Decline Parihānasutta

There Sāriputta addressed the mendicants: Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi: “Reverends, mendicants!” “āvuso bhikkhave”ti.

“Reverend,” they replied. “Āvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ. Sāriputta said this: Āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca:

“Reverends, they speak of an individual liable to decline, “‘Parihānadhammo puggalo, parihānadhammo puggalo’ti, āvuso, vuccati. and one not liable to decline. ‘Aparihānadhammo puggalo, aparihānadhammo puggalo’ti, āvuso, vuccati. But how did the Buddha define an individual liable to decline, and one not liable to decline?” Kittāvatā nu kho, āvuso, parihānadhammo puggalo vutto bhagavatā, kittāvatā ca pana aparihānadhammo puggalo vutto bhagavatā”ti?

“Reverend, we would travel a long way to learn the meaning of this statement in the presence of Venerable Sāriputta. “Dūratopi kho mayaṁ, āvuso, āgacchāma āyasmato sāriputtassa santike etassa bhāsitassa atthamaññātuṁ. May Venerable Sāriputta himself please clarify the meaning of this. Sādhu vatāyasmantaṁyeva sāriputtaṁ paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. The mendicants will listen and remember it.” Āyasmato sāriputtassa sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.

“Then listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Tenahāvuso, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Yes, reverend,” they replied. “Evamāvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ. Sāriputta said this: Āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca:

“How did the Buddha define an individual liable to decline? “Kittāvatā nu kho, āvuso, parihānadhammo puggalo vutto bhagavatā? It’s when a mendicant doesn’t get to hear a teaching they haven’t heard before. They forget those teachings they have heard. They don’t keep exercising the teachings with which they are already familiar. And they don’t come to understand what they haven’t understood before. Idhāvuso, bhikkhu assutañceva dhammaṁ na suṇāti, sutā cassa dhammā sammosaṁ gacchanti, ye cassa dhammā pubbe cetaso asamphuṭṭhapubbā te cassa na samudācaranti, aviññātañceva na vijānāti. That’s how the Buddha defined an individual liable to decline. Ettāvatā kho, āvuso, parihānadhammo puggalo vutto bhagavatā.

And how did the Buddha define an individual not liable to decline? Kittāvatā ca panāvuso, aparihānadhammo puggalo vutto bhagavatā? It’s when a mendicant gets to hear a teaching they haven’t heard before. They remember those teachings they have heard. They keep exercising the teachings with which they are already familiar. And they come to understand what they haven’t understood before. Idhāvuso, bhikkhu assutañceva dhammaṁ suṇāti, sutā cassa dhammā na sammosaṁ gacchanti, ye cassa dhammā pubbe cetaso asamphuṭṭhapubbā te cassa samudācaranti, aviññātañceva vijānāti. That’s how the Buddha defined an individual not liable to decline. Ettāvatā kho, āvuso, aparihānadhammo puggalo vutto bhagavatā.

If a mendicant isn’t skilled in encompassing another’s mind, then they should train themselves: ‘I will be skilled in encompassing my own mind.’ No ce, āvuso, bhikkhu paracittapariyāyakusalo hoti, atha ‘sacittapariyāyakusalo bhavissāmī’ti—evañhi vo, āvuso, sikkhitabbaṁ.

And how is a mendicant skilled in encompassing their own mind? Kathañcāvuso, bhikkhu sacittapariyāyakusalo hoti? Suppose there was a woman or man who was young, youthful, and fond of adornments, and they check their own reflection in a clean bright mirror or a clear bowl of water. If they see any dirt or blemish there, they’d try to remove it. Seyyathāpi, āvuso, itthī vā puriso vā daharo yuvā maṇḍanakajātiko ādāse vā parisuddhe pariyodāte acche vā udapatte sakaṁ mukhanimittaṁ paccavekkhamāno sace tattha passati rajaṁ vā aṅgaṇaṁ vā, tasseva rajassa vā aṅgaṇassa vā pahānāya vāyamati. But if they don’t see any dirt or blemish there, they’re happy with that, as they’ve got all they wished for: No ce tattha passati rajaṁ vā aṅgaṇaṁ vā, tenevattamano hoti paripuṇṇasaṅkappo: ‘How fortunate that I’m clean!’ ‘lābhā vata me, parisuddhaṁ vata me’ti.

In the same way, checking is very helpful for a mendicant’s skillful qualities. Evameva kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno paccavekkhaṇā bahukārā hoti kusalesu dhammesu: ‘Is contentment often found in me or not? Is kind-heartedness often found in me or not? Is freedom from dullness and drowsiness often found in me or not? Is calm often found in me or not? Is confidence often found in me or not? Is love often found in me or not? Is purity of mind often found in me or not? Is internal joy with the teaching found in me or not? Is internal serenity of heart found in me or not? Is the higher wisdom of discernment of principles found in me or not?’ ‘anabhijjhālu nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no, abyāpannacitto nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no, vigatathinamiddho nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no, anuddhato nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no, tiṇṇavicikiccho nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no, akkodhano nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no, asaṅkiliṭṭhacitto nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no, lābhī nu khomhi ajjhattaṁ dhammapāmojjassa, saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no, lābhī nu khomhi ajjhattaṁ cetosamathassa, saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no, lābhī nu khomhi adhipaññādhammavipassanāya, saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no’ti.

Suppose a mendicant, while checking, doesn’t see any of these skillful qualities in themselves. In order to get them they should apply extraordinary enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness. Sace pana, āvuso, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno sabbepime kusale dhamme attani na samanupassati, tenāvuso, bhikkhunā sabbesaṁyeva imesaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ paṭilābhāya adhimatto chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca karaṇīyaṁ. Suppose your clothes or head were on fire. In order to extinguish it, you’d apply extraordinary enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness. Seyyathāpi, āvuso, ādittacelo vā ādittasīso vā. Tasseva celassa vā sīsassa vā nibbāpanāya adhimattaṁ chandañca vāyāmañca ussāhañca ussoḷhiñca appaṭivāniñca satiñca sampajaññañca kareyya. In the same way, they should apply extraordinary enthusiasm to get those skillful qualities … Evamevaṁ kho, āvuso, tena bhikkhunā sabbesaṁyeva kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ paṭilābhāya adhimatto chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca karaṇīyaṁ.

Suppose a mendicant, while checking, sees some of these skillful qualities in themselves, but doesn’t see others. Grounded on the skillful qualities they see, they should apply extraordinary enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness in order to get the skillful qualities they don’t see. Sace panāvuso, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno ekacce kusale dhamme attani samanupassati, ekacce kusale dhamme attani na samanupassati, tenāvuso, bhikkhunā ye kusale dhamme attani samanupassati tesu kusalesu dhammesu patiṭṭhāya, ye kusale dhamme attani na samanupassati tesaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ paṭilābhāya adhimatto chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca karaṇīyaṁ. Suppose your clothes or head were on fire. In order to extinguish it, you’d apply extraordinary enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness. Seyyathāpi, āvuso, ādittacelo vā ādittasīso vā. Tasseva celassa vā sīsassa vā nibbāpanāya adhimattaṁ chandañca vāyāmañca ussāhañca ussoḷhiñca appaṭivāniñca satiñca sampajaññañca kareyya. In the same way, grounded on the skillful qualities they see, they should apply extraordinary enthusiasm to get those skillful qualities they don’t see. Evamevaṁ kho, āvuso, tena bhikkhunā ye kusale dhamme attani samanupassati tesu kusalesu dhammesu patiṭṭhāya, ye kusale dhamme attani na samanupassati tesaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ paṭilābhāya adhimatto chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca karaṇīyaṁ.

But suppose a mendicant, while checking, sees all of these skillful qualities in themselves. Grounded on all these skillful qualities they should practice meditation further to end the defilements.” Sace panāvuso, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno sabbepime kusale dhamme attani samanupassati, tenāvuso, bhikkhunā sabbesveva imesu kusalesu dhammesu patiṭṭhāya uttari āsavānaṁ khayāya yogo karaṇīyo”ti.