{"collection":"Anguttara Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_an7.31/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_an7.31","id":"suttacentral_an7.31","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/an7.31/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Anguttara Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"\u201cMendicants, there are these seven downfalls for a lay follower \u2026 There are these seven successes for 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 are the seven successes for a lay follower. A 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 these 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":"Downfalls for a Lay Follower","tradition":"Anguttara Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":279}