Light/Dark

Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

4: The Book of the Fours

XVI. Faculties — AN 4.158: Decline

1There Sāriputta addressed the mendicants: “Reverends, mendicants!”

“Reverend,” they replied. Sāriputta said this:

2“Reverends, any monk or nun who sees four things inside themselves should conclude: ‘My skillful qualities are declining. For this is what the Buddha calls decline.’ What four? They have much greed, much hate, and much delusion; and their wisdom eye doesn’t go into the many deep matters. Any monk or nun who sees these four things inside themselves should conclude: ‘My skillful qualities are declining. For this is what the Buddha calls decline.’

3Any monk or nun who sees four things inside themselves should conclude: ‘My skillful qualities are not declining. For this is what the Buddha calls non-decline.’ What four? Their greed, hate, and delusion grow less; and their wisdom eye goes into the many deep matters. Any monk or nun who sees these four things inside themselves should conclude: ‘My skillful qualities are not declining. For this is what the Buddha calls non-decline.’”

1Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi:  "āvuso bhikkhave"ti.

"Āvuso"ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ. Āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca: 

2"Yo hi koci, āvuso, bhikkhu vā bhikkhunī vā cattāro dhamme attani samanupassati, niṭṭhamettha gantabbaṁ:  ‘parihāyāmi kusalehi dhammehi’. Parihānametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā. Katame cattāro? Rāgavepullattaṁ, dosavepullattaṁ, mohavepullattaṁ, gambhīresu kho panassa ṭhānāṭhānesu paññācakkhu na kamati. Yo hi koci, āvuso, bhikkhu vā bhikkhunī vā ime cattāro dhamme attani samanupassati, niṭṭhamettha gantabbaṁ:  ‘parihāyāmi kusalehi dhammehi’. Parihānametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā.

3Yo hi koci, āvuso, bhikkhu vā bhikkhunī vā cattāro dhamme attani samanupassati, niṭṭhamettha gantabbaṁ:  ‘Na parihāyāmi kusalehi dhammehi’. Aparihānametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā. Katame cattāro? Rāgatanuttaṁ, dosatanuttaṁ, mohatanuttaṁ, gambhīresu kho panassa ṭhānāṭhānesu paññācakkhu kamati. Yo hi koci, āvuso, bhikkhu vā bhikkhunī vā ime cattāro dhamme attani samanupassati, niṭṭhamettha gantabbaṁ:  ‘Na parihāyāmi kusalehi dhammehi’. Aparihānametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.