The Buddha explains how one can independently verify stream-entry. By subsiding the five perilous animosities through ethical restraint, establishing perfect clarity in the Triple Gem, and penetrating dependent co-arising, a disciple of the Noble Ones is assuredly bound for full awakening.

AN 10.92  Bhaya sutta - Peril

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho anāthapiṇḍikaṁ gahapatiṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. When Anāthapiṇḍika was seated to one side, the Blessed One addressed him thus:

“Yato, kho, gahapati, ariyasāvakassa pañca bhayāni verāni vūpasantāni honti, catūhi ca sotāpattiyaṅgehi samannāgato hoti, ariyo cassa ñāyo paññāya sudiṭṭho hoti suppaṭividdho, so ākaṅkhamāno attanāva attānaṁ byākareyya: ‘khīṇanirayomhi khīṇatiracchānayoni khīṇapettivisayo khīṇāpāyaduggativinipāto. Sotāpannohamasmi avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’ti.

“Householder, when the five |perilous animosities::volitions, intentions, choices or decisions arising from fear and enmity [verabhaya]| have subsided for a disciple of the Noble Ones, they are endowed with the four factors of stream-entry, and they have clearly seen and thoroughly penetrated with wisdom the |noble principle::noble law [ariya + ñāya]|, they may, if they wish, declare of themselves: ‘I am one finished with rebirth in hell, finished with animal rebirth, finished with the ghost realm, done with states of misery, bad destinations and states of suffering. I am a stream-enterer, not liable to states of suffering, fixed in destiny, |with full awakening as my destination::culminating in enlightenment [sambodhiparāyaṇa]|.’

Katamāni pañca bhayāni verāni vūpasantāni honti? Yaṁ, gahapati, pāṇātipātī pāṇātipātapaccayā diṭṭhadhammikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati samparāyikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti, pāṇātipātā paṭivirato neva diṭṭhadhammikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati na samparāyikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati na cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Pāṇātipātā paṭiviratassa evaṁ taṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ vūpasantaṁ hoti.

What are the five perilous animosities that have subsided? 1.) Householder, one who kills living beings, dependent on killing living beings, generates peril and animosity |concerning this life::regarding the world, relevant to here and now [diṭṭhadhammika]|, peril and animosity concerning the next life, and they personally experience |suffering::discomfort, unease, unpleasantness, something unsatisfactory, stress [dukkha]| and |displeasure::a negative state of mind; disagreeable feeling or unease born of mental contact, mental pain [domanassa]|. But one who abstains from killing living beings does not generate peril and animosity concerning this life, nor peril and animosity concerning the next life, nor do they personally experience suffering and displeasure. For one who has abstained from killing living beings, that peril and animosity has thus subsided.

Yaṁ, gahapati, adinnādāyī …pe… kāmesumicchācārīmusāvādīsurāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhāyī surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānapaccayā diṭṭhadhammikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati samparāyikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti, surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭivirato neva diṭṭhadhammikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati na samparāyikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati na cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭiviratassa evaṁ taṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ vūpasantaṁ hoti. Imāni pañca bhayāni verāni vūpasantāni honti.

2.) Householder, |one who takes what is not given::who steals, who takes what is not offered [adinnādāyī]| ... 3.) |one who engages in sexual misconduct::one who engages in adultery or behaves wrongly [kāmesumicchācārī]| ... 4.) |one who speaks falsely::who lies [musāvādī]| ... 5.) one who indulges in spirits, alcoholic beverages, and drugs that are a basis for a |state of negligence::state of intoxication, carelessness [pamādaṭṭhāna]|, dependent on the state of negligence, generates peril and animosity concerning this life, peril and animosity concerning the next life, and they personally experience suffering and displeasure. But one who abstains from indulging in spirits, alcoholic beverages, and drugs that are a basis for a state of negligence does not generate peril and animosity concerning this life, nor peril and animosity concerning the next life, nor do they personally experience suffering and displeasure. For one who has abstained from dwelling in negligence, that peril and animosity has thus subsided. These are the five perilous animosities that have subsided.

Katamehi catūhi sotāpattiyaṅgehi samannāgato hoti? Idha, gahapati, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti: ‘itipi so bhagavā …pe… buddho bhagavā’ti; dhamme aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti: ‘svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī’ti; saṅghe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti: ‘suppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, ujuppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, ñāyappaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, sāmīcippaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, yadidaṁ cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha purisapuggalā, esa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho āhuneyyo pāhuneyyo dakkhiṇeyyo añjalikaraṇīyo anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassā’ti; ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti ‘akhaṇḍehi acchiddehi asabalehi akammāsehi bhujissehi viññuppasatthehi aparāmaṭṭhehi samādhisaṁvattanikehi’. Imehi catūhi sotāpattiyaṅgehi samannāgato hoti.

What are the four factors of stream-entry that one is endowed with? Here, householder, a disciple of the Noble Ones is endowed with |perfect clarity::unshakable confidence that arises through direct experience, by personally seeing the benefits in one’s own practice [aveccappasāda]| in the Buddha thus: ‘The Blessed One is ... the Buddha, the Blessed One’; they are endowed with perfect clarity in the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]| thus: ‘The Dhamma is well proclaimed by the Blessed One, directly visible, immediate, inviting verification, |onward leading::applicable, relevant, practical [opaneyyika]|, to be personally experienced by the wise’; they are endowed with perfect clarity in the |Saṅgha::The community of monks and nuns practicing in line with the Buddha’s teachings. In the broader sense, this is the community of disciples who have realized the noble path and fruition through the Buddha’s teachings [saṅgha]| thus: ‘The community of the Blessed One’s disciples is practicing the good way, practicing the upright way, practicing the true way, practicing the proper way; that is, the four pairs of persons, the eight types of individuals—this community of the Blessed One’s disciples is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, the unsurpassed field of merit for the world’; they are endowed with virtues that are dear to the Noble Ones—unbroken, untorn, not spotty, unblemished, freeing, praised by the wise, irreproachable, |leading to collectedness::leading to samadhi, conducive to mental composure [samādhisaṃvattanika]|. They are endowed with these four factors of stream-entry.

Katamo cassa ariyo ñāyo paññāya sudiṭṭho hoti suppaṭividdho? Idha, gahapati, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘iti imasmiṁ sati idaṁ hoti; imassuppādā idaṁ uppajjati; imasmiṁ asati idaṁ na hoti; imassa nirodhā idaṁ nirujjhati, yadidaṁ avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā, saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇapaccayā nāmarūpaṁ, nāmarūpapaccayā saḷāyatanaṁ, saḷāyatanapaccayā phasso, phassapaccayā vedanā, vedanāpaccayā taṇhā, taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ, upādānapaccayā bhavo, bhavapaccayā jāti, jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhavanti, evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti; avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho …pe… evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī’ti. Ayañcassa ariyo ñāyo paññāya sudiṭṭho hoti suppaṭividdho.

And what is the noble principle that has been clearly seen and thoroughly penetrated with wisdom? Here, householder, a disciple of the Noble Ones reflects thus: ‘When this exists, that comes to be; from the arising of this, that arises; when this does not exist, that does not come to be; with the ending of this, that ceases, that is—|dependent on::contingent on, supported by, grounded on [paṭicca]| |ignorance::fundamental unawareness or misunderstanding of the true nature of reality, not experientially understanding the four noble truths [avijjā]|, |intentional constructs::the constructive activity that shapes each moment of experience, expressed as bodily, verbal, and mental formations; the accumulated conditioning — patterns, tendencies, and habits — produced by prior action [saṅkhārā]| [arise]; dependent on intentional constructs, |consciousness::quality of awareness — distinctive knowing that arises in dependence on the meeting of eye and form, ear and sound, nose and odor, tongue and taste, body and tangible object, mind and mind object [viññāṇa]| arises; dependent on consciousness, |name and form::mentality and materiality—the integrated structure of mental capacities (intention, attention, contact, feeling, perception) and physical form that together constitute and sustain an individual being [nāmarūpa]| arise; dependent on name and form, the |six sense bases::The six internal sense bases—eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind—are the faculties that enable sensory contact and experience. They are not the physical organs themselves, but the functional conditions that enable consciousness to meet an object [saḷāyatana]| arise; dependent on the six sense bases, |contact::sense impingement, raw experience, touch [phassa]| arises; dependent on contact, |felt experience::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, feeling, second of the five aggregates [vedanā]| arises; dependent on felt experience, |craving::wanting, yearning, longing, attachment, lit. thirst [taṇha]| arises; dependent on craving, |clinging::grasping, acquiring, appropriating, taking possession, identifying; fuel for fire; lit. taking near [upādāna]| arises; dependent on clinging, |existence::being, becoming; continued conditional existence, the karmically conditioned mode of being that leads to future rebirth [bhava]| arises; dependent on existence, |birth::rebirth, conception, coming into existence [jāti]| arises; dependent on birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair arise. Thus is the arising of this whole mass of suffering. With the |complete fading away and ending::remainderless dispassion and cessation [asesavirāganirodha]| of ignorance comes the ending of intentional constructs ... Thus is the ending of this whole mass of suffering.’ This is the noble principle that has been clearly seen and thoroughly penetrated with wisdom.

Yato kho, gahapati, ariyasāvakassa imāni pañca bhayāni verāni vūpasantāni honti, imehi ca catūhi sotāpattiyaṅgehi samannāgato hoti, ayañcassa ariyo ñāyo paññāya sudiṭṭho hoti suppaṭividdho, so ākaṅkhamāno attanāva attānaṁ byākareyya: ‘khīṇanirayomhi khīṇatiracchānayoni khīṇapettivisayo khīṇāpāyaduggativinipāto; sotāpannohamasmi avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’”ti.

Householder, when the five perilous animosities have subsided for a disciple of the Noble Ones, they are endowed with these four factors of stream-entry, and they have clearly seen and thoroughly penetrated with wisdom the noble principle, they may, if they wish, declare of themselves: ‘I am one finished with rebirth in hell, finished with animal rebirth, finished with the ghost realm, done with states of misery, bad destinations and states of suffering; I am a stream-enterer, not liable to states of suffering, fixed in destiny, with full awakening as my destination.’”

Topics & Qualities:

Aversion

Aversion

A rejecting mental quality rooted in perception, where one instinctively turns away from or resists unpleasant experiences or objects; it manifests as a tendency to push away discomfort, obstructing patience and acceptance.

Also known as: animosity, hate, hostility, fault-finding mindset, upset
Pāli: dosa, paṭighasaññā, vera
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Consuming intoxicants

Consuming intoxicants

The use of substances that cloud the mind and impair clear awareness, leading to a loss of self-control and moral recklessness. Such consumption undermines mindfulness and ethical conduct, paving the way for further unwholesome actions.

Also known as: drinking liquor and wine, drinking alcohol, taking intoxicating substances
Pāli: surāmerayapāna
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Dependent Co-Arising

Dependent Co-Arising

Dependent Co-Arising is the principle that when this exists, that comes to be; with the arising of this, that arises; when this does not exist, that does not come to be; with the cessation of this, that ceases. In the discourses it names both the general pattern of conditionality and, often, the twelve-link unfolding of suffering.

Also known as: dependent origination, dependent arising, conditionality, conditioned arising
Pāli: paṭiccasamuppāda, idappaccayatā
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Ethical conduct

Ethical conduct

A disciplined way of living grounded in harmlessness and integrity. Ethical conduct restrains the body and speech from harm, purifies behavior, and forms the foundation for collectedness and wisdom.

Also known as: moral integrity, right action, virtue
Pāli: sīla, sammākammanta
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Faith

Faith

Confidence in the Buddha's awakening and the efficacy of the path. It brightens and steadies the mind, removing doubt and inspiring energy toward wholesome practice. True faith rests on clarity and direct experience rather than mere belief.

Also known as: confidence, trust, belief, conviction, self-assurance
Pāli: saddha, pasanna
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Negligence

Negligence

Dwelling with unrestrained faculties, soiled by sensory attraction. Negligence is the failure to guard the mind and to arouse heedfulness, blocking the arising of wholesome states.

Also known as: carelessness, heedlessness, inattentiveness
Pāli: pamāda
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Sexual misconduct

Sexual misconduct

Transgression of boundaries in intimate relations—acting on desire in ways that betray trust, cause harm, or violate the commitments of oneself or others.

Also known as: crossing boundaries, infidelity, inappropriate sexual behavior, unfaithfulness to one's partner
Pāli: kāmesumicchācāra
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Slaughtering

Slaughtering

The deliberate killing of a living being, carried out with the intention of ending its life while disregarding its natural drive to continue living.

Also known as: killing, murdering, taking life
Pāli: pāṇātipāta
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Stealing

Stealing

Also known as: theft, taking what is not given, taking what is not offerred, dishonesty regarding possessions
Pāli: adinnādānā
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Stream Entry

Stream Entry

The first stage of awakening, where one overcomes the fetters of 1.) personal existence view: view of being someone, that one is an embodied being, 2.) doubt or perplexity regarding suffering, its arising, its ending, and the way of practice leading to the end of suffering, and 3.) adherence to rules and observances as a means of liberation. One who has entered the stream is no longer bound for the lower realms, is fixed in destiny, and is bound for full awakening. The four factors of stream-entry are: 1.) association with persons of integrity, 2.) hearing the true teaching, 3.) wise attention, and 4.) practice in accordance with the Dhamma.

Also known as: entering the stream, fruition of stream-entry
Pāli: sotāpatti, sotāpanna
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Wise attention

Wise attention

Paying attention to the point of contact where experience originates. It discerns the specific cause of the present moment, preventing the mind from drifting into proliferation.

Also known as: proper attention, prudent use of the mind, attention to the source
Pāli: yonisomanasikāra
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Wrong speech

Wrong speech

Speech that deceives, divides, wounds, or wastes. It includes lying, slander, harshness, and idle chatter. Such speech distorts truth, breaks trust, and stirs the mind toward harm and discord.

Also known as: false speech, lying, divisive, slanderous or defamatory or malicious speech, abusive or rude or unkind way of speaking, meaningless talk or idle chatter or gossip
Pāli: musāvāda, pisuṇavācā, pharusāvācā, samphappalāpa
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Last updated on May 25, 2026