The Buddha describes the five fears and enmities—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, and what five?, and killing living creatures, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor.

AN 5.174 Threats

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

“Pañca, gahapati, bhayāni verāni appahāya ‘dussīlo’ iti vuccati, nirayañca upapajjati. Katamāni pañca? Pāṇātipātaṁ, adinnādānaṁ, kāmesumicchācāraṁ, musāvādaṁ, surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānaṁ imāni kho, gahapati, pañca bhayāni verāni appahāya ‘dussīlo’ iti vuccati, nirayañca upapajjati.

Pañca, gahapati, bhayāni verāni pahāya ‘sīlavā’ iti vuccati, sugatiñca upapajjati. Katamāni pañca? Pāṇātipātaṁ, adinnādānaṁ, kāmesumicchācāraṁ, musāvādaṁ, surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānaṁ imāni kho, gahapati, pañca bhayāni verāni pahāya ‘sīlavā’ iti vuccati, sugatiñca upapajjati.

Yaṁ, gahapati, pāṇātipātī pāṇātipātapaccayā diṭṭhadhammikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, samparāyikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti, pāṇātipātā paṭivirato neva diṭṭhadhammikaṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, na samparāyikaṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, na cetasikaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Pāṇātipātā paṭiviratassa evaṁ taṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ vūpasantaṁ hoti.

Yaṁ, gahapati, adinnādāyī …pe….

Yaṁ, gahapati, kāmesumicchācārī …pe….

Yaṁ, gahapati, musāvādī …pe….

Yaṁ, gahapati, surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhāyī surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānapaccayā diṭṭhadhammikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, samparāyikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti, surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭivirato neva diṭṭhadhammikaṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, na samparāyikaṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, na cetasikaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭiviratassa evaṁ taṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ vūpasantaṁ hotīti.

Yo pāṇamatipāteti,
musāvādañca bhāsati;
Loke adinnaṁ ādiyati,
paradārañca gacchati;
Surāmerayapānañca,
yo naro anuyuñjati.

Appahāya pañca verāni,
dussīlo iti vuccati;
Kāyassa bhedā duppañño,
nirayaṁ sopapajjati.

Yo pāṇaṁ nātipāteti,
musāvādaṁ na bhāsati;
Loke adinnaṁ nādiyati,
paradāraṁ na gacchati;
Surāmerayapānañca,
yo naro nānuyuñjati.

Pahāya pañca verāni,
sīlavā iti vuccati;
Kāyassa bhedā sappañño,
sugatiṁ sopapajjatī”ti.

Catutthaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

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

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

“Pañca, gahapati, bhayāni verāni appahāya ‘dussīlo’ iti vuccati, nirayañca upapajjati.

“Householder, unless these five fears and enmities are given up, one is said to be unethical, and is reborn in hell.

Katamāni pañca?

What five?

Pāṇātipātaṁ, adinnādānaṁ, kāmesumicchācāraṁ, musāvādaṁ, surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānaṁ

Killing living creatures, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor.

imāni kho, gahapati, pañca bhayāni verāni appahāya ‘dussīlo’ iti vuccati, nirayañca upapajjati.

Unless these five fears and enmities are given up, one is said to be unethical, and is reborn in hell.

Pañca, gahapati, bhayāni verāni pahāya ‘sīlavā’ iti vuccati, sugatiñca upapajjati.

Once these five fears and enmities are given up, one is said to be ethical, and is reborn in a good place.

Katamāni pañca?

What five?

Pāṇātipātaṁ, adinnādānaṁ, kāmesumicchācāraṁ, musāvādaṁ, surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānaṁ

Killing living creatures, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor.

imāni kho, gahapati, pañca bhayāni verāni pahāya ‘sīlavā’ iti vuccati, sugatiñca upapajjati.

Once these five fears and enmities are given up, one is said to be ethical, and is reborn in a good place.

Yaṁ, gahapati, pāṇātipātī pāṇātipātapaccayā diṭṭhadhammikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, samparāyikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti, pāṇātipātā paṭivirato neva diṭṭhadhammikaṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, na samparāyikaṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, na cetasikaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti.

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.

Pāṇātipātā paṭiviratassa evaṁ taṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ vūpasantaṁ hoti.

So that fear and enmity is quelled for anyone who refrains from killing living creatures.

Yaṁ, gahapati, adinnādāyī …pe….

Anyone who steals …

Yaṁ, gahapati, kāmesumicchācārī …pe….

Anyone who commits sexual misconduct …

Yaṁ, gahapati, musāvādī …pe….

Anyone who lies …

Yaṁ, gahapati, surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhāyī surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānapaccayā diṭṭhadhammikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, samparāyikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti, surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭivirato neva diṭṭhadhammikaṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, na samparāyikaṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, na cetasikaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti.

Anyone who consumes intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor creates dangers and threats both in this life and in lives to come, and experiences mental pain and sadness. Anyone who refrains from intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor creates no dangers and threats either in this life or in lives to come, and doesn’t experience mental pain and sadness.

Surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭiviratassa evaṁ taṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ vūpasantaṁ hotīti.

So that danger and threat is quelled for anyone who refrains from intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor.

Yo pāṇamatipāteti,

Take anyone in this world

musāvādañca bhāsati;

who kills living creatures,

Loke adinnaṁ ādiyati,

speaks falsely, steals,

paradārañca gacchati;

commits adultery,

Surāmerayapānañca,

and indulges in drinking

yo naro anuyuñjati.

beer and wine.

Appahāya pañca verāni,

Unless they give up these five threats,

dussīlo iti vuccati;

they’re said to be unethical.

Kāyassa bhedā duppañño,

When their body breaks up, that witless person

nirayaṁ sopapajjati.

is reborn in hell.

Yo pāṇaṁ nātipāteti,

A person in the world doesn’t kill living creatures,

musāvādaṁ na bhāsati;

speak falsely,

Loke adinnaṁ nādiyati,

steal,

paradāraṁ na gacchati;

commit adultery,

Surāmerayapānañca,

or indulge in drinking

yo naro nānuyuñjati.

beer and wine.

Pahāya pañca verāni,

Giving up these five threats,

sīlavā iti vuccati;

they’re said to be ethical.

Kāyassa bhedā sappañño,

When their body breaks up, that wise person

sugatiṁ sopapajjatī”ti.

is reborn in a good place.”

Catutthaṁ.

Qualities:

Displeasure

Displeasure

A feeling of mental pain or a disagreeable feeling or unease born of mental contact.

Also known as: mental pain, mental distress, melancholy, sadness
Pāli: domanassa
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Fear

Fear

A constricting mental state that arises when the mind perceives threat or danger. It agitates and destabilizes, driving the mind toward avoidance, paralysis, or desperate action.

Also known as: feeling afraid, timid, dread, fright, horror, panic, terror
Pāli: bhaya, dara
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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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Suffering

Suffering

Unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence.

Also known as: discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentedness, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, distress, affliction
Pāli: dukkha
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Wholesome

Wholesome

Conducive to or suggestive of good health and mental well-being.

Also known as: blameless, skillful, beneficial, good, useful, healthy, nourishing, sustaining
Pāli: kusala
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Last updated on July 27, 2026