7.
The First Discourse on Naḷakapāna
67.
On one occasion the Blessed One was wandering on a journey among the Kosalans together with a large Community of monks, and arrived at a market town of the Kosalans named Naḷakapāna.
There the Blessed One stayed at Naḷakapāna in a palāsa grove.
Now at that time, on the uposatha day, the Blessed One was seated surrounded by the Community of monks.
Then the Blessed One, having for much of the night instructed, encouraged, inspired, and gladdened the monks with a talk on the Teaching, having surveyed the Community of monks who were silent, completely silent, addressed the Venerable Sāriputta -
"The Community of monks is free from sloth and torpor, Sāriputta. Let a talk on the Teaching occur to you, Sāriputta, for the monks. My back aches; I will stretch it." "Yes, venerable sir," the Venerable Sāriputta assented to the Blessed One.
Then the Blessed One, having prepared the double robe folded in four, lay down in the lion's posture on his right side, overlapping foot upon foot, mindful and fully aware, having attended to the perception of rising. There the Venerable Sāriputta addressed the monks: "Friends, monks!" "Friend," those monks assented to the Venerable Sāriputta. The Venerable Sāriputta said this -
"For whoever, friends, has no faith in wholesome mental states, has no shame, has no moral fear, has no energy, has no wisdom in wholesome mental states, for him whatever night or day comes, only deterioration is to be expected in wholesome mental states, not growth. Just as, friends, during the dark fortnight of the moon, whatever night or day comes, it diminishes in beauty, diminishes in roundness, diminishes in radiance, diminishes in height and circumference; so too, friends, whoever has no faith in wholesome mental states, has no shame, has no moral fear, has no energy, has no wisdom in wholesome mental states, for him whatever night or day comes, only deterioration is to be expected in wholesome mental states, not growth.
'A faithless person' - friends, this is decline; 'a shameless person' - friends, this is decline; 'a person having no moral fear' - friends, this is decline; 'a lazy person' - friends, this is decline; 'an unwise person' - friends, this is decline; 'a person prone to wrath' - friends, this is decline; 'a person who bears grudges' - friends, this is decline; 'a person having evil desires' - friends, this is decline; 'a person having evil friends' - friends, this is decline; 'a person holding wrong view' - friends, this is decline.
"For whoever, friend, has faith in wholesome mental states, has shame... has moral fear, has wisdom in wholesome mental states, for him whatever night or day comes, only growth is to be expected in wholesome mental states, not decline. Just as, friend, during the bright fortnight of the moon, whatever night or day comes, it grows in beauty, grows in roundness, grows in radiance, grows in height and circumference; so too, friend, for whoever has faith in wholesome mental states, has shame... has moral fear, has energy, has wisdom in wholesome mental states, for him whatever night or day comes, only growth is to be expected in wholesome mental states, not decline.
"'A person with faith', friend, this is non-decline; 'a person with shame', friend, this is non-decline; 'a person with moral fear', friend, this is non-decline; 'a person putting forth strenuous energy', friend, this is non-decline; 'a wise person', friend, this is non-decline; 'a person without wrath', friend, this is non-decline; 'a person without resentment', friend, this is non-decline; 'a person of few wishes', friend, this is non-decline; 'a person with good friends', friend, this is non-decline; 'a person with right view', friend, this is non-decline."
Then the Blessed One, having risen, addressed the Venerable Sāriputta - "Good, good, Sāriputta! For whoever, Sāriputta, has no faith in wholesome mental states, has no shame... has no moral fear, has no energy, has no wisdom in wholesome mental states, for him whatever night or day comes, only deterioration is to be expected in wholesome mental states, not growth. Just as, Sāriputta, during the dark fortnight of the moon, whatever night or day comes, it diminishes in beauty, diminishes in roundness, diminishes in radiance, diminishes in height and circumference; so too, Sāriputta, for whoever has no faith in wholesome mental states, etc. has no wisdom in wholesome mental states, for him whatever night or day, etc. not growth.
"'A faithless person', Sāriputta, this is decline; shameless... without moral fear, lazy, unwise, prone to wrath, bearing grudges... having evil desires... having evil friends... 'a person with wrong view', Sāriputta, this is decline.
"For whoever, Sāriputta, has faith in wholesome mental states, has shame... has moral fear, has energy, has wisdom in wholesome mental states, for him whatever night or day comes, only growth is to be expected in wholesome mental states, not decline. Just as, Sāriputta, during the bright fortnight of the moon, whatever night or day comes, it grows in beauty, grows in roundness, grows in radiance, grows in height and circumference; so too, Sāriputta, for whoever has faith in wholesome mental states, has shame... has moral fear, has energy, has wisdom in wholesome mental states, for him whatever night or day comes, only growth is to be expected in wholesome mental states, not decline.
'A person with faith', Sāriputta, this is non-decline; has shame... one with moral fear... one putting forth strenuous energy... one who is wise... one without wrath... one without resentment... one of few wishes... one with good friends... 'a person with right view', Sāriputta, this is non-decline." The seventh.