AN 1.152-159 - AN 1.152-159
Translated by Bhikkhu Candana
Source: https://www.mindreleased.com/s/Book-1_Anguttara-Nikya-A-New-Translation.pdf#page=80
License: Candana — free distribution, unaltered contents
Copyright © Bhikkhu Candana, 2020, 2026. Free distribution only; do not alter the contents. The original book, including its complete permission notice, accompanies this text.

152. “Bhikkhus, those Bhikkhus who look at what is really a minor offense, but explain it as being a seriously grave offense, are not just harming themselves, but bringing such pain and harm onto

so many others, causing the suffering of many people. In doing so, they are ruining not just their own lives, but the lives of so many others, creating misfortune and miserable merit-making and damaging results not just to their own detriment, but to the detriment of all others, both Devas and humans.

“Therefore, these Bhikkhus are bringing harm and misery not just to themselves, but to countless others, leading to the rapid degeneration and inevitable disappearance of This Beautiful and Good Dhamma.”

153. “Bhikkhus, those Bhikkhus who look at what is really a seriously grave offense but explain it away as being only a minor offense, are not just harming themselves, but bringing such pain and harm onto so many others, causing the suffering of many people. In doing so, they are ruining not just their own lives, but the lives of so many others, creating misfortune and miserable merit-making and damaging results not just to their own detriment, but to the detriment of all others, both Devas and humans.

“Therefore, these Bhikkhus are bringing harm and misery not just to themselves, but to countless others, leading to the rapid degeneration and inevitable disappearance of This Beautiful and Good Dhamma.”

154. “Bhikkhus, those Bhikkhus who look at what is really a wicked and evil-intentioned offense but explain it as neither being a wicked nor an evil-intentioned offense, are not just harming themselves, but bringing such pain and harm onto so many others, causing the suffering of many people. In doing so, they are ruining not just their own lives, but the lives of so many others, creating misfortune and miserable merit-making and damaging results not just to their own detriment, but to the detriment of all others, both Devas and humans.

“Therefore, these Bhikkhus are bringing harm and misery not just to themselves, but to countless others, leading to the rapid degeneration and inevitable disappearance of This Beautiful and Good Dhamma.”

155. “Bhikkhus, those Bhikkhus who look at what really is not a wicked or evil-intentioned offense at all but explain it as being a wicked and evil-intentioned offense, are not just harming themselves, but bringing such pain and harm onto so many others, causing the suffering of many people. In

doing so, they are ruining not just their own lives, but the lives of so many others, creating misfortune and miserable merit-making and damaging results not just to their own detriment, but to the detriment of all others, both Devas and humans.

“Therefore, these Bhikkhus are bringing harm and misery not just to themselves, but to countless others, leading to the rapid degeneration and inevitable disappearance of This Beautiful and Good Dhamma.”

156. “Bhikkhus, those Bhikkhus who look at what is really an offense that can be easily remedied, but explain it as not being an offense that can be remedied at all, are not just harming themselves, but bringing such pain and harm onto so many others, causing the suffering of many people. In doing so, they are ruining not just their own lives, but the lives of so many others, creating misfortune and miserable merit-making and damaging results not just to their own detriment, but to the detriment of all others, both Devas and humans.

“Therefore, these Bhikkhus are bringing harm and misery not just to themselves, but to countless others, leading to the rapid degeneration and inevitable disappearance of This Beautiful and Good Dhamma.”

157. “Bhikkhus, those Bhikkhus who look at what, in fact, is an offense that cannot be remedied, but explain it as being an offense that can be remedied, are not just harming themselves, but bringing such pain and harm onto so many others, causing the suffering of many people. In doing so, they are ruining not just their own lives, but the lives of so many others, creating misfortune and miserable merit-making and damaging results not just to their own detriment, but to the detriment of all others, both Devas and humans.

“Therefore, these Bhikkhus are bringing harm and misery not just to themselves, but to countless others, leading to the rapid degeneration and inevitable disappearance of This Beautiful and Good Dhamma.”

158. “Bhikkhus, those Bhikkhus who look at what, in fact, is an offense that needs to be made right and properly dealt with, but explain it as an offense that neither is to be made right nor properly dealt with, are not just harming themselves, but bringing such pain and harm onto so many others, causing the suffering of many people. In doing so, they are ruining not just their own lives, but the lives of so many others, creating misfortune and miserable merit-making and

damaging results not just to their own detriment, but to the detriment of all others, both Devas and humans.

“Therefore, these Bhikkhus are bringing harm and misery not just to themselves, but to countless others, leading to the rapid degeneration and inevitable disappearance of This Beautiful and Good Dhamma.”

159. “Bhikkhus, those Bhikkhus who look at an offense that need not be made right nor properly dealt with but explain it as an offense that needs to be made right and properly dealt with, are not just harming themselves, but bringing such pain and harm onto so many others, causing the suffering of many people. In doing so, they are ruining not just their own lives, but the lives of so many others, creating misfortune and miserable merit-making and damaging results not just to their own detriment, but to the detriment of all others, both Devas and humans.

“Therefore, these Bhikkhus are bringing harm and misery not just to themselves, but to countless others, leading to the rapid degeneration and inevitable disappearance of This Beautiful and Good Dhamma.”
