5.
The Discourse on Decline
55.
There the Venerable Sāriputta addressed the monks:
"Friends, monks!"
"Friend," those monks assented to the Venerable Sāriputta.
The Venerable Sāriputta said this -
"'A person subject to decline, a person subject to decline', friend, is said. 'A person not subject to decline, a person not subject to decline', friend, is said. In what way, friend, was a person subject to decline spoken of by the Blessed One, and in what way was a person not subject to decline spoken of by the Blessed One?" "We come even from afar, friend, to the presence of the Venerable Sāriputta to understand the meaning of this statement. It would be good indeed if the meaning of this statement would occur to the Venerable Sāriputta himself. Having heard from the Venerable Sāriputta, the monks will remember it."
"Well then, friends, listen, pay close attention; I will speak." "Yes, friend," those monks assented to the Venerable Sāriputta. The Venerable Sāriputta said this -
"In what way, friend, was a person subject to decline spoken of by the Blessed One? Here, friend, a monk does not hear the Teaching not heard before, and the teachings heard by him go to decline, and those teachings previously not experienced by the mind do not occur to him, and he does not cognise what was not cognised. To this extent, friend, a person subject to decline was spoken of by the Blessed One.
"And in what way, friend, was a person not subject to decline spoken of by the Blessed One? Here, friend, a monk hears the Teaching not heard before, and the teachings heard by him do not go to decline, and those teachings previously not experienced by the mind occur to him, and he cognises what was not cognised. To this extent, friend, a person not subject to decline was spoken of by the Blessed One.
"If, friends, a monk is not skilled in the method of another's mind, then 'I will be skilled in the method of my own mind' - thus indeed, friends, should you train.
"And how, friends, is a monk skilled in the method of his own mind? Just as, friends, a woman or a man, young, youthful, fond of adornment, reviewing one's own facial reflection in a pure, bright mirror or in a clear bowl of water, if one sees there dust or a blemish, one strives for the removal of that very dust or blemish. If one does not see there dust or a blemish, one is delighted by that very fact, with fulfilled thought - 'It is a gain for me indeed, I am indeed pure.' So too, friends, for a monk reviewing is of great service regarding wholesome mental states - 'Do I frequently dwell non-covetous, does this quality exist in me or not? Do I frequently dwell with a mind without ill-will, does this quality exist in me or not? Do I frequently dwell free from sloth and torpor, does this quality exist in me or not? Do I frequently dwell unagitated, does this quality exist in me or not? Do I frequently dwell having crossed over sceptical doubt, does this quality exist in me or not? Do I frequently dwell without wrath, does this quality exist in me or not? Do I frequently dwell with an undefiled mind, does this quality exist in me or not? Am I indeed an obtainer of internal gladness in the Teaching, does this quality exist in me or not? Am I indeed an obtainer of internal serenity of mind, does this quality exist in me or not? Am I indeed an obtainer of insight into phenomena through higher wisdom, does this quality exist in me or not?'
"But if, friends, a monk reviewing does not see all these wholesome mental states within himself, then, friends, by that monk, for the attainment of all these wholesome mental states, exceeding desire and effort and endeavour and enthusiasm and unremitting and mindfulness and full awareness is to be done. Just as, friends, one whose garment is on fire or whose head is on fire. For the quenching of that very garment or head, one would make exceeding desire and effort and endeavour and enthusiasm and unremitting and mindfulness and full awareness. So too, friends, by that monk, for the attainment of all wholesome mental states, exceeding desire and effort and endeavour and enthusiasm and unremitting and mindfulness and full awareness is to be done.
"But if, friends, a monk reviewing sees some wholesome mental states within himself, and does not see some wholesome mental states within himself, then, friends, by that monk, having established himself in those wholesome mental states that he sees within himself, for the attainment of those wholesome mental states that he does not see within himself, exceeding desire and effort and endeavour and enthusiasm and unremitting and mindfulness and full awareness is to be done. Just as, friends, one whose garment is on fire or whose head is on fire. For the quenching of that very garment or head, one would make exceeding desire and effort and endeavour and enthusiasm and unremitting and mindfulness and full awareness. So too, friends, by that monk, having established himself in those wholesome mental states that he sees within himself, for the attainment of those wholesome mental states that he does not see within himself, exceeding desire and effort and endeavour and enthusiasm and unremitting and mindfulness and full awareness is to be done.
"But if, friends, a monk reviewing sees all these wholesome mental states within himself, then, friends, by that monk, having established himself in all these wholesome mental states, exertion for the further elimination of mental corruptions is to be done." The fifth.