At Naḷakapāna (1st)Paṭhamanaḷakapānasutta

At one time the Buddha was wandering in the land of the Kosalans together with a large Saṅgha of monks when he arrived at a town of the Kosalans named Naḷakapāna.Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ yena naḷakapānaṁ nāma kosalānaṁ nigamo tadavasari. There the Buddha stayed near Naḷakapāna in the grove of flame-of-the-forest trees.Tatra sudaṁ bhagavā naḷakapāne viharati palāsavane. Now, at that time it was the sabbath, and the Buddha was sitting surrounded by the Saṅgha of monks.Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā tadahuposathe bhikkhusaṅghaparivuto nisinno hoti. The Buddha spent much of the night educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the monks with a Dhamma talk. Then he looked around the Saṅgha of monks, who were so very silent. He addressed Venerable Sāriputta:Atha kho bhagavā bahudeva rattiṁ bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassetvā samādapetvā samuttejetvā sampahaṁsetvā tuṇhībhūtaṁ tuṇhībhūtaṁ bhikkhusaṅghaṁ anuviloketvā āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ āmantesi:

“Sāriputta, the Saṅgha of monks is rid of dullness and drowsiness.“Vigatathinamiddho kho, sāriputta, bhikkhusaṅgho. Give them some Dhamma talk as you feel inspired.Paṭibhātu taṁ, sāriputta, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammī kathā. My back is sore,Piṭṭhi me āgilāyati; I’ll stretch it.”tamahaṁ āyamissāmī”ti.

“Yes, sir,” Sāriputta replied.“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā sāriputto bhagavato paccassosi.

And then the Buddha spread out his outer robe folded in four and laid down in the lion’s posture—on the right side, placing one foot on top of the other—mindful and aware, and focused on the time of getting up.Atha kho bhagavā catugguṇaṁ saṅghāṭiṁ paññāpetvā dakkhiṇena passena sīhaseyyaṁ kappesi pāde pādaṁ accādhāya sato sampajāno uṭṭhānasaññaṁ manasi karitvā. There Sāriputta addressed the monks:Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi: “Reverends, monks!”“āvuso bhikkhave”ti.

“Reverend,” they replied.“Āvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ. Sāriputta said this:Āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca:

“Reverends, whoever has no faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom when it comes to skillful qualities“Yassa kassaci, āvuso, saddhā natthi kusalesu dhammesu, hirī natthi … can expect decline, not growth, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.paññā natthi kusalesu dhammesu, tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, hāniyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu no vuddhi. It’s like the moon in the waning fortnight. Whether by day or by night, its beauty, roundness, luminosity, and diameter and circumference only decline.Seyyathāpi, āvuso, kāḷapakkhe candassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, hāyateva vaṇṇena hāyati maṇḍalena hāyati ābhāya hāyati ārohapariṇāhena; In the same way, whoever has no faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom when it comes to skillful qualitiesevamevaṁ kho, āvuso, yassa kassaci saddhā natthi kusalesu dhammesu, hirī natthi … can expect decline, not growth, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.paññā natthi kusalesu dhammesu, tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, hāniyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu no vuddhi.

A faithless individual is in decline.‘Assaddho purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, parihānametaṁ; An individual with no conscience is in decline.‘ahiriko purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, parihānametaṁ; An imprudent individual is in decline.‘anottappī purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, parihānametaṁ; A lazy individual is in decline.‘kusīto purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, parihānametaṁ; A witless individual is in decline.‘duppañño purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, parihānametaṁ; An irritable individual is in decline.‘kodhano purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, parihānametaṁ; An acrimonious individual is in decline.‘upanāhī purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, parihānametaṁ; An individual with corrupt wishes is in decline.‘pāpiccho purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, parihānametaṁ; An individual with bad friends is in decline.‘pāpamitto purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, parihānametaṁ; An individual with wrong view is in decline.‘micchādiṭṭhiko purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, parihānametaṁ.

Whoever has faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom when it comes to skillful qualitiesYassa kassaci, āvuso, saddhā atthi kusalesu dhammesu, hirī atthi … can expect growth, not decline, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.paññā atthi kusalesu dhammesu, tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu no parihāni. It’s like the moon in the waxing fortnight. Whether by day or by night, its beauty, roundness, luminosity, and diameter and circumference only grow.Seyyathāpi, āvuso, juṇhapakkhe candassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, vaḍḍhateva vaṇṇena vaḍḍhati maṇḍalena vaḍḍhati ābhāya vaḍḍhati ārohapariṇāhena; In the same way, whoever has faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom when it comes to skillful qualitiesevamevaṁ kho, āvuso, yassa kassaci saddhā atthi kusalesu dhammesu, hirī atthi … can expect growth, not decline, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.paññā atthi kusalesu dhammesu, tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu no parihāni.

A faithful individual doesn’t decline.‘Saddho purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, aparihānametaṁ; An individual with a conscience doesn’t decline.‘hirīmā purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, aparihānametaṁ; A prudent individual doesn’t decline.‘ottappī purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, aparihānametaṁ; An energetic individual doesn’t decline.‘āraddhavīriyo purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, aparihānametaṁ; A wise individual doesn’t decline.‘paññavā purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, aparihānametaṁ; A loving individual doesn’t decline.‘akkodhano purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, aparihānametaṁ; A kind individual doesn’t decline.‘anupanāhī purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, aparihānametaṁ; An individual with few desires doesn’t decline.‘appiccho purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, aparihānametaṁ; An individual with good friends doesn’t decline.‘kalyāṇamitto purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, aparihānametaṁ; An individual with right view doesn’t decline.”‘sammādiṭṭhiko purisapuggalo’ti, āvuso, aparihānametan”ti.

Then the Buddha got up and said to Venerable Sāriputta:Atha kho bhagavā paccuṭṭhāya āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ āmantesi:

“Good, good, Sāriputta!“sādhu sādhu, sāriputta. Whoever has no faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom when it comes to skillful qualitiesYassa kassaci, sāriputta, saddhā natthi kusalesu dhammesu, hirī natthi … can expect decline, not growth, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.paññā natthi kusalesu dhammesu, tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, hāniyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu no vuddhi. It’s like the moon in the waning fortnight. Whether by day or by night, its beauty, roundness, luminosity, and diameter and circumference only decline.Seyyathāpi, sāriputta, kāḷapakkhe candassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, hāyateva vaṇṇena hāyati maṇḍalena hāyati ābhāya hāyati ārohapariṇāhena; In the same way, whoever has no faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom when it comes to skillful qualitiesevamevaṁ kho, sāriputta, yassa kassaci saddhā natthi kusalesu dhammesu …pe… can expect decline, not growth, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.paññā natthi kusalesu dhammesu, tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā …pe… no vuddhi.

A faithless individual is in decline.‘Assaddho purisapuggalo’ti, sāriputta, parihānametaṁ; An individual with no conscience …ahiriko … imprudent …anottappī … lazy …kusīto … witless …duppañño … irritable …kodhano … acrimonious …upanāhī … with corrupt wishes …pāpiccho … bad friends …pāpamitto … An individual with wrong view is in decline.‘micchādiṭṭhiko purisapuggalo’ti, sāriputta, parihānametaṁ.

Whoever has faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom when it comes to skillful qualitiesYassa kassaci, sāriputta, saddhā atthi kusalesu dhammesu, hirī atthi … can expect growth, not decline, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.paññā atthi kusalesu dhammesu, tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu no parihāni. It’s like the moon in the waxing fortnight. Whether by day or by night, its beauty, roundness, luminosity, and diameter and circumference only grow.Seyyathāpi, sāriputta, juṇhapakkhe candassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, vaḍḍhateva vaṇṇena vaḍḍhati maṇḍalena vaḍḍhati ābhāya vaḍḍhati ārohapariṇāhena; In the same way, whoever has faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom when it comes to skillful qualitiesevamevaṁ kho, sāriputta, yassa kassaci saddhā atthi kusalesu dhammesu, hirī atthi … can expect growth, not decline, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.paññā atthi kusalesu dhammesu, tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu no parihāni.

A faithful individual doesn’t decline.‘Saddho purisapuggalo’ti, sāriputta, aparihānametaṁ; A conscientious individual …hirīmā … prudent …ottappī … energetic …āraddhavīriyo … wise …paññavā … loving …akkodhano … kind …anupanāhī … with few desires …appiccho … good friends …kalyāṇamitto … An individual with right view doesn’t decline.”‘sammādiṭṭhiko purisapuggalo’ti, sāriputta, aparihānametan”ti.