5: The Book of the Fives
XVI. The True Teaching — AN 5.155: The Decline of the True Teaching (2nd)
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato. (More copyright information)
1“Mendicants, these five things lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching. What five?
It’s when the mendicants don’t memorize the teaching — statements, songs, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and classifications. This is the first thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.
2Furthermore, the mendicants don’t explain the teaching in detail to others as they learned and memorized it. This is the second thing …
3Furthermore, the mendicants don’t make others recite the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it. This is the third thing …
4Furthermore, the mendicants don’t recite the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it. This is the fourth thing …
5Furthermore, the mendicants don’t think about and consider the teaching in their hearts, examining it with their minds as they learned and memorized it. This is the fifth thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.
These five things lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.
6These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching. What five?
It’s when the mendicants memorize the teaching — statements, songs, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and classifications. This is the first thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.
7Furthermore, the mendicants explain the teaching in detail to others as they learned and memorized it. This is the second thing …
8Furthermore, the mendicants make others recite the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it. This is the third thing …
9Furthermore, the mendicants recite the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it. This is the fourth thing …
10Furthermore, the mendicants think about and consider the teaching in their hearts, examining it with their minds as they learned and memorized it. This is the fifth thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.
These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.”
1"Pañcime, bhikkhave, dhammā saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattanti. Katame pañca?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhū dhammaṁ na pariyāpuṇanti – suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.
2Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ na vitthārena paresaṁ desenti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.
3Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ na vitthārena paraṁ vācenti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.
4Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ na vitthārena sajjhāyaṁ karonti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.
5Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ na cetasā anuvitakkenti anuvicārenti manasānupekkhanti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, pañcamo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca dhammā saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattanti.
6Pañcime, bhikkhave, dhammā saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattanti. Katame pañca?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhū dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇanti – suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.
7Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena paresaṁ desenti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.
8Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena paraṁ vācenti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.
9Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena sajjhāyaṁ karonti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.
10Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ cetasā anuvitakkenti anuvicārenti manasānupekkhanti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, pañcamo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca dhammā saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattantī"ti.
Pañcamaṁ.