5: The Book of the Fives
155. Decline of the Good Dhamma (2)
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi (More copyright information)
1"Bhikkhus, there are these five things that lead to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma. What five?
(1) "Here, the bhikkhus do not learn the Dhamma: discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, quotations, birth stories, amazing accounts, and questions-and-answers. This is the first thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma.
2(2) "Again, the bhikkhus do not teach the Dhamma to others in detail as they have heard it and learned it. This is the second thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma.
3(3) "Again, the bhikkhus do not make others repeat the Dhamma in detail as they have heard it and learned it. This is the third thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma.
4(4) "Again, the bhikkhus do not recite the Dhamma in detail as they have heard it and learned it. This is the fourth thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma.
5(5) "Again, the bhikkhus do not ponder, examine, and mentally inspect the Dhamma as they have heard it and learned it. This is the fifth thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma.
"These are the five things that lead to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma.
6"Bhikkhus, there are these five other things that lead to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma. What five?
(1) "Here, the bhikkhus learn the Dhamma: discourses … and questions-and-answers. This is the first thing that leads to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma.
7(2) "Again, the bhikkhus teach the Dhamma to others in detail as they have heard it and learned it. This is the second thing that leads to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma.
8(3) "Again, the bhikkhus make others repeat the Dhamma in detail as they have heard it and learned it. This is the third thing that leads to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma.
9(4) "Again, the bhikkhus recite the Dhamma in detail as they have heard it and learned it. This is the fourth thing that leads to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma.
10(5) "Again, the bhikkhus ponder, examine, and mentally inspect the Dhamma as they have heard it and learned it. This is the fifth thing that leads to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma.
"These are the five things that lead to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma."
1"Pañcime, bhikkhave, dhammā saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattanti. Katame pañca?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhū dhammaṁ na pariyāpuṇanti – suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.
2Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ na vitthārena paresaṁ desenti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.
3Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ na vitthārena paraṁ vācenti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.
4Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ na vitthārena sajjhāyaṁ karonti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.
5Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ na cetasā anuvitakkenti anuvicārenti manasānupekkhanti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, pañcamo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca dhammā saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattanti.
6Pañcime, bhikkhave, dhammā saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattanti. Katame pañca?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhū dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇanti – suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.
7Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena paresaṁ desenti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.
8Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena paraṁ vācenti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.
9Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena sajjhāyaṁ karonti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.
10Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ cetasā anuvitakkenti anuvicārenti manasānupekkhanti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, pañcamo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca dhammā saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattantī"ti.
Pañcamaṁ.