AN 7.35

Dutiyasovacassatāsutta

“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.

Easy to Admonish (2nd)

“Mendicants, tonight a deity … said to me: ‘Sir, these seven things don’t lead to the decline of a mendicant. What seven? Respect for the Teacher, for the teaching, for the Saṅgha, for the training, for immersion; being easy to admonish, and good friendship. These seven things don’t lead to the decline of a mendicant.’ That is what that deity said. Then he bowed and respectfully circled me, keeping me on his right side, before vanishing right there.”

Evaṁ 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.

When he said this, Venerable Sāriputta said to the Buddha: “Sir, this is how I understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement. It’s when a mendicant personally respects the Teacher and praises such respect. And they encourage other mendicants who lack such respect to respect the Teacher. And they praise other mendicants who respect the Teacher at the right time, truthfully and correctly. They personally respect the teaching … They personally respect the Saṅgha … They personally respect the training … They personally respect immersion … They are personally easy to admonish … They personally have good friends, and praise such friendship. And they encourage other mendicants who lack good friends to develop good friendship. And they praise other mendicants who have good friends at the right time, truthfully and correctly. That’s how I understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement.”

“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.

“Good, good, Sāriputta! It’s good that you understand the detailed meaning of what I’ve said in brief like this. It’s when a mendicant personally respects the Teacher … And they encourage other mendicants who lack such respect to respect the Teacher. And they praise other mendicants who respect the Teacher at the right time, truthfully and correctly. They personally respect the teaching … They personally respect the Saṅgha … They personally respect the training … They personally respect immersion … They are personally easy to admonish … They personally have good friends, and praise such friendship. And they encourage other mendicants who lack good friends to develop good friendship. And they praise other mendicants who have good friends at the right time, truthfully and correctly. This is how to see the detailed meaning of what I said in brief.”