English
(13) 3. Chapter on Fears 1. Discourse on Self-Reproach 121. "There are these four fears, monks. Which four? The fear of self-reproach, the fear of others' reproach, the fear of punishment, the fear of a bad destination. "And what, monks, is the fear of self-reproach? Here, monks, someone reflects thus: 'If I were to engage in misconduct by body, in misconduct by speech, in misconduct by mind, would not my self reproach me for my virtue?' Frightened by the fear of self-reproach, he abandons misconduct by body and develops good conduct by body; he abandons misconduct by speech and develops good conduct by speech; he abandons misconduct by mind and develops good conduct by mind; he keeps his self pure. This, monks, is called the fear of self-reproach. "And what, monks, is the fear of others' reproach? Here, monks, someone reflects thus: 'If I were to engage in misconduct by body, in misconduct by speech, in misconduct by mind, would not others reproach me for my virtue?' Frightened by the fear of others' reproach, he abandons misconduct by body and develops good conduct by body; he abandons misconduct by speech and develops good conduct by speech; he abandons misconduct by mind and develops good conduct by mind; he keeps his self pure. This, monks, is called the fear of others' reproach. "And what, monks, is the fear of punishment? Here, monks, someone sees a criminal, a wrongdoer, whom kings have seized and are inflicting various kinds of punishment: beating with whips, beating with canes, beating with clubs, cutting off a hand, cutting off a foot, cutting off hands and feet, cutting off an ear, cutting off a nose, cutting off ears and nose, inflicting the 'gruel pot' punishment, inflicting the 'shell-shaving' punishment, inflicting the 'Rahu's mouth' punishment, fire making a garland, making a hand-lamp, making an ear-garland, making a bark-dress, making an antelope-shape, making a flesh-hook, making a coin-cut, making a lye-peeling, making a stake-roller, making a straw-mat, drenching with hot oil, feeding to dogs, impaling alive on a stake, cutting off the head with a sword. “Then it occurs to him: ‘For what kind of evil deeds do kings seize a criminal, a wrongdoer, and inflict various tortures? They beat them with whips…and so on…they cut off their heads with a sword. If I were to commit such an evil deed, kings would seize me and inflict such various tortures. They would beat me with whips, they would beat me with canes, they would beat me with cudgels, they would cut off my hand, they would cut off my foot, they would cut off my hand and foot, they would cut off my ear, they would cut off my nose, they would cut off my ear and nose, they would make me a gruel-pot, they would make me a shell-shaven, they would make me a Rahu-mouth, they would make me a fiery garland, they would make me a hand-lamp, they would make me an ear-garland, they would make me a bark-dress, they would make me an antelope-shape, they would make me a flesh-hook, they would make me a coin-cut, they would make me a lye-peeling, they would make me a stake-roller, they would make me a straw-mat, they would drench me with hot oil, they would feed me to dogs, they would impale me alive on a stake, they would cut off my head with a sword.’ So, fearing the fear of punishment, he does not go about plundering others' property. Abandoning misconduct in body…and so on…he maintains himself in purity. This, monks, is called the fear of punishment. “And what, monks, is the fear of a bad destination? Here, monks, someone reflects thus: ‘Evil is the result of misconduct in body in the next world, evil is the result of misconduct in speech What is the result in the next world? For mental misconduct, the result is evil in the next world. If I were to commit misconduct by body, misconduct by speech, misconduct by mind, what would prevent me, at the body's breaking, after death, from reappearing in a state of woe, a bad destination, a downfall, in hell? Fearing the danger of a bad destination, he abandons bodily misconduct and cultivates good bodily conduct, abandons verbal misconduct and cultivates good verbal conduct, abandons mental misconduct and cultivates good mental conduct, and keeps himself pure. This, bhikkhus, is called the fear of a bad destination. These, bhikkhus, are the four fears. The First. 2. The Discourse on the Fear of Waves Bhikkhus, there are these four fears to be expected by one descending into water. Which four? The fear of waves, the fear of crocodiles, the fear of whirlpools, the fear of sharks – These, bhikkhus, are the four fears to be expected by one descending into water. In the same way, bhikkhus, there are four fears to be expected by a certain young man of good family who has gone forth from home to homelessness in this Dhamma and Discipline. Which four? The fear of waves, the fear of crocodiles, the fear of whirlpools, the fear of sharks. And what, bhikkhus, is the fear of waves? Here, bhikkhus, a certain young man of good family, out of faith, has gone forth from home to homelessness, thinking: ‘I am overwhelmed by birth, by old age, by death, by sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. Overwhelmed by suffering, afflicted by suffering. Perhaps an end to this entire mass of suffering might be discerned!’ While he is thus gone forth, his fellow practitioners instruct and advise him: ‘Thus you should go forward, thus you should go back. Thus you should look ahead, thus you should look around. Thus you should bend your limbs, thus you should stretch them out, etc. This robe, bowl, and outer robe should be worn by you. Then it occurs to him: "We, in the past, when we were householders, used to advise and instruct others. These, I suppose, are like our sons, like our grandsons, who think they should advise and instruct us." So, angry and displeased, he renounces the training and returns to the lower life. This, bhikkhus, is called a bhikkhu who, frightened by the danger of the waves, renounces the training and returns to the lower life. The danger of the waves, bhikkhus, is a designation for anger and despair. This, bhikkhus, is called the danger of the waves. And what, bhikkhus, is the danger of the crocodile? Here, bhikkhus, a certain young man of good family, out of faith, has gone forth from home to homelessness, thinking: "I am afflicted by birth, by old age, by death, by sorrows, by lamentations, by pains, by displeasures, by despairs; afflicted by suffering, overwhelmed by suffering. Oh, if only an end to this entire mass of suffering might be discerned!" When he has thus gone forth, his fellow celibates advise and instruct him: "This you should eat, this you should not eat; this you should consume, this you should not consume; this you should taste, this you should not taste; this you should drink, this you should not drink. What is allowable you should eat, what is not allowable you should not eat; what is allowable you should consume, what is not allowable you should not consume; what is allowable you should taste, what is not allowable you should not taste; what is allowable you should drink, what is not allowable you should not drink. At the proper time you should eat, at the improper time you should not eat; at the proper time you should consume, at the improper time you should not consume; at the proper time you should taste, at the improper time you should not taste; at the proper time you should drink, at the improper time you should not drink." Then it occurs to him: "We, in the past, when we were householders, ate what we wished, did not eat what we did not wish; consumed what we wished, did not consume what we did not wish; tasted what we wished, did not wish to taste what we did not wish we do not taste that; what we want, that we drink, what we do not want, that we do not drink; we eat what is allowable, we eat what is not allowable, we consume what is allowable, we consume what is not allowable, we taste what is allowable, we taste what is not allowable, we drink what is allowable, we drink what is not allowable; we eat at the right time, we eat at the wrong time, we consume at the right time, we consume at the wrong time, we taste at the right time, we taste at the wrong time, we drink at the right time, we drink at the wrong time; and when faithful householders give us choice food or drink in the daytime or at the wrong time, we consider this, I think, to be a muzzle for our mouths.” So, angry and displeased, he renounces the training and returns to a lower state. This, bhikkhus, is called a bhikkhu who, fearing the pot-bellied danger, renounces the training and returns to a lower state. The pot-bellied danger, bhikkhus, is a designation for gluttony. This, bhikkhus, is called the pot-bellied danger. And what, bhikkhus, is the danger of turning back? Here, bhikkhus, some young man of good family, out of faith, has gone forth from the home life into homelessness— “I am afflicted by birth, by old age, by death, by sorrows, by lamentations, by pains, by displeasures, by despairs; afflicted by suffering, overcome by suffering; oh, if only an end to this entire mass of suffering might be known!” Having thus gone forth, in the forenoon, having dressed, taking his bowl and robe, he enters a village or town for alms, with an unguarded body, with unguarded speech, with an unguarded mind, with mindfulness not established, with uncontrolled faculties. There he sees a householder or a householder’s son endowed and furnished with the five strands of sensual pleasure, enjoying them. Then it occurs to him: “Formerly, when we were householders, we were endowed and furnished with the five strands of sensual pleasure, and we enjoyed them; and there are still riches in my family. It is possible to enjoy riches and to perform meritorious deeds. What if I were to renounce the training and return to a lower state?" "I would stay and enjoy possessions and perform meritorious deeds!"