{"collection":"Anguttara Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_an5.156/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_an5.156","id":"suttacentral_an5.156","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/an5.156/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Anguttara Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"\u201cMendicants, these five things lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching. What five? It\u2019s when the mendicants memorize discourses that they learned incorrectly, with misplaced words and phrases. When the words and phrases are misplaced, the meaning is misinterpreted. This is the first thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching. Furthermore, the mendicants are hard to admonish, having qualities that make them hard to admonish. They\u2019re impatient, and don\u2019t take instruction respectfully. This is the second thing \u2026 Furthermore, the mendicants who are very learned\u2014inheritors of the heritage, who have memorized the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines\u2014don\u2019t carefully make others recite the discourses. When they pass away, the discourses are cut off at the root, with no one to preserve them. This is the third thing \u2026 Furthermore, the senior mendicants are indulgent and slack, leaders in backsliding, neglecting seclusion, not rousing energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized. Those who come after them follow their example. They too are indulgent and slack \u2026 This is the fourth thing \u2026 Furthermore, there\u2019s a schism in the Sa\u1e45gha. When the Sa\u1e45gha is split, they abuse, insult, block, and forsake each other. This doesn\u2019t inspire confidence in those without it, and it causes some with confidence to change their minds. This is the fifth thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching. These five things lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching. These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching. What five? It\u2019s when the mendicants memorize discourses that have been learned correctly, with well placed words and phrases. When the words and phrases are well organized, the meaning is correctly interpreted. This is the first thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching. Furthermore, the mendicants are easy to admonish, having qualities that make them easy to admonish. They\u2019re patient, and take instruction respectfully. This is the second thing \u2026 Furthermore, the mendicants who are very learned\u2014inheritors of the heritage, who have memorized the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines\u2014carefully make others recite the discourses. When they pass away, the discourses aren\u2019t cut off at the root, and they have someone to preserve them. This is the third thing \u2026 Furthermore, the senior mendicants are not indulgent and slack, leaders in backsliding, neglecting seclusion. They rouse energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized. Those who come after them follow their example. They too are not indulgent or slack \u2026 This is the fourth thing \u2026 Furthermore, the Sa\u1e45gha lives comfortably, in harmony, appreciating each other, without dispute, with one recitation. When the Sa\u1e45gha is in harmony, they don\u2019t abuse, insult, block, or forsake each other. This inspires confidence in those without it, and increases confidence in those who have it. This is the fifth thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching. These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.\u201d","title":"The Decline of the True Teaching (3rd)","tradition":"Anguttara Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":519}