Light/Dark

Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

7: The Book of the Sevens

24. Non-Decline (2)

1"Bhikkhus, I will teach you seven principles of non-decline. Listen and attend closely. I will speak."

"Yes, Bhante," those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

"And what, bhikkhus, are the seven principles of non-decline?

1"Satta vo, bhikkhave, aparihāniye dhamme desessāmi. Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha … pe … katame ca, bhikkhave, satta aparihāniyā dhammā?



2(1) "As long as the bhikkhus do not delight in work, do not take delight in work, are not devoted to delight in work, only growth is to be expected for them, not decline.

2Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū na kammārāmā bhavissanti, na kammaratā, na kammārāmataṁ anuyuttā; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

3(2) As long as the bhikkhus do not delight in talk … (3) … do not delight in sleep … (4) … do not delight in company … (5) … do not have evil desires and come under the control of evil desires … (6) … do not associate with bad friends, bad companions, bad comrades … (7) … do not come to a stop midway in their development on account of some minor achievement of distinction,[n.1479] Mp: "As long as they do not come to a stop at some attainment, such as purification of virtuous behavior, jhāna, insight, stream-entry, and so forth, without having attained arahantship, only growth is to be expected for the bhikkhus." only growth is to be expected for them, not decline.

3Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū na bhassārāmā bhavissanti … pe … na niddārāmā bhavissanti … na saṅgaṇikārāmā bhavissanti … na pāpicchā bhavissanti na pāpikānaṁ icchānaṁ vasaṁ gatā … na pāpamittā bhavissanti na pāpasahāyā na pāpasampavaṅkā … na oramattakena visesādhigamena antarāvosānaṁ āpajjissanti; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

4"Bhikkhus, as long as these seven principles of non-decline continue among the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus are seen established in them, only growth is to be expected for them, not decline."

4Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, ime satta aparihāniyā dhammā bhikkhūsu ṭhassanti, imesu ca sattasu aparihāniyesu dhammesu bhikkhū sandississanti; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihānī"ti.

Catutthaṁ.