AN 5.155

Dutiyasaddhammasammosasutta

“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.

The Decline of the True Teaching (2nd)

“Mendicants, these five things lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching. What five? It’s when the mendicants don’t memorize the teaching— statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations. 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. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.

Furthermore, the mendicants don’t explain the teaching in detail to others as they learned and memorized it. This is the second thing …

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ na vitthārena paraṁ vācenti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.

Furthermore, the mendicants don’t make others recite the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it. This is the third thing …

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ na vitthārena sajjhāyaṁ karonti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.

Furthermore, the mendicants don’t rehearse the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it. This is the fourth thing …

Puna 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.

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. This is the fifth thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching. These five things lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.

Pañcime, 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.

These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching. What five? It’s when the mendicants memorize the teaching— statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations. 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. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.

Furthermore, the mendicants explain the teaching in detail to others as they learned and memorized it. This is the second thing …

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena paraṁ vācenti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.

Furthermore, the mendicants make others recite the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it. This is the third thing …

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena sajjhāyaṁ karonti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.

Furthermore, the mendicants rehearse the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it. This is the fourth thing …

Puna 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.

Furthermore, the mendicants think about and consider the teaching in their hearts, examining it with their minds as they learned and memorized it. This is the fifth thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching. These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.”