If, meditators, a meditator perceives these five threatening dangers, it is enough to live heedful, zealous, with a heart resolute to achieve the unachieved, to attain the unattained, to realize the unrealized. What are these five dangers?
(1) Here [within this teaching and training], meditators, a meditator reflects: "I am now young, a youth, young in age, black-haired, in the prime of life, in the first phase of life. But a time will come when this body will be in the grip of old age. And one who is overpowered by old age cannot easily contemplate on the Teachings of the Buddha. It is not easy for one to live in the wilderness or woodland or a forest or jungle, or in secluded dwellings. Before this undesirable condition, so unpleasant and disagreeable, approaches me, prior to that, let me muster my energy for achieving the unachieved, for attaining the unattained, for realizing the unrealized, so that, in the possession of that state, I shall live happily even in old age."
(2) And further, meditators, a meditator reflects: "I am now free from sickness, free from disease, my digestive power functions smoothly, my constitution is not too cool and not too hot, it is balanced and fit for making effort. But a time will come when this body will be in the grip of sickness. And one who is sick cannot easily contemplate upon the Teachings of the Buddha. It is not easy for one to live in the wilderness or woodland or a forest or jungle, or in secluded dwellings. Before this undesirable condition, so unpleasant and disagreeable, approaches me, prior to that, let me muster my energy for achieving the unachieved, for attaining the unattained, for realizing the unrealized, so that, in the possession of that state, I shall live happily even in sickness."
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| Sleepy Thai monk (Camera30f/flickr) |
(3) And further, meditators, a meditator reflects: "Now there is an abundance of food, good harvests, easily obtainable is a meal of alms [food donated to practitioners so they can meditate and develop virtue and wisdom], it is easy to live on collected food and offerings. But a time will come when there will be a famine, [a war, political trouble,] a bad harvest, difficult to obtain will be a meal of alms, it will be difficult to live on collected food and offerings. And in a famine people migrate to places where food is ample, and there habitations will be overwhelmed and crowded. But in habitations overwhelmed and crowded one cannot easily contemplate upon the Teachings of the Buddha. Before this undesirable condition, so unpleasant and disagreeable, approaches me, prior to that, let me muster my energy for achieving the unachieved, for attaining the unattained, for realizing the unrealized, so that, in the possession of that state, I shall live happily even in a famine."
(4) And further, meditators, a meditator reflects: "Now people live in concord and amity, in friendly fellowship as mingled water and milk [which blend well, unlike water and oil] and look at each other with friendly eyes. But there will come a time of danger, of unrest among the jungle tribes when the country people mount their carts and drive away and fear-stricken people move to a place of safety, and there habitations will be overwhelmed and crowded. But in habitations overwhelmed and crowded one cannot easily contemplate upon the Teachings of the Buddha. Before this undesirable condition, so unpleasant and disagreeable, approaches me, prior to that, let me muster my energy for achieving the unachieved, for attaining the unattained, for realizing the unrealized, so that, in the possession of that state, I shall live happily even in time of danger."
(5) And further, meditators, a meditator reflects: "Now the Monastic Order lives in concord and amity, without quarrel, lives happily under one teaching. But a time will come when there will be a split (schism) in the Order. And when the Order is split, one cannot easily contemplate upon the Teachings of the Buddha; it is not easy to live in the wilderness or woodlands or a forest or jungle, or in secluded dwellings. Before this undesirable condition, so unpleasant and disagreeable, approaches me, prior to that, let me muster my energy for achieving the unachieved, for attaining the unattained, for realizing the unrealized, so that, in the possession of that state, I shall live happily even when the Order is split."
