SN 16.7

Dutiyaovādasutta

Rājagahe viharati veḷuvane. Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: “ovada, kassapa, bhikkhū; karohi, kassapa, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiṁ kathaṁ. Ahaṁ vā, kassapa, bhikkhū ovadeyyaṁ tvaṁ vā; ahaṁ vā bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiṁ kathaṁ kareyyaṁ tvaṁ vā”ti.

Advice (2nd)

Near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove. Then Venerable Mahākassapa went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him, “Kassapa, advise the mendicants! Give them a Dhamma talk! Either you or I should advise the mendicants and give them a Dhamma talk.”

“Dubbacā kho, bhante, etarahi bhikkhū, dovacassakaraṇehi dhammehi samannāgatā akkhamā appadakkhiṇaggāhino anusāsaniṁ. Yassa kassaci, bhante, saddhā natthi kusalesu dhammesu, hirī natthi kusalesu dhammesu, ottappaṁ natthi kusalesu dhammesu, vīriyaṁ natthi kusalesu dhammesu, paññā natthi kusalesu dhammesu, tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, hāniyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu, no vuddhi.

“Sir, the mendicants these days are hard to admonish, having qualities that make them hard to admonish. They’re impatient, and don’t take instruction respectfully. Sir, whoever has no faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom when it comes to skillful qualities can expect decline, not growth, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.

Seyyathāpi, bhante, kāḷapakkhe candassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, hāyateva vaṇṇena, hāyati maṇḍalena, hāyati ābhāya, hāyati ārohapariṇāhena. Evameva kho, bhante, yassa kassaci saddhā natthi kusalesu dhammesu …pe… hirī natthi … ottappaṁ natthi … vīriyaṁ natthi … paññā natthi … kusalesu dhammesu tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, hāniyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu, no vuddhi.

It’s like the moon in the waning fortnight. Whether by day or by night, its beauty, roundness, luminosity, and diameter and circumference only decline. In the same way, whoever has no faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom when it comes to skillful qualities can expect decline, not growth, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.

‘Assaddho purisapuggalo’ti, bhante, parihānametaṁ; ‘ahiriko purisapuggalo’ti, bhante, parihānametaṁ; ‘anottappī purisapuggalo’ti, bhante, parihānametaṁ; ‘kusīto purisapuggalo’ti, bhante, parihānametaṁ; ‘duppañño purisapuggalo’ti, bhante, parihānametaṁ; ‘kodhano purisapuggalo’ti, bhante, parihānametaṁ; ‘upanāhī purisapuggalo’ti, bhante, parihānametaṁ; ‘na santi bhikkhū ovādakā’ti, bhante, parihānametaṁ.

A faithless individual is in decline. An individual with no conscience is in decline. An imprudent individual is in decline. A lazy individual is in decline. A witless individual is in decline. An irritable individual is in decline. An acrimonious individual is in decline. When there are no mendicant advisers there is decline.

Yassa kassaci, bhante, saddhā atthi kusalesu dhammesu, hirī atthi kusalesu dhammesu, ottappaṁ atthi kusalesu dhammesu, vīriyaṁ atthi kusalesu dhammesu, paññā atthi kusalesu dhammesu, tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu, no parihāni.

Sir, whoever has faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom when it comes to skillful qualities can expect growth, not decline, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.

Seyyathāpi, bhante, juṇhapakkhe candassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, vaḍḍhateva vaṇṇena, vaḍḍhati maṇḍalena, vaḍḍhati ābhāya, vaḍḍhati ārohapariṇāhena. Evameva kho, bhante, yassa kassaci saddhā atthi kusalesu dhammesu … hirī atthi …pe… ottappaṁ atthi … vīriyaṁ atthi … paññā atthi kusalesu dhammesu tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu, no parihāni.

It’s like the moon in the waxing fortnight. Whether by day or by night, its beauty, roundness, luminosity, and diameter and circumference only grow. In the same way, whoever has faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom when it comes to skillful qualities can expect growth, not decline, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.

‘Saddho purisapuggalo’ti, bhante, aparihānametaṁ; ‘hirimā purisapuggalo’ti, bhante, aparihānametaṁ; ‘ottappī purisapuggalo’ti, bhante, aparihānametaṁ; ‘āraddhavīriyo purisapuggalo’ti, bhante, aparihānametaṁ; ‘paññavā purisapuggalo’ti, bhante, aparihānametaṁ; ‘akkodhano purisapuggalo’ti, bhante, aparihānametaṁ; ‘anupanāhī purisapuggalo’ti, bhante, aparihānametaṁ; ‘santi bhikkhū ovādakā’ti, bhante, aparihānametan”ti.

A faithful individual doesn’t decline. An individual with a conscience doesn’t decline. A prudent individual doesn’t decline. An energetic individual doesn’t decline. A wise individual doesn’t decline. A loving individual doesn’t decline. A kind individual doesn’t decline. When there are mendicant advisers there is no decline.”

“Sādhu sādhu, kassapa. Yassa kassaci, kassapa, saddhā natthi kusalesu dhammesu …pe… hirī natthi … ottappaṁ natthi … vīriyaṁ natthi … paññā natthi kusalesu dhammesu tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, hāniyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu, no vuddhi.

“Good, good, Kassapa! Whoever has no faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom when it comes to skillful qualities can expect decline, not growth …

Seyyathāpi, kassapa, kāḷapakkhe candassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, hāyateva vaṇṇena …pe… hāyati ārohapariṇāhena. Evameva kho, kassapa, yassa kassaci saddhā natthi kusalesu dhammesu …pe… hirī natthi … ottappaṁ natthi … vīriyaṁ natthi … paññā natthi kusalesu dhammesu tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, hāniyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu, no vuddhi. ‘Assaddho purisapuggalo’ti, kassapa, parihānametaṁ; ahiriko …pe… anottappī … kusīto … duppañño … kodhano … ‘upanāhī purisapuggalo’ti, kassapa, parihānametaṁ; ‘na santi bhikkhū ovādakā’ti, kassapa, parihānametaṁ.

When there are no mendicant advisers there is decline.

Yassa kassaci, kassapa, saddhā atthi kusalesu dhammesu …pe… hirī atthi … ottappaṁ atthi … vīriyaṁ atthi … paññā atthi kusalesu dhammesu tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu, no parihāni. Seyyathāpi, kassapa, juṇhapakkhe candassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, vaḍḍhateva vaṇṇena, vaḍḍhati maṇḍalena, vaḍḍhati ābhāya, vaḍḍhati ārohapariṇāhena. Evameva kho, kassapa, yassa kassaci saddhā atthi kusalesu dhammesu hirī atthi … ottappaṁ atthi … vīriyaṁ atthi … paññā atthi kusalesu dhammesu tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu, no parihāni.

Whoever has faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom when it comes to skillful qualities can expect growth, not decline …

‘Saddho purisapuggalo’ti, kassapa, aparihānametaṁ; hirimā …pe… ottappī … āraddhavīriyo … paññavā … akkodhano … ‘anupanāhī purisapuggalo’ti, kassapa, aparihānametaṁ; ‘santi bhikkhū ovādakā’ti, kassapa, aparihānametan”ti.

When there are mendicant advisers there is no decline.”