“Bhikkhus, there are these four faculties. What four? The faculty of faith, the faculty of energy, the faculty of mindfulness, and the faculty of concentration. These are the four faculties.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these four powers. What four? The power of faith, the power of energy, the power of mindfulness, and the power of concentration. These are the four powers.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these four powers. What four? The power of wisdom, the power of energy, the power of blamelessness, and the power of sustaining a favorable relationship. These are the four powers.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these four powers. What four? The power of mindfulness, the power of concentration, the power of blamelessness, and the power of sustaining a favorable relationship. These are the four powers.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these four powers. What four? The power of reflection, the power of development, the power of blamelessness, and the power of sustaining a favorable relationship. These are the four powers.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these four incalculable divisions of an eon. What four?
(1) “The time during which an eon dissolves, which cannot easily be calculated as ‘so many years’ or ‘so many hundreds of years’ or ‘so many thousands of years’ or ‘so many hundreds of thousands of years.’
(2) “The time during which an eon remains in a state of dissolution, which cannot easily be calculated as ‘so many years’ or ‘so many hundreds of years’ or ‘so many thousands of years’ or ‘so many hundreds of thousands of years.’
(3) “The time during which an eon evolves, which cannot easily be calculated as ‘so many years’ or ‘so many hundreds of years’ or ‘so many thousands of years’ or ‘so many hundreds of thousands of years.’
(4) “The time during which an eon remains in a state of evolution, which cannot easily be calculated as ‘so many years’ or ‘so many hundreds of years’ or ‘so many thousands of years’ or ‘so many hundreds of thousands of years.’
“These, bhikkhus, are the four incalculable divisions of an eon.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these two kinds of illness. Which two?
Bodily illness and mental illness. People are found who can claim to enjoy bodily health for one, two, three, four, and five years; for ten, twenty, thirty, forty, and fifty years; and even for a hundred years and more. But apart from those whose taints have been destroyed, it is hard to find people in the world who can claim to enjoy mental health even for a moment.
“There are, bhikkhus, these four illnesses incurred by a monk. What four? (1) Here, a bhikkhu has strong desires, undergoes distress, and is not content with any kind of robe, almsfood, lodging, or medicines and provisions for the sick. (2) Because he has strong desires, undergoes distress, and is not content with any kind of robe, almsfood, lodging, and medicines and provisions for the sick, he submits to evil desire for recognition and for gain, honor, and praise. (3) He arouses himself, strives, and makes an effort to obtain recognition and gain, honor, and praise. (4) He cunningly approaches families, cunningly sits down, cunningly speaks on the Dhamma, and cunningly holds in his excrement and urine. These are the four illnesses incurred by a monk.
“Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will not have strong desires or undergo distress, and we will not be discontent with any kind of robe, almsfood, lodging, and medicines and provisions for the sick. We will not submit to evil desires for recognition and for gain, honor, and praise. We will not arouse ourselves, strive, and make an effort to obtain recognition and gain, honor, and praise. We will patiently endure cold and heat, hunger and thirst; contact with flies, mosquitoes, wind, the burning sun, and serpents; rude and offensive ways of speech; we will bear up with arisen bodily feelings that are painful, racking, sharp, piercing, harrowing, disagreeable, sapping one’s vitality.’ It is in this way, bhikkhus, that you should train yourselves.”
There the Venerable Sāriputta addressed the bhikkhus: “Friends, bhikkhus!”
“Friend!” those bhikkhus replied. The Venerable Sāriputta said this:
“Friends, any bhikkhu or bhikkhunī who observes four things inwardly can come to the conclusion: ‘I am declining in wholesome qualities. This is called decline by the Blessed One.’ What four? An abundance of lust, an abundance of hatred, an abundance of delusion, and his wisdom eye does not tread in the deep matters of what is possible and impossible. Any bhikkhu or bhikkhunī who observes these four things inwardly can come to the conclusion: ‘I am declining in wholesome qualities. This is called decline by the Blessed One.’
“Friends, any bhikkhu or bhikkhunī who observes four things inwardly can come to the conclusion: ‘I am not declining in wholesome qualities. This is called non-decline by the Blessed One.’ What four? The diminishing of lust, the diminishing of hatred, the diminishing of delusion, and his wisdom eye treads in the deep matters of what is possible and impossible. Any bhikkhu or bhikkhunī who observes these four things inwardly can come to the conclusion: ‘I am not declining in wholesome qualities. This is called non-decline by the Blessed One.’”
On one occasion the Venerable Ānanda was dwelling at Kosambī in Ghosita’s Park. Then a certain bhikkhunī addressed a man thus: ‘Come, good man, approach Master Ānanda and pay homage to him in my name with your head at his feet. Then say: ‘Bhante, the bhikkhunī so-and-so is sick, afflicted, gravely ill. She pays homage to Master Ānanda with her head at his feet.’ Then say: ‘It would be good, Bhante, if, out of compassion, Master Ānanda would come to visit that bhikkhunī in the bhikkhunīs’ quarters.’”
“Yes, noble lady,” that man replied. He then approached the Venerable Ānanda, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and delivered his message. The Venerable Ānanda consented by silence.
Then the Venerable Ānanda dressed, took his bowl and robe, and went to the bhikkhunīs’ quarters. When that bhikkhunī saw the Venerable Ānanda coming in the distance, she covered herself from the head down and lay down on her bed. Then the Venerable Ānanda approached that bhikkhunī, sat down in the appointed seat, and said to her:
“Sister, this body has originated from nutriment; in dependence on nutriment, nutriment is to be abandoned. This body has originated from craving; in dependence on craving, craving is to be abandoned. This body has originated from conceit; in dependence on conceit, conceit is to be abandoned. This body has originated from sexual intercourse, but in regard to sexual intercourse the Blessed One has declared the demolition of the bridge.
(1) “When it was said: ‘This body, sister, has originated from nutriment; in dependence on nutriment, nutriment is to be abandoned,’ for what reason was this said? Here, sister, reflecting carefully, a bhikkhu consumes food neither for amusement nor for intoxication nor for the sake of physical beauty and attractiveness, but only for the support and maintenance of this body, for avoiding harm, and for assisting the spiritual life, considering: ‘Thus I shall terminate the old feeling and not arouse a new feeling, and I shall be healthy and blameless and dwell at ease.’ Some time later, in dependence upon nutriment, he abandons nutriment. When it was said: ‘This body, sister, has originated from nutriment; in dependence on nutriment, nutriment is to be abandoned,’ it is because of this that this was said.
(2) “When it was said: ‘This body has originated from craving; in dependence on craving, craving is to be abandoned,’ for what reason was this said? Here, sister, a bhikkhu hears: ‘The bhikkhu named so-and-so, with the destruction of the taints, has realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, he dwells in it.’ He thinks: ‘When will I, with the destruction of the taints, realize for myself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, dwell in it?’ Some time later, in dependence upon craving, he abandons craving. When it was said: ‘This body has originated from craving; in dependence on craving, craving is to be abandoned,’ it was because of this that this was said.
(3) “When it was said: ‘This body has originated from conceit; in dependence on conceit, conceit is to be abandoned.’ With reference to what was this said? Here, sister, a bhikkhu hears: ‘The bhikkhu named so-and-so, with the destruction of the taints, has realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, he dwells in it.’ He thinks: ‘That venerable one, with the destruction of the taints, has realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, he dwells in it. Why, so can I!’ Some time later, in dependence upon conceit, he abandons conceit. When it was said: ‘This body has originated from conceit; in dependence on conceit, conceit is to be abandoned,’ it was because of this that this was said.
(4) “This body, sister, has originated from sexual intercourse, but in regard to sexual intercourse the Blessed One has declared the demolition of the bridge.”
Then that bhikkhunī got up from her bed, arranged her upper robe over one shoulder, and having prostrated herself with her head at the Venerable Ānanda’s feet, she said to the Venerable Ānanda: “Bhante, I have committed a transgression in that I so foolishly, stupidly, and unskillfully behaved as I did. Bhante, may Master Ānanda accept my transgression seen as a transgression for the sake of future restraint.”
“Surely, sister, you have committed a transgression in that you so foolishly, stupidly, and unskillfully behaved as you did. But since you see your transgression as a transgression and make amends for it in accordance with the Dhamma, we accept it. For it is growth in the Noble One’s discipline that one sees one’s transgression as a transgression, makes amends for it in accordance with the Dhamma, and undertakes future restraint.”
“Bhikkhus, while the Fortunate One or the Fortunate One’s discipline remains in the world, this is for the welfare of many people, for the happiness of many people, out of compassion for the world, for the good, welfare, and happiness of devas and humans.
“And who, bhikkhus, is the Fortunate One? Here, the Tathāgata arises in the world, an arahant, perfectly enlightened, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, fortunate, knower of the world, unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One. This is the Fortunate One.
“And what is the Fortunate One’s discipline? He teaches the Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing; he reveals the perfectly complete and pure spiritual life. This is the Fortunate One’s discipline. Thus while the Fortunate One or the Fortunate One’s discipline remains in the world, this is for the welfare of many people, for the happiness of many people, out of compassion for the world, for the good, welfare, and happiness of devas and humans.
“There are, bhikkhus, these four things that lead to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma. What four?
(1) “Here, the bhikkhus learn discourses that have been badly acquired, with badly set down words and phrases. When the words and phrases are badly set down, the meaning is badly interpreted. This is the first thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma.
(2) “Again, the bhikkhus are difficult to correct and possess qualities that make them difficult to correct. They are impatient and do not accept instruction respectfully. This is the second thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma.
(3) “Again, those bhikkhus who are learned, heirs to the heritage, experts on the Dhamma, experts on the discipline, experts on the outlines, do not respectfully teach the discourses to others. When they have passed away, the discourses are cut off at the root, left without anyone to preserve them. This is the third thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma.
(4) “Again, the elder bhikkhus are luxurious and lax, leaders in backsliding, discarding the duty of solitude; they do not arouse energy for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. [Those in] the next generation follow their example. They, too, become luxurious and lax, leaders in backsliding, discarding the duty of solitude; they, too, do not arouse energy for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. This is the fourth thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma.
“These are the four things that lead to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma.
“There are, bhikkhus, these four [other] things that lead to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma. What four?
(1) “Here, the bhikkhus learn discourses that have been well acquired, with well set down words and phrases. When the words and phrases are well set down, the meaning is well interpreted. This is the first thing that leads to the continuation, nondecline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma.
(2) “Again, the bhikkhus are easy to correct and possess qualities that make them easy to correct. They are patient and accept instruction respectfully. This is the second thing that leads to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma.
(3) “Again, those bhikkhus who are learned, heirs to the heritage, experts on the Dhamma, experts on the discipline, experts on the outlines, respectfully teach the discourses to others. When they have passed away, the discourses are not cut off at the root for there are those who preserve them. This is the third thing that leads to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma.
(4) “Again, the elder bhikkhus are not luxurious and lax, but they discard backsliding and take the lead in solitude; they arouse energy for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. [Those in] the next generation follow their example. They, too, do not become luxurious and lax, but they discard backsliding and take the lead in solitude; they, too, arouse energy for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved, for the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. This is the fourth thing that leads to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four things that lead to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma.”