The Buddha describes the five drawbacks for an unethical person because of their failure in ethics—firstly, an unethical person loses great wealth on account of negligence, this is the first drawback, furthermore, an unethical person gets a bad reputation, and this is the second drawback, and furthermore, an unethical person enters any kind of assembly timid and embarrassed, whether it’s an assembly of aristocrats, brahmins, householders, or ascetics.

AN 5.213 Ethics

“Pañcime, bhikkhave, ādīnavā dussīlassa sīlavipattiyā. Katame pañca?

Idha, bhikkhave, dussīlo sīlavipanno pamādādhikaraṇaṁ mahatiṁ bhogajāniṁ nigacchati. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo ādīnavo dussīlassa sīlavipattiyā.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, dussīlassa sīlavipannassa pāpako kittisaddo abbhuggacchati. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo ādīnavo dussīlassa sīlavipattiyā.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, dussīlo sīlavipanno yaññadeva parisaṁ upasaṅkamatiyadi khattiyaparisaṁ, yadi brāhmaṇaparisaṁ, yadi gahapatiparisaṁ, yadi samaṇaparisaṁavisārado upasaṅkamati maṅkubhūto. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo ādīnavo dussīlassa sīlavipattiyā.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, dussīlo sīlavipanno sammūḷho kālaṁ karoti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho ādīnavo dussīlassa sīlavipattiyā.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, dussīlo sīlavipanno kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, pañcamo ādīnavo dussīlassa sīlavipattiyā. Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca ādīnavā dussīlassa sīlavipattiyā.

Pañcime, bhikkhave, ānisaṁsā sīlavato sīlasampadāya. Katame pañca? Idha, bhikkhave, sīlavā sīlasampanno appamādādhikaraṇaṁ mahantaṁ bhogakkhandhaṁ adhigacchati. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo ānisaṁso sīlavato sīlasampadāya.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sīlavato sīlasampannassa kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggacchati. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo ānisaṁso sīlavato sīlasampadāya.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sīlavā sīlasampanno yaññadeva parisaṁ upasaṅkamatiyadi khattiyaparisaṁ, yadi brāhmaṇaparisaṁ, yadi gahapatiparisaṁ, yadi samaṇaparisaṁvisārado upasaṅkamati amaṅkubhūto. Ayaṁ bhikkhave, tatiyo ānisaṁso sīlavato sīlasampadāya.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sīlavā sīlasampanno asammūḷho kālaṁ karoti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho ānisaṁso sīlavato sīlasampadāya.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sīlavā sīlasampanno kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, pañcamo ānisaṁso sīlavato sīlasampadāya.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca ānisaṁsā sīlavato sīlasampadāyā”ti.

Tatiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Pañcime, bhikkhave, ādīnavā dussīlassa sīlavipattiyā.

“Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks for an unethical person because of their failure in ethics.

Katame pañca?

What five?

Idha, bhikkhave, dussīlo sīlavipanno pamādādhikaraṇaṁ mahatiṁ bhogajāniṁ nigacchati.

Firstly, an unethical person loses great wealth on account of negligence.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo ādīnavo dussīlassa sīlavipattiyā.

This is the first drawback.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, dussīlassa sīlavipannassa pāpako kittisaddo abbhuggacchati.

Furthermore, an unethical person gets a bad reputation.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo ādīnavo dussīlassa sīlavipattiyā.

This is the second drawback.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, dussīlo sīlavipanno yaññadeva parisaṁ upasaṅkamatiyadi khattiyaparisaṁ, yadi brāhmaṇaparisaṁ, yadi gahapatiparisaṁ, yadi samaṇaparisaṁavisārado upasaṅkamati maṅkubhūto.

Furthermore, an unethical person enters any kind of assembly timid and embarrassed, whether it’s an assembly of aristocrats, brahmins, householders, or ascetics.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo ādīnavo dussīlassa sīlavipattiyā.

This is the third drawback.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, dussīlo sīlavipanno sammūḷho kālaṁ karoti.

Furthermore, an unethical person feels lost when they die.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho ādīnavo dussīlassa sīlavipattiyā.

This is the fourth drawback.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, dussīlo sīlavipanno kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati.

Furthermore, an unethical person, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, pañcamo ādīnavo dussīlassa sīlavipattiyā.

This is the fifth drawback.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca ādīnavā dussīlassa sīlavipattiyā.

These are the five drawbacks for an unethical person because of their failure in ethics.

Pañcime, bhikkhave, ānisaṁsā sīlavato sīlasampadāya.

There are these five benefits for an ethical person because of their accomplishment in ethics.

Katame pañca?

What five?

Idha, bhikkhave, sīlavā sīlasampanno appamādādhikaraṇaṁ mahantaṁ bhogakkhandhaṁ adhigacchati.

Firstly, an ethical person gains great wealth on account of diligence.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo ānisaṁso sīlavato sīlasampadāya.

This is the first benefit.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sīlavato sīlasampannassa kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggacchati.

Furthermore, an ethical person gets a good reputation.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo ānisaṁso sīlavato sīlasampadāya.

This is the second benefit.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sīlavā sīlasampanno yaññadeva parisaṁ upasaṅkamatiyadi khattiyaparisaṁ, yadi brāhmaṇaparisaṁ, yadi gahapatiparisaṁ, yadi samaṇaparisaṁvisārado upasaṅkamati amaṅkubhūto.

Furthermore, an ethical person enters any kind of assembly bold and self-assured, whether it’s an assembly of aristocrats, brahmins, householders, or ascetics.

Ayaṁ bhikkhave, tatiyo ānisaṁso sīlavato sīlasampadāya.

This is the third benefit.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sīlavā sīlasampanno asammūḷho kālaṁ karoti.

Furthermore, an ethical person dies not feeling lost.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho ānisaṁso sīlavato sīlasampadāya.

This is the fourth benefit.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sīlavā sīlasampanno kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati.

Furthermore, when an ethical person’s body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, pañcamo ānisaṁso sīlavato sīlasampadāya.

This is the fifth benefit.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca ānisaṁsā sīlavato sīlasampadāyā”ti.

These are the five benefits for an ethical person because of their accomplishment in ethics.”

Tatiyaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Adventurousness

Adventurousness

A restless, thrill-seeking bent of mind that delights in novelty and roaming rather than in restraint. When untrained, it pulls one outward to stimulation and risk, making it hard to settle, listen, or practice steadily.

Also known as: audacious, bold, wild, unrestrained, untamed, with wanderlust
Pāli: adanta
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Diligence

Diligence

The protective quality of guarding the mind amidst sensory experience. By restraining the faculties, the mind remains unsoiled by attraction.

Also known as: alertness, carefulness, heedfulness, conscientiousness, vigilance
Pāli: appamāda, uṭṭhāna
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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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Harm

Harm

Intention or action that causes injury or suffering to oneself or others. It arises from aversion and heedlessness and destroys trust and safety. The opposite of non-harm, it obscures compassion and leads to regret.

Also known as: injury causing behavior, destructiveness, bad, evil
Pāli: pāpaka
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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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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