On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Kimbilā in a nicula grove. Then the Venerable Kimbila approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said:
“What is the cause and reason why, Bhante, the good Dhamma does not continue long after a Tathāgata has attained final nibbāna?”
“(1) Here, Kimbila, after a Tathāgata has attained final nibbāna, the bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, male lay followers, and female lay followers dwell without reverence and deference toward the Teacher. (2) They dwell without reverence and deference toward the Dhamma. (3) They dwell without reverence and deference toward the Saṅgha. (4) They dwell without reverence and deference toward the training. (5) They dwell without reverence and deference toward each other. This is the cause and reason why the good Dhamma does not continue long after a Tathāgata has attained final nibbāna.
“What is the cause and reason why, Bhante, the good Dhamma continues long after a Tathāgata has attained final nibbāna?”
“(1) Here, Kimbila, after a Tathāgata has attained final nibbāna, the bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, male lay followers, and female lay followers dwell with reverence and deference toward the Teacher. (2) They dwell with reverence and deference toward the Dhamma. (3) They dwell with reverence and deference toward the Saṅgha. (4) They dwell with reverence and deference toward the training. (5) They dwell with reverence and deference toward each other. This is the cause and reason why the good Dhamma continues long after a Tathāgata has attained final nibbāna.”
202 (2) Listening to the Dhamma
“Bhikkhus, there are these five benefits in listening to the Dhamma. What five? One hears what one has not heard; one clarifies what has been heard; one emerges from perplexity; one straightens out one’s view; one’s mind becomes placid. These are the five benefits in listening to the Dhamma.”
“Bhikkhus, possessing five factors, a king’s excellent thoroughbred horse is worthy of a king, an accessory of a king, and reckoned as a factor of kingship. What five? Rectitude, speed, gentleness, patience, and mildness. Possessing these five factors, a king’s excellent thoroughbred horse is ... reckoned as a factor of kingship.
“So too, possessing five qualities, a bhikkhu is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. What five? Rectitude, speed, gentleness, patience, and mildness. Possessing these five qualities, a bhikkhu is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these five powers. What five? The power of faith, the power of moral shame, the power of moral dread, the power of energy, and the power of wisdom. These are the five powers.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these five kinds of mental barrenness. What five?
(1) “Here, a bhikkhu is perplexed about the Teacher, doubts him, is not convinced about him, and does not place confidence in him. When a bhikkhu is perplexed about the Teacher, doubts him, is not convinced about him, and does not place confidence in him, his mind does not incline to ardor, effort, perseverance, and striving. Since his mind does not incline to ardor ... and striving, this is the first kind of mental barrenness.
(2) “Again, a bhikkhu is perplexed about the Dhamma, doubts it, is not convinced about it and does not place confidence in it. When a bhikkhu is perplexed about the Dhamma, doubts it, is not convinced about it and does not place confidence in it, his mind does not incline to ardor, effort, perseverance, and striving. Since his mind does not incline to ardor ... and striving, this is the second kind of mental barrenness.
(3) “Again, a bhikkhu is perplexed about the Saṅgha, doubts it, is not convinced about it, and does not place confidence in it. When a bhikkhu is perplexed about the Saṅgha, doubts it, is not convinced about it and does not place confidence in it, his mind does not incline to ardor, effort, perseverance, and striving. Since his mind does not incline to ardor ... and striving, this is the third kind of mental barrenness.
(4) “Again, a bhikkhu is perplexed about the training, doubts it, is not convinced about it, and does not place confidence in it. When a bhikkhu is perplexed about the training, doubts it, is not convinced about it, and does not place confidence in it, his mind does not incline to ardor, effort, perseverance, and striving. Since his mind does not incline to ardor ... and striving, this is the fourth kind of mental barrenness.
(5) “Again, a bhikkhu is irritated by his fellow monks, displeased with them, resentful toward them, ill disposed toward them. When a bhikkhu is irritated by his fellow monks, displeased with them, resentful toward them, ill disposed toward them, his mind does not incline to ardor, effort, perseverance, and striving. Since his mind does not incline to ardor ... and striving, this is the fifth kind of mental barrenness.
“These, bhikkhus, are the five kinds of mental barrenness.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these five bondages of the mind. What five?
(1) “Here, a bhikkhu is not devoid of lust for sensual pleasures, not devoid of desire, affection, thirst, passion, and craving for them. When a bhikkhu is not devoid of lust for sensual pleasures, not devoid of desire, affection, thirst, passion, and craving for them, his mind does not incline to ardor, effort, perseverance, and striving. Since his mind does not incline to ardor ... and striving, this is the first bondage of the mind.
(2) “Again, a bhikkhu is not devoid of lust for the body, not devoid of desire, affection, thirst, passion, and craving for it. When a bhikkhu is not devoid of lust for the body, not devoid of desire, affection, thirst, passion, and craving for it, his mind does not incline to ardor, effort, perseverance, and striving. Since his mind does not incline to ardor ... and striving, this is the second bondage of the mind.
(3) “Again, a bhikkhu is not devoid of lust for form, not devoid of desire, affection, thirst, passion, and craving for it. When a bhikkhu is not devoid of lust for form, not devoid of desire, affection, thirst, passion, and craving for it, his mind does not incline to ardor, effort, perseverance, and striving. Since his mind does not incline to ardor ... and striving, this is the third bondage of the mind.
(4) “Again, having eaten as much as he wants until his belly is full, a bhikkhu yields to the pleasure of rest, the pleasure of sloth, the pleasure of sleep. When a bhikkhu ... yields to the pleasure of rest, the pleasure of sloth, the pleasure of sleep, his mind does not incline to ardor, effort, perseverance, and striving. Since his mind does not incline to ardor ... and striving, this is the fourth bondage of the mind.
(5) “Again, a bhikkhu lives the spiritual life aspiring for [rebirth in] a certain order of devas, thinking: ‘By this virtuous behavior, observance, austerity, or spiritual life I will be a deva or one [in the retinue] of the devas.’ When he lives the spiritual life aspiring for [rebirth in] a certain order of devas ... his mind does not incline to ardor, effort, perseverance, and striving. Since his mind does not incline to ardor ... and striving, this is the fifth bondage of the mind.
“These, bhikkhus, are the five bondages of the mind.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these five benefits in rice porridge. What five? It stills hunger, dispels thirst, settles wind, cleans out the bladder, and promotes the digestion of the remnants of undigested food. These are the five benefits in rice porridge.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these five dangers in not brushing one’s teeth. What five? It is bad for one’s eyes; one’s breath stinks; one’s taste buds are not purified; bile and phlegm envelop one’s food; and one’s food does not agree with one. These are the five dangers in not brushing one’s teeth.
“Bhikkhus, there are these five benefits in brushing one’s teeth. What five? It is good for one’s eyes; one’s breath does not stink; one’s taste buds are purified; bile and phlegm do not envelop one’s food; and one’s food agrees with one. These are the five benefits in brushing one’s teeth.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these five dangers in reciting the Dhamma with a drawn-out, song-like intonation. What five? (1) One becomes infatuated with one’s own intonation. (2) Others become infatuated with one’s intonation. (3) Householders complain: ‘Just as we sing, so, too, do these ascetics who follow the son of the Sakyans.’ (4) There is a disruption of concentration for one wanting to refine the intonation. (5) [Those in] the next generation follow one’s example. These are the five dangers in reciting the Dhamma with a drawn-out, song-like intonation.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these five dangers for one who falls asleep with a muddled mind, lacking clear comprehension. What five? He sleeps badly; he awakens miserably; he has bad dreams; the deities do not protect him; and semen is emitted. These are the five dangers for one who falls asleep with a muddled mind, lacking clear comprehension.
“Bhikkhus, there are these five benefits for one who falls asleep mindfully and with clear comprehension. What five? He sleeps well; he awakens happily; he does not have bad dreams; deities protect him; and semen is not emitted. These are the five benefits for one who falls asleep mindfully and with clear comprehension.”