The Decline of the True Teaching (2nd)Dutiyasaddhammasammosasutta

“Mendicants, these five things lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.“Pañcime, bhikkhave, dhammā saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattanti. What five?Katame pañca?

It’s when the mendicants don’t memorize the teaching—Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhū dhammaṁ na pariyāpuṇanti— statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations.suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. 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 don’t explain the teaching in detail to others as they learned and memorized it.Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ na vitthārena paresaṁ desenti. This is the second thing …Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.

Furthermore, the mendicants don’t make others recite the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it.Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ na vitthārena paraṁ vācenti. This is the third thing …Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.

Furthermore, the mendicants don’t rehearse the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it.Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ na vitthārena sajjhāyaṁ karonti. This is the fourth thing …Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.

Furthermore, the mendicants don’t think about and consider the teaching in their hearts, examining it with their minds as they learned and memorized it.Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ na cetasā anuvitakkenti anuvicārenti manasānupekkhanti. This is the fifth thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, pañcamo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattati.

These five things lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca dhammā saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṁvattanti.

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

It’s when the mendicants memorize the teaching—Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhū dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇanti— statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations.suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. 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 explain the teaching in detail to others as they learned and memorized it.Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena paresaṁ desenti. This is the second thing …Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.

Furthermore, the mendicants make others recite the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it.Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena paraṁ vācenti. This is the third thing …Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.

Furthermore, the mendicants rehearse the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it.Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena sajjhāyaṁ karonti. This is the fourth thing …Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.

Furthermore, the mendicants think about and consider the teaching in their hearts, examining it with their minds as they learned and memorized it.Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ cetasā anuvitakkenti anuvicārenti manasānupekkhanti. This is the fifth thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, pañcamo dhammo saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṁvattati.

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