The Buddha teaches on corruptions, presenting a fourfold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 4.50 Corruptions

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, candimasūriyānaṁ upakkilesā, yehi upakkilesehi upakkiliṭṭhā candimasūriyā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti. Katame cattāro? Abbhā, bhikkhave, candimasūriyānaṁ upakkilesā, yena upakkilesena upakkiliṭṭhā candimasūriyā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti. Mahikā, bhikkhave, candimasūriyānaṁ upakkilesā, yena upakkilesena upakkiliṭṭhā candimasūriyā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti. Dhūmo rajo, bhikkhave, candimasūriyānaṁ upakkileso, yena upakkilesena upakkiliṭṭhā candimasūriyā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti. Rāhu, bhikkhave, asurindo candimasūriyānaṁ upakkileso, yena upakkilesena upakkiliṭṭhā candimasūriyā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti. Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro candimasūriyānaṁ upakkilesā, yehi upakkilesehi upakkiliṭṭhā candimasūriyā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattārome samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ upakkilesā, yehi upakkilesehi upakkiliṭṭhā eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti. Katame cattāro?

Santi, bhikkhave, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā suraṁ pivanti merayaṁ, surāmerayapānā appaṭiviratā. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ upakkileso, yena upakkilesena upakkiliṭṭhā eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti.

Santi, bhikkhave, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā methunaṁ dhammaṁ paṭisevanti, methunasmā dhammā appaṭiviratā. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ upakkileso, yena upakkilesena upakkiliṭṭhā eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti.

Santi, bhikkhave, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā jātarūparajataṁ sādiyanti, jātarūparajatapaṭiggahaṇā appaṭiviratā. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ upakkileso, yena upakkilesena upakkiliṭṭhā eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti.

Santi, bhikkhave, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā micchājīvena jīvanti, micchājīvā appaṭiviratā. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ upakkileso, yena upakkilesena upakkiliṭṭhā eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ upakkilesā, yehi upakkilesehi upakkiliṭṭhā eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocantīti.

Rāgadosaparikkiṭṭhā,
eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā;
Avijjānivutā posā,
piyarūpābhinandino.

Suraṁ pivanti merayaṁ,
paṭisevanti methunaṁ;
Rajataṁ jātarūpañca,
sādiyanti aviddasū;
Micchājīvena jīvanti,
eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā.

Ete upakkilesā vuttā,
buddhenādiccabandhunā;
Yehi upakkilesehi,
eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā;
Na tapanti na bhāsanti,
asuddhā sarajā magā.

Andhakārena onaddhā,
taṇhādāsā sanettikā;
Vaḍḍhenti kaṭasiṁ ghoraṁ,
ādiyanti punabbhavan”ti.

Dasamaṁ.

Rohitassavaggo pañcamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Samādhipañhā dve kodhā,
Rohitassāpare duve;
Suvidūravisākhavipallāsā,
Upakkilesena te dasāti.

Paṭhamo paṇṇāsako samatto.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, candimasūriyānaṁ upakkilesā, yehi upakkilesehi upakkiliṭṭhā candimasūriyā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti.

“Mendicants, these four corruptions obscure the sun and moon, so they don’t shine and glow and radiate.

Katame cattāro?

What four?

Abbhā, bhikkhave, candimasūriyānaṁ upakkilesā, yena upakkilesena upakkiliṭṭhā candimasūriyā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti.

Stormclouds …

Mahikā, bhikkhave, candimasūriyānaṁ upakkilesā, yena upakkilesena upakkiliṭṭhā candimasūriyā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti.

Fog …

Dhūmo rajo, bhikkhave, candimasūriyānaṁ upakkileso, yena upakkilesena upakkiliṭṭhā candimasūriyā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti.

Smoke …

Rāhu, bhikkhave, asurindo candimasūriyānaṁ upakkileso, yena upakkilesena upakkiliṭṭhā candimasūriyā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti.

An eclipse of Rāhu, lord of titans …

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro candimasūriyānaṁ upakkilesā, yehi upakkilesehi upakkiliṭṭhā candimasūriyā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti.

These are four corruptions that obscure the sun and moon, so they don’t shine and glow and radiate.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattārome samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ upakkilesā, yehi upakkilesehi upakkiliṭṭhā eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti.

In the same way, these four things corrupt ascetics and brahmins, so they don’t shine and glow and radiate.

Katame cattāro?

What four?

Santi, bhikkhave, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā suraṁ pivanti merayaṁ, surāmerayapānā appaṭiviratā.

There are some ascetics and brahmins who drink beer and wine, not refraining from drinking beer and wine.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ upakkileso, yena upakkilesena upakkiliṭṭhā eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti.

This is the first thing that corrupts ascetics and brahmins …

Santi, bhikkhave, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā methunaṁ dhammaṁ paṭisevanti, methunasmā dhammā appaṭiviratā.

There are some ascetics and brahmins who have sex, not refraining from sex.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ upakkileso, yena upakkilesena upakkiliṭṭhā eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti.

This is the second thing that corrupts ascetics and brahmins …

Santi, bhikkhave, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā jātarūparajataṁ sādiyanti, jātarūparajatapaṭiggahaṇā appaṭiviratā.

There are some ascetics and brahmins who accept gold and currency, not refraining from receiving gold and currency.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ upakkileso, yena upakkilesena upakkiliṭṭhā eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti.

This is the third thing that corrupts ascetics and brahmins …

Santi, bhikkhave, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā micchājīvena jīvanti, micchājīvā appaṭiviratā.

There are some ascetics and brahmins who make a living the wrong way, not refraining from wrong livelihood.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ upakkileso, yena upakkilesena upakkiliṭṭhā eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocanti.

This is the fourth thing that corrupts ascetics and brahmins …

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ upakkilesā, yehi upakkilesehi upakkiliṭṭhā eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā na tapanti na bhāsanti na virocantīti.

These are four things that corrupt ascetics and brahmins, so they don’t shine and glow and radiate.

Rāgadosaparikkiṭṭhā,

Some ascetics and brahmins

eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā;

are plagued by greed and hate;

Avijjānivutā posā,

men shrouded by ignorance,

piyarūpābhinandino.

enjoying things that seem pleasant.

Suraṁ pivanti merayaṁ,

Drinking beer and wine,

paṭisevanti methunaṁ;

having sex,

Rajataṁ jātarūpañca,

accepting currency and gold:

sādiyanti aviddasū;

they’re ignorant.

Micchājīvena jīvanti,

Some ascetics and brahmins

eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā.

make a living the wrong way.

Ete upakkilesā vuttā,

These corruptions were spoken of

buddhenādiccabandhunā;

by the Buddha, Kinsman of the Sun.

Yehi upakkilesehi,

When corrupted by these,

eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā;

some ascetics and brahmins

Na tapanti na bhāsanti,

don’t shine or glow.

asuddhā sarajā magā.

Impure, dirty creatures,

Andhakārena onaddhā,

swathed in darkness,

taṇhādāsā sanettikā;

bondservants of craving, full of attachments,

Vaḍḍhenti kaṭasiṁ ghoraṁ,

swell the horrors of the charnel ground,

ādiyanti punabbhavan”ti.

taking up future lives.”

Dasamaṁ.

Rohitassavaggo pañcamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Samādhipañhā dve kodhā,

Rohitassāpare duve;

Suvidūravisākhavipallāsā,

Upakkilesena te dasāti.

Paṭhamo paṇṇāsako samatto.

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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Craving

Craving

A driving ‘thirst’ that reaches out toward experiences, identities, or outcomes as the place to find satisfaction—“if only I had that.” It spins stories of lack, binds the mind to becoming, and invariably leads to suffering.

Also known as: wanting, yearning, longing, lit. thirst
Pāli: taṇha, abhijjhā
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Delusion

Delusion

A fundamental distortion of reality that sustains confusion, clouds discernment, and fuels further doubt.

Also known as: illusion, hallucination, misapprehension, distorted view
Pāli: moha, micchāñāṇa
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Greed

Greed

A grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment

Also known as: acquisitiveness, avarice, covetousness, rapacity, money grabbing, grabbiness
Pāli: lobha, gedha
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Ignorance

Ignorance

A fundamental blindness to the true nature of reality. It is not merely a lack of information, but an active misperception that views the transient as permanent and the unsatisfactory as a source of happiness, thereby fueling the cycle of suffering.

Also known as: illusion of knowing, fundamental unawareness of the true nature of reality, misunderstanding of how things have come to be, not knowing the four noble truths
Pāli: avijjā
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Wrong livelihood

Wrong livelihood

Sustaining oneself through deceit, exploitation, or manipulation for gain. It includes cheating, flattery, hinting for favors, belittling others, and pursuing gain by means of gain.

Also known as: unwholesome livelihood, wrong way of earning a living
Pāli: micchāājīva
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Last updated on July 27, 2026