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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

7: The Book of the Sevens

III. The Vajji Seven — AN 7.31: Downfalls for a Lay Follower

1“Mendicants, there are these seven downfalls for a lay follower … There are these seven successes for a lay follower. What seven?


They don’t stop seeing the mendicants.

They don’t neglect listening to the true teaching.

They train in higher ethical conduct.

They’re very confident about mendicants, whether senior, junior, or middle.

They don’t listen to the teaching with a hostile, fault-finding mind.

They don’t seek outside of the Buddhist community for those worthy of religious donations.

And they serve the Buddhist community first.

These are the seven successes for a lay follower.


A lay follower misses out on seeing
those who have developed themselves …



A lay follower who practices these
falls away from the true teaching.

A lay follower doesn’t miss out on seeing
those who have developed themselves …


A lay follower who practices these
doesn’t fall away from the true teaching.”

1"Sattime, bhikkhave, upāsakassa parābhavā … pe … sattime, bhikkhave, upāsakassa sambhavā. Katame satta?


Bhikkhudassanaṁ na hāpeti, saddhammassavanaṁ nappamajjati, adhisīle sikkhati, pasādabahulo hoti, bhikkhūsu theresu ceva navesu ca majjhimesu ca anupārambhacitto dhammaṁ suṇāti na randhagavesī, na ito bahiddhā dakkhiṇeyyaṁ gavesati, idha ca pubbakāraṁ karoti.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, satta upāsakassa sambhavāti.


2Dassanaṁ bhāvitattānaṁ,
Yo hāpeti upāsako;
Savanañca ariyadhammānaṁ,
Adhisīle na sikkhati.

3Appasādo ca bhikkhūsu,
bhiyyo bhiyyo pavaḍḍhati;
Upārambhakacitto ca,
saddhammaṁ sotumicchati.

4Ito ca bahiddhā aññaṁ,
dakkhiṇeyyaṁ gavesati;
Tattheva ca pubbakāraṁ,
yo karoti upāsako.

5Ete kho parihāniye,
satta dhamme sudesite;
Upāsako sevamāno,
saddhammā parihāyati.

6Dassanaṁ bhāvitattānaṁ,
Yo na hāpeti upāsako;
Savanañca ariyadhammānaṁ,
Adhisīle ca sikkhati.

7Pasādo cassa bhikkhūsu,
bhiyyo bhiyyo pavaḍḍhati;
Anupārambhacitto ca,
saddhammaṁ sotumicchati.

8Na ito bahiddhā aññaṁ,
dakkhiṇeyyaṁ gavesati;
Idheva ca pubbakāraṁ,
yo karoti upāsako.

9Ete kho aparihāniye,
Satta dhamme sudesite;
Upāsako sevamāno,
Saddhammā na parihāyatī"ti.

Ekādasamaṁ.

Vajjisattakavaggo tatiyo.

10Sāranda vassakāro ca,
tisattakāni bhikkhukā;
Bodhisaññā dve ca hāni,
vipatti ca parābhavoti.