AN · an3.62
Fear
0.1Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.62
The Numerical Discourses 3.62
0.27. Mahāvagga
7. The Great Chapter
0.3Bhayasutta
Fear
1.1“Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, amātāputtikāni bhayānīti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.
"These three are fears that separate mother from son, bhikkhus — so says the uninstructed ordinary person.
1.2Katamāni tīṇi?
Which three?
1.3Hoti so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṁ mahāaggiḍāho vuṭṭhāti.
There comes a time, bhikkhus, when a great conflagration arises.
1.4Mahāaggiḍāhe kho pana, bhikkhave, vuṭṭhite tena gāmāpi ḍayhanti nigamāpi ḍayhanti nagarāpi ḍayhanti.
When a great conflagration has arisen, bhikkhus, villages are burned by it, towns are burned, cities are burned.
1.5Gāmesupi ḍayhamānesu nigamesupi ḍayhamānesu nagaresupi ḍayhamānesu tattha mātāpi puttaṁ nappaṭilabhati, puttopi mātaraṁ nappaṭilabhati.
When villages are burning, towns are burning, cities are burning, there a mother cannot find her son, nor a son his mother.
1.6Idaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamaṁ amātāputtikaṁ bhayanti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.
This, bhikkhus, the uninstructed ordinary person calls the first fear that separates mother from son.
2.1Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, hoti so samayo yaṁ mahāmegho vuṭṭhāti.
Again, bhikkhus, there comes a time when a great storm cloud arises.
2.2Mahāmeghe kho pana, bhikkhave, vuṭṭhite mahāudakavāhako sañjāyati.
When a great storm cloud has arisen, bhikkhus, a great floodwater comes forth.
2.3Mahāudakavāhake kho pana, bhikkhave, sañjāyante tena gāmāpi vuyhanti nigamāpi vuyhanti nagarāpi vuyhanti.
When a great floodwater has come forth, bhikkhus, villages are swept away by it, towns are swept away, cities are swept away.
2.4Gāmesupi vuyhamānesu nigamesupi vuyhamānesu nagaresupi vuyhamānesu tattha mātāpi puttaṁ nappaṭilabhati, puttopi mātaraṁ nappaṭilabhati.
When villages are being swept away, towns are being swept away, cities are being swept away, there a mother cannot find her son, nor a son his mother.
2.5Idaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyaṁ amātāputtikaṁ bhayanti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.
This, bhikkhus, the uninstructed ordinary person calls the second fear that separates mother from son.
3.1Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, hoti so samayo yaṁ bhayaṁ hoti aṭavisaṅkopo, cakkasamāruḷhā jānapadā pariyāyanti.
Again, bhikkhus, there comes a time when there is danger, forest upheaval, and the people of the countryside mount their wagons and flee.
3.2Bhaye kho pana, bhikkhave, sati aṭavisaṅkope cakkasamāruḷhesu jānapadesu pariyāyantesu tattha mātāpi puttaṁ nappaṭilabhati, puttopi mātaraṁ nappaṭilabhati.
When there is danger, bhikkhus, forest upheaval, and the people of the countryside have mounted their wagons and are fleeing, there a mother cannot find her son, nor a son his mother.
3.3Idaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyaṁ amātāputtikaṁ bhayanti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.
This, bhikkhus, the uninstructed ordinary person calls the third fear that separates mother from son.
3.4Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi amātāputtikāni bhayānīti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.
These, bhikkhus, are the three fears that separate mother from son — so says the uninstructed ordinary person.
4.1Tāni kho panimāni, bhikkhave, tīṇi samātāputtikāniyeva bhayāni amātāputtikāni bhayānīti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.
But these three, bhikkhus — these very three fears that do not separate mother from son — the uninstructed ordinary person calls fears that separate mother from son.
4.2Katamāni tīṇi?
Which three?
4.3Hoti so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṁ mahāaggiḍāho vuṭṭhāti.
There comes a time, bhikkhus, when a great conflagration arises.
4.4Mahāaggiḍāhe kho pana, bhikkhave, vuṭṭhite tena gāmāpi ḍayhanti nigamāpi ḍayhanti nagarāpi ḍayhanti.
When a great conflagration has arisen, bhikkhus, villages are burned by it, towns are burned, cities are burned.
4.5Gāmesupi ḍayhamānesu nigamesupi ḍayhamānesu nagaresupi ḍayhamānesu hoti so samayo yaṁ kadāci karahaci mātāpi puttaṁ paṭilabhati, puttopi mātaraṁ paṭilabhati.
When villages are burning, towns are burning, cities are burning, there comes a time when occasionally a mother does find her son, and a son his mother.
4.6Idaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamaṁ samātāputtikaṁyeva bhayaṁ amātāputtikaṁ bhayanti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.
This, bhikkhus, the uninstructed ordinary person calls the first fear that separates mother from son — but it is a fear that does not separate mother from son.
5.1Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, hoti so samayo yaṁ mahāmegho vuṭṭhāti.
Again, bhikkhus, there comes a time when a great storm cloud arises.
5.2Mahāmeghe kho pana, bhikkhave, vuṭṭhite mahāudakavāhako sañjāyati.
When a great storm cloud has arisen, bhikkhus, a great floodwater comes forth.
5.3Mahāudakavāhake kho pana, bhikkhave, sañjāte tena gāmāpi vuyhanti nigamāpi vuyhanti nagarāpi vuyhanti.
When a great floodwater has come forth, bhikkhus, villages are swept away by it, towns are swept away, cities are swept away.
5.4Gāmesupi vuyhamānesu nigamesupi vuyhamānesu nagaresupi vuyhamānesu hoti so samayo yaṁ kadāci karahaci mātāpi puttaṁ paṭilabhati, puttopi mātaraṁ paṭilabhati.
When villages are being swept away, towns are being swept away, cities are being swept away, there comes a time when occasionally a mother does find her son, and a son his mother.
5.5Idaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyaṁ samātāputtikaṁyeva bhayaṁ amātāputtikaṁ bhayanti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.
This, bhikkhus, the uninstructed ordinary person calls the second fear that separates mother from son — but it is a fear that does not separate mother from son.
6.1Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, hoti so samayo yaṁ bhayaṁ hoti aṭavisaṅkopo, cakkasamāruḷhā jānapadā pariyāyanti.
Again, bhikkhus, there comes a time when there is danger, forest upheaval, and the people of the countryside mount their wagons and flee.
6.2Bhaye kho pana, bhikkhave, sati aṭavisaṅkope cakkasamāruḷhesu jānapadesu pariyāyantesu hoti so samayo yaṁ kadāci karahaci mātāpi puttaṁ paṭilabhati, puttopi mātaraṁ paṭilabhati.
When there is danger, bhikkhus, forest upheaval, and the people of the countryside have mounted their wagons and are fleeing, there comes a time when occasionally a mother does find her son, and a son his mother.
6.3Idaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyaṁ samātāputtikaṁyeva bhayaṁ amātāputtikaṁ bhayanti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.
This, bhikkhus, the uninstructed ordinary person calls the third fear that separates mother from son — but it is a fear that does not separate mother from son.
6.4Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi samātāputtikāniyeva bhayāni amātāputtikāni bhayānīti assutavā puthujjano bhāsati.
These, bhikkhus, are the three fears that do not separate mother from son — which the uninstructed ordinary person calls fears that separate mother from son.
7.1Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, amātāputtikāni bhayāni.
These, bhikkhus, are the three fears that truly separate mother from son.
7.2Katamāni tīṇi?
Which three?
7.3Jarābhayaṁ, byādhibhayaṁ, maraṇabhayanti.
The fear of aging, the fear of illness, and the fear of death.
7.4Na, bhikkhave, mātā puttaṁ jīramānaṁ evaṁ labhati:
A mother, bhikkhus, cannot obtain this for her aging son:
7.5‘ahaṁ jīrāmi, mā me putto jīrī’ti;
'May I age instead; may my son not age.'
7.6putto vā pana mātaraṁ jīramānaṁ na evaṁ labhati:
Nor can a son obtain this for his aging mother:
7.7‘ahaṁ jīrāmi, mā me mātā jīrī’ti.
'May I age instead; may my mother not age.'
8.1Na, bhikkhave, mātā puttaṁ byādhiyamānaṁ evaṁ labhati:
A mother, bhikkhus, cannot obtain this for her ailing son:
8.2‘ahaṁ byādhiyāmi, mā me putto byādhiyī’ti;
'May I fall ill instead; may my son not fall ill.'
8.3putto vā pana mātaraṁ byādhiyamānaṁ na evaṁ labhati:
Nor can a son obtain this for his ailing mother:
8.4‘ahaṁ byādhiyāmi, mā me mātā byādhiyī’ti.
'May I fall ill instead; may my mother not fall ill.'
9.1Na, bhikkhave, mātā puttaṁ mīyamānaṁ evaṁ labhati:
A mother, bhikkhus, cannot obtain this for her dying son:
9.2‘ahaṁ mīyāmi, mā me putto mīyī’ti;
'May I die instead; may my son not die.'
9.3putto vā pana mātaraṁ mīyamānaṁ na evaṁ labhati:
Nor can a son obtain this for his dying mother:
9.4‘ahaṁ mīyāmi, mā me mātā mīyī’ti.
'May I die instead; may my mother not die.'
9.5Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi amātāputtikāni bhayānīti.
These, bhikkhus, are the three fears that truly separate mother from son.
10.1Atthi, bhikkhave, maggo atthi paṭipadā imesañca tiṇṇaṁ samātāputtikānaṁ bhayānaṁ imesañca tiṇṇaṁ amātāputtikānaṁ bhayānaṁ pahānāya samatikkamāya saṁvattati.
There is, bhikkhus, a path, a way, that leads to the abandoning and transcending of these three fears that do not separate mother from son and these three fears that truly separate mother from son.
10.2Katamo ca, bhikkhave, maggo katamā ca paṭipadā imesañca tiṇṇaṁ samātāputtikānaṁ bhayānaṁ imesañca tiṇṇaṁ amātāputtikānaṁ bhayānaṁ pahānāya samatikkamāya saṁvattati?
And what, bhikkhus, is the path, what is the way that leads to the abandoning and transcending of these three fears that do not separate mother from son and these three fears that truly separate mother from son?
10.3Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, seyyathidaṁ—
It is this very noble eightfold path, namely—
10.4sammādiṭṭhi, sammāsaṅkappo, sammāvācā, sammākammanto, sammāājīvo, sammāvāyāmo, sammāsati, sammāsamādhi.
right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right sati, right samādhi.
10.5Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, maggo ayaṁ paṭipadā imesañca tiṇṇaṁ samātāputtikānaṁ bhayānaṁ imesañca tiṇṇaṁ amātāputtikānaṁ bhayānaṁ pahānāya samatikkamāya saṁvattatī”ti.
This, bhikkhus, is the path, this is the way that leads to the abandoning and transcending of these three fears that do not separate mother from son and these three fears that truly separate mother from son."
10.6Dutiyaṁ.
The second.