The Buddha teaches on fears and enmities (2nd), presenting a ninefold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 9.28 Fears and Enmities (2nd)

“Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa pañca bhayāni verāni vūpasantāni honti, catūhi ca sotāpattiyaṅgehi samannāgato hoti, so ākaṅkhamāno attanāva attānaṁ byākareyya: ‘khīṇanirayomhi khīṇatiracchānayoni khīṇapettivisayo khīṇāpāyaduggativinipāto; sotāpannohamasmi avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’”ti.

Katamāni pañca bhayāni verāni vūpasantāni honti? Yaṁ, bhikkhave, pāṇātipātī pāṇātipātapaccayā diṭṭhadhammikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, samparāyikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti, pāṇātipātā paṭivirato …pe… evaṁ taṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ vūpasantaṁ hoti.

Yaṁ, bhikkhave, adinnādāyī …pe… surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhāyī 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.

Katamehi catūhi sotāpattiyaṅgehi samannāgato hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti: ‘itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti. Dhamme …pe… saṅgheariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti akhaṇḍehi acchiddehi asabalehi akammāsehi bhujissehi viññuppasatthehi aparāmaṭṭhehi samādhisaṁvattanikehi. Imehi catūhi sotāpattiyaṅgehi samannāgato hoti.

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

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa pañca bhayāni verāni vūpasantāni honti, catūhi ca sotāpattiyaṅgehi samannāgato hoti, so ākaṅkhamāno attanāva attānaṁ byākareyya:

“Mendicants, when a noble disciple has quelled five fears and enmities, and possesses the four factors of stream-entry, they may, if they wish, declare of themselves:

‘khīṇanirayomhi khīṇatiracchānayoni khīṇapettivisayo khīṇāpāyaduggativinipāto; sotāpannohamasmi avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’”ti.

‘I’ve finished with rebirth in hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. I’ve finished with all places of loss, bad places, the underworld. I am a stream-enterer! I’m not liable to be reborn in the underworld, and am assured, destined for awakening.’

Katamāni pañca bhayāni verāni vūpasantāni honti?

What are the five fears and enmities they have quelled?

Yaṁ, bhikkhave, pāṇātipātī pāṇātipātapaccayā diṭṭhadhammikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, samparāyikampi bhayaṁ veraṁ pasavati, cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti, pāṇātipātā paṭivirato …pe…

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.

evaṁ taṁ bhayaṁ veraṁ vūpasantaṁ hoti.

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

Yaṁ, bhikkhave, adinnādāyī …pe…

Anyone who steals … commits sexual misconduct … lies …

surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhāyī 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.

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 hoti.

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

Imāni pañca bhayāni verāni vūpasantāni honti.

These are the five fears and enmities they have quelled.

Katamehi catūhi sotāpattiyaṅgehi samannāgato hoti?

What are the four factors of stream-entry that they possess?

Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti:

When a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha …

‘itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti.

Dhamme …pe…

the teaching …

saṅghe

the Saṅgha …

ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti akhaṇḍehi acchiddehi asabalehi akammāsehi bhujissehi viññuppasatthehi aparāmaṭṭhehi samādhisaṁvattanikehi.

And a noble disciple’s ethical conduct is loved by the noble ones, unbroken, impeccable, spotless, and unmarred, liberating, praised by sensible people, not mistaken, and leading to immersion.

Imehi catūhi sotāpattiyaṅgehi samannāgato hoti.

These are the four factors of stream-entry that they possess.

Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa imāni pañca bhayāni verāni vūpasantāni honti, imehi ca catūhi sotāpattiyaṅgehi samannāgato hoti, so ākaṅkhamāno attanāva attānaṁ byākareyya:

When a noble disciple has quelled these five fears and enmities, and possesses these four factors of stream-entry, they may, if they wish, declare of themselves:

‘khīṇanirayomhi khīṇatiracchānayoni khīṇapettivisayo khīṇāpāyaduggativinipāto; sotāpannohamasmi avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’”ti.

‘I’ve finished with rebirth in hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. I’ve finished with all places of loss, bad places, the underworld. I am a stream-enterer! I’m not liable to be reborn in the underworld, and am assured, destined for awakening.’”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Desire

Desire

A wholesome motivation, interest, or objective that acts as the starting point for effort and application of will.

Also known as: aspiration, interest, wish, having an objective, intention, impulse
Pāli: chanda
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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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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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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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Last updated on July 27, 2026