[79] Bhikkhus, there are these five future perils, not yet arisen at present, which will arise in the future. You should recognize them, and having recognized them, you should strive for their abandoning. What are the five?
In the future there will be bhikkhus undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind (citta), undeveloped in wisdom. They, being undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in wisdom, will give the full ordination to others, but they will not be able to train them in the higher virtue (adhisīla), the higher mind (adhicitta), and the higher wisdom (adhipaññā). Those too will be undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in wisdom. They, being undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in wisdom, will give the full ordination to others, but they will not be able to train them in the higher virtue, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom. Those too will be undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in wisdom. Thus indeed, bhikkhus, from the corruption (sandosa) of the Dhamma comes the corruption of the Discipline (vinaya); from the corruption of the Discipline comes the corruption of the Dhamma. This, bhikkhus, is the first future peril, not yet arisen at present, which will arise in the future. You should recognize it, and having recognized it, you should strive for its abandoning.
Furthermore, bhikkhus, in the future there will be bhikkhus undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in wisdom. They, being undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in wisdom, will give dependence (nissaya) to others, but they will not be able to train them in the higher virtue, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom. Those too will be undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in wisdom. They, being undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in wisdom, will give dependence to others, but they will not be able to train them in the higher virtue, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom. Those too will be undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in wisdom. Thus indeed, bhikkhus, from the corruption of the Dhamma comes the corruption of the Discipline; from the corruption of the Discipline comes the corruption of the Dhamma. This, bhikkhus, is the second future peril, not yet arisen at present, which will arise in the future. You should recognize it, and having recognized it, you should strive for its abandoning.
Furthermore, bhikkhus, in the future there will be bhikkhus undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in wisdom. They, being undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in wisdom, while giving talk on the higher Dhamma (abhidhammakathā) and question-and-answer talk (vedallakathā), sinking into a dark dhamma, will not become aware of it. Thus indeed, bhikkhus, from the corruption of the Dhamma comes the corruption of the Discipline; from the corruption of the Discipline comes the corruption of the Dhamma. This, bhikkhus, is the third future peril, not yet arisen at present, which will arise in the future. You should recognize it, and having recognized it, you should strive for its abandoning.
Furthermore, bhikkhus, in the future there will be bhikkhus undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in wisdom. They, being undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in wisdom—when those discourses spoken by the Tathāgata are being recited that are deep, deep in meaning, supramundane, connected with emptiness, they will not wish to listen, will not lend an ear, will not apply their minds to understanding, and will not think those teachings should be learned and mastered. But when those discourses are being recited that are composed by poets, poetic, with ornate letters and ornate phrasing, outside the Dispensation, spoken by disciples, they will wish to listen, will lend an ear, will apply their minds to understanding, and will think those teachings should be learned and mastered. Thus indeed, bhikkhus, from the corruption of the Dhamma comes the corruption of the Discipline; from the corruption of the Discipline comes the corruption of the Dhamma. This, bhikkhus, is the fourth future peril, not yet arisen at present, which will arise in the future. You should recognize it, and having recognized it, you should strive for its abandoning.
Furthermore, bhikkhus, in the future there will be bhikkhus undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in wisdom. They being undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in wisdom, the elder bhikkhus will be given to abundance, lax, leaders in backsliding, discarding the burden of seclusion; they will not arouse energy for the attaining of the unattained, for the achieving of the unachieved, for the realizing of the unrealized. The later generation will follow their example: it too will be given to abundance, lax, a leader in backsliding, discarding the burden of seclusion; it will not arouse energy for the attaining of the unattained, for the achieving of the unachieved, for the realizing of the unrealized. Thus indeed, bhikkhus, from the corruption of the Dhamma comes the corruption of the Discipline; from the corruption of the Discipline comes the corruption of the Dhamma. This, bhikkhus, is the fifth future peril, not yet arisen at present, which will arise in the future. You should recognize it, and having recognized it, you should strive for its abandoning.
These, bhikkhus, are the five future perils, not yet arisen at present, which will arise in the future. You should recognize them, and having recognized them, you should strive for their abandoning.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.