacchābāhaṁ gāḷhabandhanaṁ bandhitvā khuramuṇḍaṁ karitvā kharassarena paṇavena rathikāya rathikaṁ siṅghāṭakena siṅghāṭakaṁ parinetvā dakkhiṇena dvārena nikkhāmetvā dakkhiṇato nagarassa sīsaṁ chindathā’ti.

‘Go, my men, and tie this man’s arms tightly behind his back with a strong rope. Shave his head and march him from street to street and square to square to the beating of a harsh drum. Then take him out the south gate and there, to the south of the city, chop off his head.’

Tamenaṁ rañño purisā daḷhāya rajjuyā pacchābāhaṁ gāḷhabandhanaṁ bandhitvā khuramuṇḍaṁ karitvā kharassarena paṇavena rathikāya rathikaṁ siṅghāṭakena siṅghāṭakaṁ parinetvā dakkhiṇena dvārena nikkhāmetvā dakkhiṇato nagarassa sīsaṁ chindeyyuṁ.

The king’s men would do as they were told.

Tatraññatarassa thalaṭṭhassa purisassa evamassa:

Then a bystander might think:

‘pāpakaṁ vata, bho, ayaṁ puriso kammaṁ akāsi gārayhaṁ sīsacchejjaṁ.

‘This man must have done a truly bad and reprehensible deed, a capital offense.

Yatra hi nāma rañño purisā daḷhāya rajjuyā pacchābāhaṁ gāḷhabandhanaṁ bandhitvā khuramuṇḍaṁ karitvā kharassarena paṇavena rathikāya rathikaṁ siṅghāṭakena siṅghāṭakaṁ parinetvā dakkhiṇena dvārena nikkhāmetvā dakkhiṇato nagarassa sīsaṁ chindissanti.

So vatassāhaṁ evarūpaṁ pāpakammaṁ na kareyyaṁ gārayhaṁ sīsacchejjan’ti.

There’s no way I’d ever do such a bad and reprehensible deed, a capital offense.’

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yassa kassaci bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā evaṁ tibbā bhayasaññā paccupaṭṭhitā hoti pārājikesu dhammesu.

In the same way, take any monk or nun who has set up such an acute perception of peril regarding expulsion offenses.

Tassetaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ—anāpanno vā pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ na āpajjissati, āpanno vā pārājikaṁ dhammaṁ yathādhammaṁ paṭikarissati.

It can be expected that if they haven’t committed an expulsion offense they won’t, and if they committed one they will deal with it properly.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso kāḷavatthaṁ paridhāya kese pakiritvā musalaṁ khandhe āropetvā mahājanakāyaṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ vadeyya:

Suppose a man was to put on a black cloth, mess up his hair, and put a club on his shoulder. Then he approaches a large crowd and says:

‘ahaṁ, bhante, pāpakammaṁ akāsiṁ gārayhaṁ mosallaṁ, yena me āyasmanto attamanā honti taṁ karomī’ti.

‘Sirs, I’ve done a bad and reprehensible deed, deserving of clubbing. I submit to your pleasure.’

Tatraññatarassa thalaṭṭhassa purisassa evamassa:

Then a bystander might think:

‘pāpakaṁ vata, bho, ayaṁ puriso kammaṁ akāsi gārayhaṁ mosallaṁ.

‘This man must have done a truly bad and reprehensible deed, deserving of clubbing. …

Yatra hi nāma kāḷavatthaṁ paridhāya kese pakiritvā musalaṁ khandhe āropetvā mahājanakāyaṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ vakkhati:

“ahaṁ, bhante, pāpakammaṁ akāsiṁ gārayhaṁ mosallaṁ, yena me āyasmanto attamanā honti taṁ karomī”ti.

So vatassāhaṁ evarūpaṁ pāpakammaṁ na kareyyaṁ gārayhaṁ mosallan’ti.

There’s no way I’d ever do such a bad and reprehensible deed, deserving of clubbing.’

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yassa kassaci bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā evaṁ tibbā bhayasaññā paccupaṭṭhitā hoti saṅghādisesesu dhammesu, tassetaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ—anāpanno vā saṅghādisesaṁ dhammaṁ na āpajjissati, āpanno vā saṅghādisesaṁ dhammaṁ yathādhammaṁ paṭikarissati.

In the same way, take any monk or nun who has set up such an acute perception of peril regarding suspension offenses. It can be expected that if they haven’t committed a suspension offense they won’t, and if they committed one they will deal with it properly.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso kāḷavatthaṁ paridhāya kese pakiritvā bhasmapuṭaṁ khandhe āropetvā mahājanakāyaṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ vadeyya:

Suppose a man was to put on a black cloth, mess up his hair, and put a sack of ashes on his shoulder. Then he approaches a large crowd and says:

‘ahaṁ, bhante, pāpakammaṁ akāsiṁ gārayhaṁ bhasmapuṭaṁ.

‘Sirs, I’ve done a bad and reprehensible deed, deserving of a sack of ashes.

Yena me āyasmanto attamanā honti taṁ karomī’ti.

I submit to your pleasure.’

Tatraññatarassa thalaṭṭhassa purisassa evamassa:

Then a bystander might think:

‘pāpakaṁ vata, bho, ayaṁ puriso kammaṁ akāsi gārayhaṁ bhasmapuṭaṁ.

‘This man must have done a truly bad and reprehensible deed, deserving of a sack of ashes. …

Yatra hi nāma kāḷavatthaṁ paridhāya kese pakiritvā bhasmapuṭaṁ khandhe āropetvā mahājanakāyaṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ vakkhati:

“ahaṁ, bhante, pāpakammaṁ akāsiṁ gārayhaṁ bhasmapuṭaṁ;

yena me āyasmanto attamanā honti taṁ karomī”ti.

So vatassāhaṁ evarūpaṁ pāpakammaṁ na kareyyaṁ gārayhaṁ bhasmapuṭan’ti.

There’s no way I’d ever do such a bad and reprehensible deed, deserving of a sack of ashes.’

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yassa kassaci bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā evaṁ tibbā bhayasaññā paccupaṭṭhitā hoti pācittiyesu dhammesu, tassetaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ—anāpanno vā pācittiyaṁ dhammaṁ na āpajjissati, āpanno vā pācittiyaṁ dhammaṁ yathādhammaṁ paṭikarissati.

In the same way, take any monk or nun who has set up such an acute perception of peril regarding confessable offenses. It can be expected that if they haven’t committed a confessable offense they won’t, and if they committed one they will deal with it properly.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso kāḷavatthaṁ paridhāya kese pakiritvā mahājanakāyaṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ vadeyya:

Suppose a man was to put on a black cloth and mess up his hair. Then he approaches a large crowd and says:

‘ahaṁ, bhante, pāpakammaṁ akāsiṁ gārayhaṁ upavajjaṁ.

‘Sirs, I’ve done a bad and reprehensible deed, deserving of criticism.

Yena me āyasmanto attamanā honti taṁ karomī’ti.

I submit to your pleasure.’

Tatraññatarassa thalaṭṭhassa purisassa evamassa:

Then a bystander might think:

‘pāpakaṁ vata, bho, ayaṁ puriso kammaṁ akāsi gārayhaṁ upavajjaṁ.

‘This man must have done a truly bad and reprehensible deed, deserving of criticism. …

Yatra hi nāma kāḷavatthaṁ paridhāya kese pakiritvā mahājanakāyaṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ vakkhati:

“ahaṁ, bhante, pāpakammaṁ akāsiṁ gārayhaṁ upavajjaṁ;

yena me āyasmanto attamanā honti taṁ karomī”ti.

So vatassāhaṁ evarūpaṁ pāpakammaṁ na kareyyaṁ gārayhaṁ upavajjan’ti.

There’s no way I’d ever do such a bad and reprehensible deed, deserving of criticism.’

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yassa kassaci bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā evaṁ tibbā bhayasaññā paccupaṭṭhitā hoti pāṭidesanīyesu dhammesu, tassetaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ—anāpanno vā pāṭidesanīyaṁ dhammaṁ na āpajjissati, āpanno vā pāṭidesanīyaṁ dhammaṁ yathādhammaṁ paṭikarissati.

In the same way, take any monk or nun who has set up such an acute perception of peril regarding confessable offenses. It can be expected that if they haven’t committed a confessable offense they won’t, and if they committed one they will deal with it properly.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri āpattibhayānī”ti.

These are the four perils of offenses.”

Dutiyaṁ.