AN 7.28

Paṭhamaparihānisutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “sattime, bhikkhave, dhammā sekhassa bhikkhuno parihānāya saṁvattanti. Katame satta? Kammārāmatā, bhassārāmatā, niddārāmatā, saṅgaṇikārāmatā, indriyesu aguttadvāratā, bhojane amattaññutā, santi kho pana saṅghe saṅghakaraṇīyāni; tatra sekho bhikkhu iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘santi kho pana saṅghe therā rattaññū cirapabbajitā bhāravāhino, te tena paññāyissantī’ti attanā tesu yogaṁ āpajjati. Ime kho, bhikkhave, satta dhammā sekhassa bhikkhuno parihānāya saṁvattanti.

Non-decline for a Mendicant Trainee

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “These seven things lead to the decline of a mendicant trainee. What seven? They relish work, talk, sleep, and company. They don’t guard the sense doors and they eat too much. And when there is Saṅgha business to be carried out, they don’t reflect: ‘There are senior mendicants in the Saṅgha of long standing, long gone forth, responsible. They’ll be known for taking care of this.’ So they get involved in that. These seven things lead to the decline of a mendicant trainee.

Sattime, bhikkhave, dhammā sekhassa bhikkhuno aparihānāya saṁvattanti. Katame satta? Na kammārāmatā, na bhassārāmatā, na niddārāmatā, na saṅgaṇikārāmatā, indriyesu guttadvāratā, bhojane mattaññutā, santi kho pana saṅghe saṅghakaraṇīyāni; tatra sekho bhikkhu iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘santi kho pana saṅghe therā rattaññū cirapabbajitā bhāravāhino, te tena paññāyissantī’ti attanā na tesu yogaṁ āpajjati. Ime kho, bhikkhave, satta dhammā sekhassa bhikkhuno aparihānāya saṁvattantī”ti.

These seven things don’t lead to the decline of a mendicant trainee. What seven? They don’t relish work, talk, sleep, and company. They guard the sense doors and don’t eat too much. And when there is Saṅgha business to be carried out, they reflect: ‘There are senior mendicants in the Saṅgha of long standing, long gone forth, responsible. They’ll be known for taking care of this.’ So they don’t get involved in that. These seven things don’t lead to the decline of a mendicant trainee.”