[247] Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus." "Venerable sir," those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
"Bhikkhus, there are these two faults (vajja). Which two? The fault pertaining to the present life and the fault pertaining to the life to come.
"And what, bhikkhus, is the fault pertaining to the present life? Here, bhikkhus, someone sees that when kings have seized a robber, a wrongdoer, they inflict on him various punishments: they have him flogged with whips, beaten with canes, beaten with cudgels; they have his hand cut off, his foot cut off, his hand and foot cut off, his ear cut off, his nose cut off, his ear and nose cut off; they subject him to the 'gruel pot', the 'polished-shell shave', 'Rāhu's mouth', the 'garland of fire', the 'flaming hand', the 'blades of grass', the 'bark dress', the 'antelope', the 'flesh-hooks', the 'coins', the 'lye pickling', the 'pivoting bar', the 'straw seat'; they have him doused with boiling oil, have him devoured by dogs, have him impaled alive on a stake, and have his head cut off with a sword. It occurs to him thus: 'On account of such evil deeds as these, when kings have seized a robber, a wrongdoer, they inflict on him various punishments: they flog him with whips … they cut off his head with a sword. Now if I were to do such an evil deed, kings would seize me too and inflict on me such various punishments: they would flog me with whips … they would cut off my head with a sword.' Afraid of the fault pertaining to the present life, he does not go about plundering the property of others. This, bhikkhus, is called the fault pertaining to the present life.
"And what, bhikkhus, is the fault pertaining to the life to come? Here, bhikkhus, someone reflects thus: 'Misconduct by body has an evil result in the life to come; misconduct by speech has an evil result in the life to come; misconduct by mind has an evil result in the life to come. Now if I were to engage in misconduct by body, in misconduct by speech, in misconduct by mind—what else then, but that with the breakup of the body, after death, I would be reborn in a state of loss, a bad destination, the nether world, hell?' Afraid of the fault pertaining to the life to come, he abandons misconduct by body and develops good conduct by body; he abandons misconduct by speech and develops good conduct by speech; he abandons misconduct by mind and develops good conduct by mind; he keeps himself pure. This, bhikkhus, is called the fault pertaining to the life to come.
"These, bhikkhus, are the two faults. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train thus: 'We will fear the fault pertaining to the present life; we will fear the fault pertaining to the life to come; we will be fearful of faults, seeing peril in faults.' Thus, bhikkhus, should you train. Bhikkhus, of one who is fearful of faults, who sees peril in faults, this may be expected: that he will be released from all faults."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.