1"Bhikkhus, while the Fortunate One or the Fortunate One's discipline remains in the world, this is for the welfare of many people, for the happiness of many people, out of compassion for the world, for the good, welfare, and happiness of devas and humans.

1"Sugato vā, bhikkhave, loke tiṭṭhamāno sugatavinayo vā tadassa bahujanahitāya bahujanasukhāya lokānukampāya atthāya hitāya sukhāya devamanussānaṁ.

2"And who, bhikkhus, is the Fortunate One? Here, the Tathāgata arises in the world, an arahant, perfectly enlightened, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, fortunate, knower of the world, unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One. This is the Fortunate One.

2Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sugato? Idha, bhikkhave, tathāgato loke uppajjati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, sugato.

3"And what is the Fortunate One's discipline? He teaches the Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing; he reveals the perfectly complete and pure spiritual life. This is the Fortunate One's discipline. Thus while the Fortunate One or the Fortunate One's discipline remains in the world, this is for the welfare of many people, for the happiness of many people, out of compassion for the world, for the good, welfare, and happiness of devas and humans.

3Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sugatavinayo? So dhammaṁ deseti ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ, kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāseti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, sugatavinayo. Evaṁ sugato vā, bhikkhave, loke tiṭṭhamāno sugatavinayo vā tadassa bahujanahitāya bahujanasukhāya lokānukampāya atthāya hitāya sukhāya devamanussānanti.

4"There are, bhikkhus, these four things that lead to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma. What four?

4Cattārome, bhikkhave, dhammā saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattanti. Katame cattāro?

(1) "Here, the bhikkhus learn discourses that have been badly acquired, with badly set down words and phrases.[n.848] Bhikkhū duggahitaṁ suttantaṁ pariyāpuṇanti dunnikkhittehi padabyañjanehi. See AN2.20. I follow Brahmāli's suggestion that suttantaṁ here has an implicitly plural sense; for other examples, see Vin III 159,12, and Vin IV 344,21. When the words and phrases are badly set down, the meaning is badly interpreted. This is the first thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma.

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhū duggahitaṁ suttantaṁ pariyāpuṇanti dunnikkhittehi padabyañjanehi. Dunnikkhittassa, bhikkhave, padabyañjanassa atthopi dunnayo hoti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.

5(2) "Again, the bhikkhus are difficult to correct and possess qualities that make them difficult to correct. They are impatient and do not accept instruction respectfully. This is the second thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma.

5Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū dubbacā honti dovacassakaraṇehi dhammehi samannāgatā akkhamā appadakkhiṇaggāhino anusāsaniṁ. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.

6(3) "Again, those bhikkhus who are learned, heirs to the heritage, experts on the Dhamma, experts on the discipline, experts on the outlines, do not respectfully teach the discourses to others. When they have passed away, the discourses are cut off at the root, left without anyone to preserve them. This is the third thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma.

6Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ye te bhikkhū bahussutā āgatāgamā dhammadharā vinayadharā mātikādharā, te na sakkaccaṁ suttantaṁ paraṁ vācenti. Tesaṁ accayena chinnamūlako suttanto hoti appaṭisaraṇo. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.

7(4) "Again, the elder bhikkhus are luxurious and lax, leaders in backsliding, discarding the duty of solitude; they do not arouse energy for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. Those in the next generation follow their example. They, too, become luxurious and lax, leaders in backsliding, discarding the duty of solitude; they, too, do not arouse energy for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. This is the fourth thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma.

7Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, therā bhikkhū bāhulikā honti sāthalikā, okkamane pubbaṅgamā, paviveke nikkhittadhurā, na vīriyaṁ ārabhanti appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya. Tesaṁ pacchimā janatā diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjati. Sāpi hoti bāhulikā sāthalikā, okkamane pubbaṅgamā, paviveke nikkhittadhurā, na vīriyaṁ ārabhati appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.

"These are the four things that lead to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro dhammā saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattantīti.

8"There are, bhikkhus, these four other things that lead to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma. What four?

8Cattārome, bhikkhave, dhammā saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattanti. Katame cattāro?

(1) "Here, the bhikkhus learn discourses that have been well acquired, with well set down words and phrases. When the words and phrases are well set down, the meaning is well interpreted. This is the first thing that leads to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma.

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhū suggahitaṁ suttantaṁ pariyāpuṇanti sunikkhittehi padabyañjanehi. Sunikkhittassa, bhikkhave, padabyañjanassa atthopi sunayo hoti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.

9(2) "Again, the bhikkhus are easy to correct and possess qualities that make them easy to correct. They are patient and accept instruction respectfully. This is the second thing that leads to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma.

9Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū suvacā honti sovacassakaraṇehi dhammehi samannāgatā khamā padakkhiṇaggāhino anusāsaniṁ. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.

10(3) "Again, those bhikkhus who are learned, heirs to the heritage, experts on the Dhamma, experts on the discipline, experts on the outlines, respectfully teach the discourses to others. When they have passed away, the discourses are not cut off at the root for there are those who preserve them. This is the third thing that leads to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma.

10Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ye te bhikkhū bahussutā āgatāgamā dhammadharā vinayadharā mātikādharā, te sakkaccaṁ suttantaṁ paraṁ vācenti. Tesaṁ accayena nacchinnamūlako suttanto hoti sappaṭisaraṇo. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.

11(4) "Again, the elder bhikkhus are not luxurious and lax, but they discard backsliding and take the lead in solitude; they arouse energy for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. Those in the next generation follow their example. They, too, do not become luxurious and lax, but they discard backsliding and take the lead in solitude; they, too, arouse energy for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. This is the fourth thing that leads to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma.

11Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, therā bhikkhū na bāhulikā honti na sāthalikā, okkamane nikkhittadhurā, paviveke pubbaṅgamā, vīriyaṁ ārabhanti appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya. Tesaṁ pacchimā janatā diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjati. Sāpi hoti na bāhulikā na sāthalikā, okkamane nikkhittadhurā, paviveke pubbaṅgamā, vīriyaṁ ārabhati appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.

"These, bhikkhus, are the four things that lead to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma."

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro dhammā saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattantī"ti.

Dasamaṁ.
Indriyavaggo paṭhamo.

12Indriyāni saddhā paññā,
sati saṅkhānapañcamaṁ;
Kappo rogo parihāni,
bhikkhunī sugatena cāti.