Action

Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.

[1]THUS have I heard:

Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī,
at Jeta Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park;
and there he addressed the monks, saying:

"Monks."

'Yes, lord,' they replied;
and the Exalted One said:

"Monks, I will teach you seven things that cause not decline.

What seven?

So long as the monks shall delight not in action,^[1]
nor be delighted thereby,
nor engrossed in the delight thereof,
growth may be expected,
not decline;

■

so long as they shall delight not in talk
nor be delighted thereby,
nor engrossed in the delight thereof,
growth may be expected,
not decline;

■

so long as they shall delight not in in sleep
nor be delighted thereby,
nor engrossed in the delight thereof,
growth may be expected,
not decline;

■

so long as they shall delight not in in company
nor be delighted thereby,
nor be engrossed [14] in the delight thereof,
growth may be expected,
not decline;

■

so long as they shall be not full of evil desires
nor fallen into the power thereof;

■

so long as they shall be no friend,
companion,
intimate of evil men;

■

so long as they shall make no halt on the way^[2]
because of some trifling success,
growth may be expected,
not decline.

And so long as these seven things that cause not decline
shall endure among the monks
and they shall live in conformity therewith,
growth may be expectted,
not decline.'

^[1] D. ii, 78; A. iii, 116; It. 71.

^[2] Comy. without winning arahantship. The passage is stock, see Vin. ii, 203; It. 85; A. v, 157; cf. Dial. ii. 109.

Aṇguttara Nikāya Sattaka Nipāta III: Vajjī Vaggo

The Book of the Gradual Sayings The Book of the Sevens Chapter III: The Vajjians

Sutta 22

Dutiya Bhikkhū Aparihāniya Suttaṃ

Action

Aṇguttara Nikāya
Sattaka Nipāta
III: Vajjī Vaggo

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Sevens
Chapter III: The Vajjians