Aṇguttara Nikāya
Sattaka Nipāta
III: Vajjī Vaggo
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Sevens
Chapter III: The Vajjians
Suttas 28-30[1]
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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Sutta 28
Unprofitable
[28.1] 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, these seven things are unprofitable for a lay disciple.
What seven?
He fails to see the monks;
■
neglects to hear Sad'Dhamma;
■
trains not in more-virtue;
■
puts little trust in elder,
novice
or mid-term monk;
■
with critical mind,
seeking faults,
hears Dhamma;
■
seeks a gift-worthy outside the Order
■
and there first serves.
Verily, monks, these seven things
are unprofitable for a lay-disciple.
"Monks, these seven things are profitable for a lay-disciple.
What seven?
He does not fail to see the monks;
■
he does not neglect to hear Sad'Dhamma;
■
he trains in more-virtue;
■
he puts trust in elder,
novice
or mid-term monk;
■
not with critical mind,
seeking faults,
he hears Dhamma;
■
he seeks a gift-worthy inside the Order
■
and there first serves.
Verily, monks, these seven things
are profitable for a lay-disciple.
Who fails to see the man in whom the self nor Ariyan Dhamma hears,'
Nor in more-virtue trains, whose trust in monks
Groweth not more and more, who fain would list
With carping mind to Sad'Dhamma, who seeks
Outside some gift-worthy and even there
As lay-disciple his first service doing:
These seven well taught things that cause decline
Who practises in Sad'Dhamma declines.
Whoso ne'er fails to see self-cultured men,
Hears Ariyan Dhamma, in more-virtue trains,
Whose trust in monks grows ever more and more,
Who lists not to Sad'Dhamma carpingly,
Nor seeks outside one gift-worthy, but those
Within as lay-disciple firstly serves:
These seven taught things that never cause declir
Who follows in Sad'Dhamma ne'er declines.'
Sutta 29
Backsliding
[29.1] 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, these seven things are backslidings for a lay disciple.
What seven?
He fails to see the monks;
■
neglects to hear Sad'Dhamma;
■
trains not in more-virtue;
■
puts little trust in elder,
novice
or mid-term monk;
■
with critical mind,
seeking faults,
hears Dhamma;
■
seeks a gift-worthy outside the Order
■
and there first serves.
Verily, monks, these seven things
are backslidings for a lay-disciple.
§
"Monks, these seven things are progress for a lay-disciple.
What seven?
He does not fail to see the monks;
■
he does not neglect to hear Sad'Dhamma;
■
he trains in more-virtue;
■
he puts trust in elder,
novice
or mid-term monk;
■
not with critical mind,
seeking faults,
he hears Dhamma;
■
he seeks a gift-worthy inside the Order
■
and there first serves.
Verily, monks, these seven things
are progress for a lay-disciple.
Who fails to see the man in whom the self nor Ariyan Dhamma hears,'
Nor in more-virtue trains, whose trust in monks
Groweth not more and more, who fain would list
With carping mind to Sad'Dhamma, who seeks
Outside some gift-worthy and even there
As lay-disciple his first service doing:
These seven well taught things that cause decline
Who practises in Sad'Dhamma declines.
Whoso ne'er fails to see self-cultured men,
Hears Ariyan Dhamma, in more-virtue trains,
Whose trust in monks grows ever more and more,
Who lists not to Sad'Dhamma carpingly,
Nor seeks outside one gift-worthy, but those
Within as lay-disciple firstly serves:
These seven taught things that never cause declir
Who follows in Sad'Dhamma ne'er declines.'
[1] I follow the numbering of the P.T.S. text, but we have two or four suttas; according to the udddna two. Vipatti and sampatti, parabhava and sambhava; on the latter, two cf. Sn. 91, Sn.A. 168, 'parihāyato vinassati' and 'vaḍḍhanto aparihāyanto' The text repeats.
