Skip to reading
← Aṅguttara Nikāya

Threats

AN 5.174 · Verasutta

A small wildflower thriving in a narrow crack in stone.

Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:

“Householder, unless these five fears and enmities are given up, one is said to be unethical, and is reborn in hell. What five? Killing living creatures, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor. Unless these five fears and enmities are given up, one is said to be unethical, and is reborn in hell.

Once these five fears and enmities are given up, one is said to be ethical, and is reborn in a good place. What five? Killing living creatures, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor. Once these five fears and enmities are given up, one is said to be ethical, and is reborn in a good place.

Anyone who kills living creatures brims with fear and enmity both in this life and in lives to come, and experiences mental pain and sadness. Anyone who refrains from killing living creatures does not brim with fear and enmity either in this life or in lives to come, and doesn’t experience mental pain and sadness. So that fear and enmity is quelled for anyone who refrains from killing living creatures.

Anyone who steals …

Anyone who commits sexual misconduct …

Anyone who lies …

Anyone who consumes beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants brims with fear and enmity both in this life and in lives to come, and experiences mental pain and sadness. Anyone who refrains from beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants does not brim with fear and enmity either in this life or in lives to come, and doesn’t experience mental pain and sadness. So that fear and enmity is quelled for anyone who refrains from beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants.

Someone in this world who kills living creatures, speaks falsely, steals, commits adultery, and indulges in drinking beer and wine—

unless they give up these five threats, they’re said to be unethical. When their body breaks up, that witless person is reborn in hell.

But someone in this world who doesn’t kill living creatures, speak falsely, steal, commit adultery, or indulge in drinking beer and wine—

having given up these five threats, they’re said to be ethical. When their body breaks up, that wise person is reborn in a good place.”

Connections

Collection & context

Books

About this edition

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.