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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

5: The Book of the Fives

XXV. Bad Conduct — AN 5.249: A Charnel Ground

1“Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks to a charnel ground. What five?

It’s filthy, stinking, frightening, a gathering place for savage monsters, and a weeping place for many people. These are the five drawbacks of a charnel ground.


2In the same way there are five drawbacks of a person like a charnel ground. What five?

To start with, some person has filthy conduct by way of body, speech, and mind. This is how they’re filthy, I say. That person is just as filthy as a charnel ground.

3Because of their filthy conduct, they get a bad reputation. This is how they’re stinky, I say. That person is just as stinky as a charnel ground.

4Because of their filthy conduct, good-hearted spiritual companions avoid them from afar. That’s how they’re frightening, I say. That person is just as frightening as a charnel ground.

5Because of their filthy conduct, they live together with people of a similar character. This is how they gather with savage monsters, I say. That person is just as much a gathering place of savage monsters as a charnel ground.

6Because of their filthy conduct, when good-hearted spiritual companions see them they complain: ‘Oh, it’s so painful for us to have to live together with such as these.’ This is how there’s weeping, I say. This person is just as much a weeping place for many people as a charnel ground.

These are the five drawbacks of a person like a charnel ground.”

1"Pañcime, bhikkhave, ādīnavā sivathikāya. Katame pañca?

Asuci, duggandhā, sappaṭibhayā, vāḷānaṁ amanussānaṁ āvāso, bahuno janassa ārodanā – ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca ādīnavā sivathikāya.


2Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcime ādīnavā sivathikūpame puggale. Katame pañca?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo asucinā kāyakammena samannāgato hoti; asucinā vacīkammena samannāgato hoti; asucinā manokammena samannāgato hoti. Idamassa asucitāya vadāmi. Seyyathāpi sā, bhikkhave, sivathikā asuci; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

3Tassa asucinā kāyakammena samannāgatassa, asucinā vacīkammena samannāgatassa, asucinā manokammena samannāgatassa pāpako kittisaddo abbhuggacchati. Idamassa duggandhatāya vadāmi. Seyyathāpi sā, bhikkhave, sivathikā duggandhā; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

4Tamenaṁ asucinā kāyakammena samannāgataṁ, asucinā vacīkammena samannāgataṁ, asucinā manokammena samannāgataṁ pesalā sabrahmacārī ārakā parivajjanti. Idamassa sappaṭibhayasmiṁ vadāmi. Seyyathāpi sā, bhikkhave, sivathikā sappaṭibhayā; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

5So asucinā kāyakammena samannāgato, asucinā vacīkammena samannāgato, asucinā manokammena samannāgato sabhāgehi puggalehi saddhiṁ saṁvasati. Idamassa vāḷāvāsasmiṁ vadāmi. Seyyathāpi sā, bhikkhave, sivathikā vāḷānaṁ amanussānaṁ āvāso; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

6Tamenaṁ asucinā kāyakammena samannāgataṁ, asucinā vacīkammena samannāgataṁ, asucinā manokammena samannāgataṁ pesalā sabrahmacārī disvā khīyadhammaṁ āpajjanti:  ‘aho vata no dukkhaṁ ye mayaṁ evarūpehi puggalehi saddhiṁ saṁvasāmā’ti. Idamassa ārodanāya vadāmi. Seyyathāpi sā, bhikkhave, sivathikā bahuno janassa ārodanā; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca ādīnavā sivathikūpame puggale"ti.

Navamaṁ.