1"Last night, bhikkhus, when the night had advanced, a certain deity of stunning beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta's Grove, approached me, paid homage to me, stood to one side, and said to me: ‘Bhante, there are these seven qualities that lead to the non-decline of a bhikkhu. What seven? Reverence for the Teacher, reverence for the Dhamma, reverence for the Saṅgha, reverence for the training, reverence for concentration, being easy to correct, and good friendship. These seven qualities lead to the non-decline of a bhikkhu.’ This is what that deity said. Then the deity paid homage to me, circumambulated me keeping the right side toward me, and disappeared right there."

2When this was said, the Venerable Sāriputta said to the Blessed One:

"Bhante, I understand in detail the meaning of this statement that the Blessed One has spoken in brief to be as follows. Here, a bhikkhu himself reveres the Teacher and speaks in praise of reverence for the Teacher; he encourages other bhikkhus who do not revere the Teacher to develop reverence for the Teacher and, at the proper time, genuinely and truthfully, he speaks praise of those bhikkhus who revere the Teacher. He himself reveres the Dhamma … reveres the Saṅgha … reveres the training … reveres concentration … is easy to correct … has good friends and speaks in praise of good friendship; he encourages other bhikkhus who do not have good friends to find good friends and, at the proper time, genuinely and truthfully, he speaks praise of those bhikkhus who have good friends. It is in such a way, Bhante, that I understand in detail the meaning of this statement that the Blessed One has spoken in brief."

3The Blessed One said: "Good, good, Sāriputta! It is good that you understand in detail the meaning of this statement that I have spoken in brief in such a way."
The Buddha here repeats the whole statement of Sāriputta, ending:

"It is in such a way, Sāriputta, that the meaning of this statement that I spoke in brief should be understood in detail."

1"Imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā … pe … ‘sattime, bhante, dhammā bhikkhuno aparihānāya saṁvattanti. Katame satta? Satthugāravatā, dhammagāravatā, saṅghagāravatā, sikkhāgāravatā, samādhigāravatā, sovacassatā, kalyāṇamittatā. Ime kho, bhante, satta dhammā bhikkhuno aparihānāya saṁvattantī’ti. Idamavoca, bhikkhave, sā devatā. Idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyī"ti.

2Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"imassa kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmi. Idha, bhante, bhikkhu attanā ca satthugāravo hoti, satthugāravatāya ca vaṇṇavādī. Ye caññe bhikkhū na satthugāravā te ca satthugāravatāya samādapeti. Ye caññe bhikkhū satthugāravā tesañca vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena. Attanā ca dhammagāravo hoti … pe … saṅghagāravo hoti … sikkhāgāravo hoti … samādhigāravo hoti … suvaco hoti … kalyāṇamitto hoti, kalyāṇamittatāya ca vaṇṇavādī. Ye caññe bhikkhū na kalyāṇamittā te ca kalyāṇamittatāya samādapeti. Ye caññe bhikkhū kalyāṇamittā tesañca vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālenāti. Imassa kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmī"ti.

3"Sādhu sādhu, sāriputta. Sādhu kho tvaṁ, sāriputta, imassa mayā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāsi. Idha, sāriputta, bhikkhu attanā ca satthugāravo hoti, satthugāravatāya ca vaṇṇavādī. Ye caññe bhikkhū na satthugāravā te ca satthugāravatāya samādapeti. Ye caññe bhikkhū satthugāravā tesañca vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena. Attanā ca dhammagāravo hoti … pe … saṅghagāravo hoti … sikkhāgāravo hoti … samādhigāravo hoti … suvaco hoti … kalyāṇamitto hoti, kalyāṇamittatāya ca vaṇṇavādī. Ye caññe bhikkhū na kalyāṇamittā te ca kalyāṇamittatāya samādapeti. Ye caññe bhikkhū kalyāṇamittā tesañca vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālenāti.

Imassa kho, sāriputta, mayā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo"ti.

Catutthaṁ.