The Training of a Holy OneSugatavinayasutta

“Mendicants, a Holy One or a Holy One’s training remain in the world for the welfare and happiness of the people, out of sympathy for the world, for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans.“Sugato vā, bhikkhave, loke tiṭṭhamāno sugatavinayo vā tadassa bahujanahitāya bahujanasukhāya lokānukampāya atthāya hitāya sukhāya devamanussānaṁ.

And who is a Holy One?Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sugato? It’s when a Realized One arises in the world, perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.Idha, bhikkhave, tathāgato loke uppajjati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā. This is a Holy One.Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, sugato.

And what is the training of a Holy One?Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sugatavinayo? He teaches Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And he reveals a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure.So dhammaṁ deseti ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ, kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāseti. This is the training of a Holy One.Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, sugatavinayo. This is how a Holy One or a Holy One’s training remain in the world for the welfare and happiness of the people, out of sympathy for the world, for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans.Evaṁ sugato vā, bhikkhave, loke tiṭṭhamāno sugatavinayo vā tadassa bahujanahitāya bahujanasukhāya lokānukampāya atthāya hitāya sukhāya devamanussānanti.

These four things lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.Cattārome, bhikkhave, dhammā saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattanti. What four?Katame cattāro?

Firstly, the mendicants memorize discourses that they learned incorrectly, with misplaced words and phrases.Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhū duggahitaṁ suttantaṁ pariyāpuṇanti dunnikkhittehi padabyañjanehi. When the words and phrases are misplaced, the meaning is misinterpreted.Dunnikkhittassa, bhikkhave, padabyañjanassa atthopi dunnayo hoti. This is the first thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.

Furthermore, the mendicants are hard to admonish, having qualities that make them hard to admonish. They’re impatient, and don’t take instruction respectfully.Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū dubbacā honti dovacassakaraṇehi dhammehi samannāgatā akkhamā appadakkhiṇaggāhino anusāsaniṁ. This is the second thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.

Furthermore, the mendicants who are very learned—inheritors of the heritage, who have memorized the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines—don’t carefully make others recite the discourses.Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ye te bhikkhū bahussutā āgatāgamā dhammadharā vinayadharā mātikādharā, te na sakkaccaṁ suttantaṁ paraṁ vācenti. When they pass away, the discourses are cut off at the root, with no one to preserve them.Tesaṁ accayena chinnamūlako suttanto hoti appaṭisaraṇo. This is the third thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.

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.Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, therā bhikkhū bāhulikā honti sāthalikā, okkamane pubbaṅgamā, paviveke nikkhittadhurā, na vīriyaṁ ārabhanti appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya. Those who come after them follow their example.Tesaṁ pacchimā janatā diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjati. They too become indulgent and slack, leaders in backsliding, neglecting seclusion, not rousing energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.Sāpi hoti bāhulikā sāthalikā, okkamane pubbaṅgamā, paviveke nikkhittadhurā, na vīriyaṁ ārabhati appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya. This is the fourth thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.

These are four things that lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro dhammā saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattantīti.

These four things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.Cattārome, bhikkhave, dhammā saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattanti. What four?Katame cattāro?

Firstly, the mendicants memorize discourses that have been learned correctly, with well placed words and phrases.Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhū suggahitaṁ suttantaṁ pariyāpuṇanti sunikkhittehi padabyañjanehi. When the words and phrases are well placed, the meaning is interpreted correctly.Sunikkhittassa, bhikkhave, padabyañjanassa atthopi sunayo hoti. This is the first thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.

Furthermore, the mendicants are easy to admonish, having qualities that make them easy to admonish. They’re patient, and take instruction respectfully.Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū suvacā honti sovacassakaraṇehi dhammehi samannāgatā khamā padakkhiṇaggāhino anusāsaniṁ. This is the second thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.

Furthermore, the mendicants who are very learned—inheritors of the heritage, who have memorized the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines—carefully make others recite the discourses.Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ye te bhikkhū bahussutā āgatāgamā dhammadharā vinayadharā mātikādharā, te sakkaccaṁ suttantaṁ paraṁ vācenti. When they pass away, the discourses aren’t cut off at the root, and they have someone to preserve them.Tesaṁ accayena nacchinnamūlako suttanto hoti sappaṭisaraṇo. This is the third thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.

Furthermore, the senior mendicants are not indulgent or slack, nor are they backsliders; instead, they take the lead in seclusion, rousing energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, therā bhikkhū na bāhulikā honti na sāthalikā, okkamane nikkhittadhurā, paviveke pubbaṅgamā, vīriyaṁ ārabhanti appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya. Those who come after them follow their example.Tesaṁ pacchimā janatā diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjati. They too aren’t indulgent or slack …Sāpi hoti na bāhulikā na sāthalikā, okkamane nikkhittadhurā, paviveke pubbaṅgamā, vīriyaṁ ārabhati appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya. This is the fourth thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.

These are four things that lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.”Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro dhammā saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattantī”ti.