Liable to DeclineParihānadhammasutta

“Mendicants, I will teach you who is liable to decline, who is not liable to decline, and the six fields of mastery.“Parihānadhammañca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi aparihānadhammañca cha ca abhibhāyatanāni. Listen …Taṁ suṇātha.

And how is someone liable to decline?Kathañca, bhikkhave, parihānadhammo hoti? When a mendicant sees a sight with their eyes, bad, unskillful phenomena arise: memories and thoughts that tighten the fetters.Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā uppajjanti pāpakā akusalā sarasaṅkappā saṁyojaniyā. Suppose that mendicant tolerates them and doesn’t give them up, dispel them, eliminate them, and obliterate them. They should understand:Tañce bhikkhu adhivāseti nappajahati na vinodeti na byantīkaroti na anabhāvaṁ gameti, veditabbametaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā: ‘My skillful qualities are declining.‘parihāyāmi kusalehi dhammehi’. For this is what the Buddha calls decline.’Parihānañhetaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatāti …pe….

Furthermore, when a mendicant hears a sound … smells an odor … tastes a flavor … encounters a touch …Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā uppajjanti …pe… knows an idea with their mind, bad, unskillful phenomena arise: memories and thoughts that tighten the fetters.puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno manasā dhammaṁ viññāya uppajjanti pāpakā akusalā sarasaṅkappā saṁyojaniyā. If that mendicant tolerates them and doesn’t give them up, dispel them, eliminate them, and obliterate them, they should understand:Tañce bhikkhu adhivāseti nappajahati na vinodeti na byantīkaroti na anabhāvaṁ gameti, veditabbametaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā: ‘My skillful qualities are declining.‘parihāyāmi kusalehi dhammehi’. For this is what the Buddha calls decline.’Parihānañhetaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatāti. That’s how someone is liable to decline.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, parihānadhammo hoti.

And how is someone not liable to decline?Kathañca, bhikkhave, aparihānadhammo hoti? When a mendicant sees a sight with their eyes, bad, unskillful phenomena arise: memories and thoughts that tighten the fetters.Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā uppajjanti pāpakā akusalā sarasaṅkappā saṁyojaniyā. Suppose that mendicant doesn’t tolerate them but gives them up, dispels them, eliminates them, and obliterates them. They should understand:Tañce bhikkhu nādhivāseti pajahati vinodeti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti, veditabbametaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā: ‘My skillful qualities are not declining.‘na parihāyāmi kusalehi dhammehi’. For this is what the Buddha calls non-decline.’Aparihānañhetaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatāti …pe….

Furthermore, when a mendicant hears a sound … smells an odor … tastes a flavor … encounters a touch …Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā uppajjanti …pe… knows an idea with their mind, bad, unskillful phenomena arise: memories and thoughts that tighten the fetters.puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno manasā dhammaṁ viññāya uppajjanti pāpakā akusalā sarasaṅkappā saṁyojaniyā. Suppose that mendicant doesn’t tolerate them but gives them up, dispels them, eliminates them, and obliterates them. They should understand:Tañce bhikkhu nādhivāseti pajahati vinodeti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti, veditabbametaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā: ‘My skillful qualities are not declining.‘na parihāyāmi kusalehi dhammehi’. For this is what the Buddha calls non-decline.’Aparihānañhetaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatāti. That’s how someone is not liable to decline.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, aparihānadhammo hoti.

And what are the six fields of mastery?Katamāni ca, bhikkhave, cha abhibhāyatanāni? When a mendicant sees a sight with their eyes, bad, unskillful phenomena don’t arise: memories and thoughts that tighten the fetters.Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā nuppajjanti pāpakā akusalā sarasaṅkappā saṁyojaniyā. They should understand:Veditabbametaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā: ‘This sense field has been mastered.‘abhibhūtametaṁ āyatanaṁ’. For this is what the Buddha calls a field of mastery.’ …Abhibhāyatanañhetaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatāti …pe… Furthermore, when a mendicant knows an idea with their mind, bad, unskillful phenomena don’t arise: memories and thoughts that tighten the fetters.puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno manasā dhammaṁ viññāya nuppajjanti pāpakā akusalā dhammā sarasaṅkappā saṁyojaniyā. They should understand:Veditabbametaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā: ‘This sense field has been mastered.‘abhibhūtametaṁ āyatanaṁ’. For this is what the Buddha calls a field of mastery.’Abhibhāyatanañhetaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatāti. These are the six fields of mastery.”Imāni vuccanti, bhikkhave, cha abhibhāyatanānī”ti.