Aṅguttara Nikāya 5.155
Translators: sujato
Numbered Discourses 5.155
16. Saddhammavagga
16. The True Teaching
Dutiyasaddhammasammosasutta
The Decline of the True Teaching (2nd)
“Pañcime, bhikkhave, dhammā saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattanti.
“Mendicants, these five things lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.
Katame pañca?
What five?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhū dhammaṁ na pariyāpuṇanti—
It’s when the mendicants don’t memorize the teaching—
suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ.
statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations.
Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.
This is the first thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ na vitthārena paresaṁ desenti.
Furthermore, the mendicants don’t explain the teaching in detail to others as they learned and memorized it.
Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.
This is the second thing …
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ na vitthārena paraṁ vācenti.
Furthermore, the mendicants don’t make others recite the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it.
Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.
This is the third thing …
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ na vitthārena sajjhāyaṁ karonti.
Furthermore, the mendicants don’t recite the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it.
Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.
This is the fourth thing …
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ na cetasā anuvitakkenti anuvicārenti manasānupekkhanti.
Furthermore, the mendicants don’t think about and consider the teaching in their hearts, examining it with their minds as they learned and memorized it.
Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, pañcamo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.
This is the fifth thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca dhammā saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattanti.
These five things lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.
Pañcime, bhikkhave, dhammā saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattanti.
These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.
Katame pañca?
What five?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhū dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇanti—
It’s when the mendicants memorize the teaching—
suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ.
statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations.
Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.
This is the first thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena paresaṁ desenti.
Furthermore, the mendicants explain the teaching in detail to others as they learned and memorized it.
Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.
This is the second thing …
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena paraṁ vācenti.
Furthermore, the mendicants make others recite the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it.
Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.
This is the third thing …
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena sajjhāyaṁ karonti.
Furthermore, the mendicants recite the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it.
Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.
This is the fourth thing …
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ cetasā anuvitakkenti anuvicārenti manasānupekkhanti.
Furthermore, the mendicants think about and consider the teaching in their hearts, examining it with their minds as they learned and memorized it.
Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, pañcamo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.
This is the fifth thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca dhammā saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattantī”ti.
These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.”
Pañcamaṁ.