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Buddhism

AN 4:182 · Guarantor (Pāṭibhoga Sutta)

Thai temple painting: Prince Vessantara gives away the white elephant
Vessantara Jātaka, Chapter 2 (Himavanta Forest) · Thai, Rattanakosin, c. 1850–1870 · Walters Art Museum

“For four things, monks, there is no guarantor—neither a contemplative, nor a brahman, nor a deva, nor a Māra, nor a Brahmā, nor anyone at all in the world. Which four?

“‘May what is subject to aging not age’: For this there is no guarantor—neither a contemplative, nor a brahman, nor a deva, nor a Māra, nor a Brahmā, nor anyone at all in the world.

“‘May what is subject to illness not fall ill’: For this there is no guarantor—neither a contemplative, nor a brahman, nor a deva, nor a Māra, nor a Brahmā, nor anyone at all in the world.

“‘May what is subject to death not die’: For this there is no guarantor—neither a contemplative, nor a brahman, nor a deva, nor a Māra, nor a Brahmā, nor anyone at all in the world.

“‘May the results of evil actions—defiled, leading to further becoming, distressing, ripening in pain & future birth, aging, & death—not appear’: For this there is no guarantor—neither a contemplative, nor a brahman, nor a deva, nor a Māra, nor a Brahmā, nor anyone at all in the world.

“For these four things, monks, there is no guarantor—neither a contemplative, nor a brahman, nor a deva, nor a Māra, nor a Brahmā, nor anyone at all in the world.”

See also: AN 5:49; AN 5:57


Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. © 2014 / rev. 2017 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu — released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 licence, for free distribution only. Source: dhammatalks.org (Metta Forest Monastery).

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