Aṇguttara Nikāya


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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.

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[16]

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.


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