95. （九五）住法经

I have heard thus:

At one time, the Buddha was traveling in the country of Śrāvastī, staying at the Jeta Grove Anāthapiṇḍada-ārāma.

At that time, the World-Honored One addressed the bhikṣus, saying: "I say that those who retreat from the good Dharma do not abide in it and do not increase it. I say that those who abide in the good Dharma do not retreat from it and do not increase it. I say that those who increase the good Dharma do not retreat from it and do not abide in it. How do those who retreat from the good Dharma not abide in it and not increase it? Bhikṣus, if one has faith, precepts, learning, generosity, wisdom, eloquence, the teachings, and what one has attained, but that person retreats from this Dharma, does not abide in it, and does not increase it, this is called retreating from the good Dharma, not abiding in it, and not increasing it. How do those who abide in the good Dharma not retreat from it and not increase it? Bhikṣus, if one has faith, precepts, learning, generosity, wisdom, eloquence, the teachings, and what one has attained, and that person abides in this Dharma without retreating and without increasing it, this is called abiding in the good Dharma, not retreating from it, and not increasing it. How do those who increase the good Dharma not retreat from it and not abide in it? Bhikṣus, if one has faith, precepts, learning, generosity, wisdom, eloquence, the teachings, and what one has attained, and that person increases this Dharma without retreating and without abiding in it, this is called increasing the good Dharma, not retreating from it, and not abiding in it.

Bhikṣus, if a bhikṣu contemplates in this way, it will be of great benefit: 'Do I have much mental agitation or not? Do I have much ill-will or not? Do I have much sloth and torpor or not? Do I have much restlessness and remorse or not? Do I have much doubt or not? Do I have much bodily conflict or not? Do I have much mental defilement or not? Do I have much faith or not? Do I have much diligence or not? Do I have much mindfulness or not? Do I have much concentration or not? Do I have much bad wisdom or not?'

If a bhikṣu contemplates and knows that he has much mental agitation, ill-will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and remorse, doubt, bodily conflict, mental defilement, lack of faith, laziness, lack of mindfulness, lack of concentration, and bad wisdom, then that bhikṣu, wishing to eliminate these evil and unwholesome dharmas, will quickly seek means, study with utmost diligence, right mindfulness, right knowledge, and endure without retreating. It is like a person whose head or clothes are on fire, urgently seeking means to save their head or clothes. In the same way, a bhikṣu, wishing to eliminate these evil and unwholesome dharmas, will quickly seek means, study with utmost diligence, right mindfulness, right knowledge, and endure without retreating.

If a bhikṣu contemplates and knows that he has much mental non-agitation, non-ill-will, non-sloth and torpor, non-restlessness and remorse, non-doubt, non-bodily conflict, non-mental defilement, faith, diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and non-bad wisdom, then that bhikṣu, wishing to abide in these wholesome dharmas, not forgetting, not regressing, and cultivating and spreading them, will quickly seek means, study with utmost diligence, right mindfulness, right knowledge, and endure without retreating. It is like a person whose head or clothes are on fire, urgently seeking means to save their head or clothes. In the same way, a bhikṣu, wishing to abide in these wholesome dharmas, not forgetting, not regressing, and cultivating and spreading them, will quickly seek means, study with utmost diligence, right mindfulness, right knowledge, and endure without retreating.

The Buddha spoke thus. Those bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and received them with respect.