1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Kimbilā in a nicula grove. [n.1209] Be and Ee read veḷuvane, Ce niceluvane. Mp Be has niculavane in the lemma, glossed as mucalindavane. Both PED and SED list nicula as a kind of tree, identified as Barringtonia acutangula. Then the Venerable Kimbila approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said:

"What is the cause and reason why, Bhante, the good Dhamma does not continue long after a Tathāgata has attained final nibbāna?" [n.1210] It cannot be determined from the language of the text whether Kimbila's questions and the Buddha’s replies refer to the general conditions under which the teaching of a Buddha disappears, or to the conditions under which the Buddha Gotama's teaching will disappear. Mp seems to support the former interpretation. It explains that Kimbila had become a monk in the time of the past Buddha Kassapa, during an era when the latter's teaching was in decline. He now recollected this past life and wanted to inquire from the present Buddha about the cause for the decline of the Dhamma. Brahmāli disagrees with me about this and writes: "This (translation) seems to assume that Kimbila is thinking in cosmic terms, about Tathāgatas as a type of being. But it seems more likely to me that he was concerned specifically with what would happen after Gotama Buddha passed away."

"(1) Here, Kimbila, after a Tathāgata has attained final nibbāna, the bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, male lay followers, and female lay followers dwell without reverence and deference toward the Teacher. (2) They dwell without reverence and deference toward the Dhamma. (3) They dwell without reverence and deference toward the Saṅgha. (4) They dwell without reverence and deference toward the training. (5) They dwell without reverence and deference toward each other. This is the cause and reason why the good Dhamma does not continue long after a Tathāgata has attained final nibbāna.

2"What is the cause and reason why, Bhante, the good Dhamma continues long after a Tathāgata has attained final nibbāna?"

"(1) Here, Kimbila, after a Tathāgata has attained final nibbāna, the bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, male lay followers, and female lay followers dwell with reverence and deference toward the Teacher. (2) They dwell with reverence and deference toward the Dhamma. (3) They dwell with reverence and deference toward the Saṅgha. (4) They dwell with reverence and deference toward the training. (5) They dwell with reverence and deference toward each other. This is the cause and reason why the good Dhamma continues long after a Tathāgata has attained final nibbāna."

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kimilāyaṁ viharati veḷuvane. Atha kho āyasmā kimilo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā kimilo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"ko nu kho, bhante, hetu ko paccayo, yena tathāgate parinibbute saddhammo na ciraṭṭhitiko hotī"ti?

"Idha, kimila, tathāgate parinibbute bhikkhū bhikkhuniyo upāsakā upāsikāyo satthari agāravā viharanti appatissā, dhamme agāravā viharanti appatissā, saṅghe agāravā viharanti appatissā, sikkhāya agāravā viharanti appatissā, aññamaññaṁ agāravā viharanti appatissā. Ayaṁ kho, kimila, hetu ayaṁ paccayo, yena tathāgate parinibbute saddhammo na ciraṭṭhitiko hotī"ti.

2"Ko pana, bhante, hetu ko paccayo, yena tathāgate parinibbute saddhammo ciraṭṭhitiko hotī"ti?

"Idha, kimila, tathāgate parinibbute bhikkhū bhikkhuniyo upāsakā upāsikāyo satthari sagāravā viharanti sappatissā, dhamme sagāravā viharanti sappatissā, saṅghe sagāravā viharanti sappatissā, sikkhāya sagāravā viharanti sappatissā, aññamaññaṁ sagāravā viharanti sappatissā. Ayaṁ kho, kimila, hetu ayaṁ paccayo, yena tathāgate parinibbute saddhammo ciraṭṭhitiko hotī"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.