1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha on Mount Vulture Peak. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus:

"Bhikkhus, I will teach you seven principles of non-decline. Listen and attend closely. I will speak." [n.1478] The text of AN 7.23–27 is at DN 16.4–5, II 76–80.

"Yes, Bhante," those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

2"And what, bhikkhus, are the seven principles of non-decline?

(1) "As long as the bhikkhus assemble often and hold frequent assemblies, only growth is to be expected for them, not decline.

3(2) "As long as the bhikkhus assemble in harmony, adjourn in harmony, and conduct the affairs of the Saṅgha in harmony, only growth is to be expected for them, not decline.

4(3) "As long as the bhikkhus do not decree anything that has not been decreed or abolish anything that has already been decreed, but undertake and follow the training rules as they have been decreed, only growth is to be expected for them, not decline.

5(4) "As long as the bhikkhus honor, respect, esteem, and venerate those bhikkhus who are elders, of long standing, long gone forth, fathers and guides of the Saṅgha, and think they should be heeded, only growth is to be expected for them, not decline.

6(5) "As long as the bhikkhus do not come under the control of arisen craving that leads to renewed existence, only growth is to be expected for them, not decline.

7(6) "As long as the bhikkhus are intent on forest lodgings, only growth is to be expected for them, not decline.

8(7) "As long as the bhikkhus each individually establish mindfulness with the intention: ‘How can well-behaved fellow monks who have not yet come here come, and how can well-behaved fellow monks who are already here dwell at ease?’ only growth is to be expected for them, not decline.

9"Bhikkhus, as long as these seven principles of non-decline continue among the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus are seen (established) in them, only growth is to be expected for them, not decline."

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—​ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

"satta vo, bhikkhave, aparihāniye dhamme desessāmi. Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī"ti.

"Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

2"Katame ca, bhikkhave, satta aparihāniyā dhammā?

Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū abhiṇhaṁ sannipātā bhavissanti sannipātabahulā; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni. (1)

3Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū samaggā sannipatissanti, samaggā vuṭṭhahissanti, samaggā saṅghakaraṇīyāni karissanti; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni. (2)

4Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū apaññattaṁ na paññāpessanti, paññattaṁ na samucchindissanti, yathāpaññattesu sikkhāpadesu samādāya vattissanti; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni. (3)

5Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū ye te bhikkhū therā rattaññū cirapabbajitā saṅghapitaro saṅghapariṇāyakā te sakkarissanti garuṁ karissanti mānessanti pūjessanti, tesañca sotabbaṁ maññissanti; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni. (4)

6Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū uppannāya taṇhāya ponobhavikāya na vasaṁ gacchissanti; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni. (5)

7Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū āraññakesu senāsanesu sāpekkhā bhavissanti; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni. (6)

8Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū paccattaññeva satiṁ upaṭṭhāpessanti: ‘Kinti anāgatā ca pesalā sabrahmacārī āgaccheyyuṁ, āgatā ca pesalā sabrahmacārī phāsuṁ vihareyyun’ti; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni. (7)

9Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, ime satta aparihāniyā dhammā bhikkhūsu ṭhassanti, imesu ca sattasu aparihāniyesu dhammesu bhikkhū sandississanti; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihānī"ti.

---

Tatiyaṁ.