3.
The First Discourse on the Seven
23.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha on the Vulture's Peak mountain.
There the Blessed One addressed the monks thus:
"I will teach you, monks, seven conditions preventing decline.
Listen to that, pay close attention;
I will speak."
"Yes, venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this:
"And what, monks, are the seven conditions preventing decline? As long as, monks, the monks will assemble frequently and have frequent assemblies; only growth is to be expected for the monks, monks, not decline.
"As long as, monks, the monks will assemble in unity, will rise in unity, will perform their Community duties in unity; only growth is to be expected for the monks, monks, not decline.
"As long as, monks, the monks will not establish what has not been established, will not abolish what has been established, will proceed having accepted the training rules as they were established; only growth is to be expected for the monks, monks, not decline.
"As long as, monks, the monks will honour, will respect, will revere, will venerate those monks who are elders, of long standing, long gone forth, fathers of the Community, leaders of the Community, and will think them worth listening to; only growth is to be expected for the monks, monks, not decline.
"As long as, monks, the monks will not come under the control of arisen craving that leads to rebirth; only growth is to be expected for the monks, monks, not decline.
"As long as, monks, the monks will have longing for forest lodgings; only growth is to be expected for the monks, monks, not decline.
"As long as, monks, the monks will individually establish mindfulness - 'How might well-behaved fellow monks who have not come, come, and well-behaved fellow monks who have come, dwell comfortably'; only growth is to be expected for the monks, monks, not decline.
"As long as, monks, these seven conditions preventing decline will remain among the monks, and as long as the monks will be seen practising these seven conditions preventing decline; only growth is to be expected for the monks, monks, not decline." The third.