{"collection":"Anguttara Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_an7.29/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_an7.29","id":"suttacentral_an7.29","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/an7.29/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Anguttara Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"\u201cThese seven things lead to the decline of a lay follower. What seven? They miss out on seeing the mendicants. They neglect listening to the true teaching. They don\u2019t train in higher ethical conduct. They\u2019re very suspicious about mendicants, whether senior, junior, or middle. They listen to the teaching with a hostile, fault-finding mind. They seek outside of the Buddhist community for those worthy of religious donations. And they serve them first. These seven things lead to the decline of a lay follower. These seven things don\u2019t lead to the decline of a lay follower. What seven? They don\u2019t miss out on seeing the mendicants. They don\u2019t neglect listening to the true teaching. They train in higher ethical conduct. They\u2019re very confident about mendicants, whether senior, junior, or middle. They don\u2019t listen to the teaching with a hostile, fault-finding mind. They don\u2019t seek outside of the Buddhist community for those worthy of religious donations. And they serve the Buddhist community first. These seven things don\u2019t lead to the decline of a lay follower.\u201d That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say: \u201cA lay follower misses out on seeing those who are evolved and listening to the teachings of the Noble One. They don\u2019t train in higher ethical conduct, and their suspicion about mendicants just grows and grows. They want to listen to the true teaching with a fault-finding mind. They seek outside the Buddhist community for someone else worthy of religious donations, and that lay follower serves them first. These seven principles leading to decline have been well taught. A lay follower who practices them falls away from the true teaching. A lay follower doesn\u2019t miss out on seeing those who are evolved and listening to the teachings of the Noble One. They train in higher ethical conduct, and their confidence in mendicants just grows and grows. They want to listen to the true teaching without a fault-finding mind. They don\u2019t seek outside the Buddhist community for someone else worthy of religious donations, and that lay follower serves the Buddhist community first. These seven principles that prevent decline have been well taught. A lay follower who practices them doesn\u2019t fall away from the true teaching.\u201d","title":"Non-decline for a Lay Follower","tradition":"Anguttara Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":373}