Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

1: The Book of the Ones

1. Obsession of the Mind - 131–139

(131) "Bhikkhus, those bhikkhus who explain Dhamma as non-Dhamma … (132) … non-discipline as discipline [n.62] Mp: "By the sutta method, discipline (vinaya) means restraint, abandoning, reflection, and the removal of lust, hatred, and delusion. Non-discipline (avinaya) means non-restraint, non-abandoning, non-reflection, and the non-removal of lust, hatred, and delusion. By the Vinaya method, discipline is a proper base, motion, announcement, bounded area, and assembly. Non-discipline is a defective base, motion, announcement, bounded area, and assembly." … (133) … discipline as non-discipline … (134) … what has not been stated and uttered by the Tathāgata as having been stated and uttered by him … (135) … what has been stated and uttered by the Tathāgata as not having been stated and uttered by him … (136) … what has not been practiced by the Tathāgata as having been practiced by him … (137) … what has been practiced by the Tathāgata as not having been practiced by him … (138) … what has not been prescribed by the Tathāgata as having been prescribed by him … (139) … what has been prescribed by the Tathāgata as not having been prescribed by him are acting for the harm of many people, for the unhappiness of many people, for the ruin, harm, and suffering of many people, of devas and human beings. These bhikkhus generate much demerit and cause this good Dhamma to disappear." [n.63] Mp, in line with other commentaries, explains five kinds of disappearance of the good Dhamma. I summarize: (1) Disappearance of attainment (adhigama-antaradhāna): the gradual disappearance of attainment of the paths, fruits, and auxiliary attainments such as the analytical knowledges (paṭisambhidā) and direct knowledges (abhiññā). (2) Disappearance of practice (paṭipatti-antaradhāna): the gradual disappearance of the jhānas, insight, paths, and fruits, and even the eventual disappearance of virtuous behavior. (3) Disappearance of learning (pariyatti-antaradhāna): the gradual disappearance of the Tipiṭaka, the Buddhist canon. (4) Disappearance of the emblem (linga-antaradhāna): the gradual discarding of the renunciant robes until monastics wear merely a strip of ochre cloth around their necks. (5) Disappearance of the relics (dhātuantaradhāna): at the end of the Buddha Gotama's teaching, his relics all gather at the Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya, replicate the Buddha’s bodily form, and vanish in a blaze of glory.

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