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← Aṅguttara Nikāya

Guarantee

AN 4.182 · Pāṭibhogasutta

Young and mature beech trees growing together on a mossy forest floor.

“There are four things that no one can guarantee—not an ascetic, a brahmin, a god, a Māra, a divinity, or anyone in the world.

What four? No one can guarantee that someone liable to old age will not grow old. No one can guarantee that someone liable to sickness will not get sick. No one can guarantee that someone liable to death will not die. No one can guarantee that the bad deeds done in past lives—corrupting, leading to future lives, hurtful, resulting in suffering and future rebirth, old age, and death—will not produce their result.

These are the four things that no one can guarantee—not an ascetic, a brahmin, a god, a Māra, a divinity, or anyone in the world.”

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Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.