Blame from the self

Bhikkhus, these four are fears. What four?

Fear of blame from the self, fear of blame from others, fear of punishment, and fear of evil states.

Bhikkhus, what is fear of blame from the self?

Here, bhikkhus, a certain one reflects thus- If I misconduct by body by words and mind, those actions tell tales about my virtues. He frigthtened of blame from the self dispels bodily misconduct and develops bodily right conduct, dispels verbal misconduct and develops verbal right conduct, dispels mental misconduct and develops mental right conduct. Bhikkhus, this is fear of blame from the self.

Bhikkhus, what is fear of blame from others?

Here, bhikkhus, a certain one reflects thus- If I misconduct by body by words and mind, those actions will be insults to my virtues. He frigthtened of blame from others dispels bodily misconduct and develops bodily right conduct, dispels verbal misconduct and develops verbal right conduct, dispels mental misconduct and develops mental right conduct. Bhikkhus, this is fear of blame from others.

Bhikkhus, what is fear of punishment?

Here, bhikkhus, a certain person sees the king punishing a highwayman or a robber in various ways such as whipping, beating with the, jungle rope, poisoned stick. Cutting hands, cutting feet, cutting hands and feet. Cutting the ears, cutting the nose, cutting ears and nose. Putting in the gruel pot, giving the shell tonsure, putting in Rahu's mouth, garlanding with a flaming garland, burning the hands with a torch, beating until the body is like straw, making to behave like an antelope, hooking the flesh, cutting squares out of flesh, burning in an alkaline solution, driving a spike from ear to ear to turn, making like a straw foot stool, sprinkling boiling oil on the body, giving to the dogs to be eaten, raising on a pole until death and also cutting the neck. Then it occurs to him the king punishes the highwayman or the robber in various ways for his evil actions and if I do evil actions the same will be done to me, such as whipping, beating with the, jungle rope, poisoned stick. Cutting hands, cutting feet, cutting hands and feet. Cutting the ears, cutting the nose, cutting ears and nose. Putting in the gruel pot, giving the shell tonsure, putting in Rahu's mouth, garlanding with a flaming garland, burning the hands with a torch, beating until the body is like straw, making to behave like an antelope, hooking the flesh, cutting squares out of flesh, burning in an alkaline solution, driving a spike from ear to ear to turn, making me like a straw foot stool, sprinkling boiling oil on the body, giving to the dogs to be eaten, raising on a pole until death and also cutting the neck. So he does not rob fearing punishment from the king. To this is called fear of punishment.

Bhikkhus, what is fear of an evil state?

Here, bhikkhus, a certain one reflects thus: Evil results for bodily misbehaviour are here after, evil results for verbal misbehaviour are here after, and evil results for mental misbehaviour are here after. If I misbehave by body, by words and mind, I too after death will go to decrease, to hell, to a bad state and thinking thus he dispels bodily misconduct and develops bodily right conduct, dispels verbal misconduct and develops verbal right conduct and dispels mental misconduct and develops mental right conduct. He conducts himself purely. To this is said the fear of evil states. Bhikkhus, these four are fears.