The Chapter on the True Teaching

AN 5.151 Surety in the Right Way (1st) Paṭhamasammattaniyāmasutta

"Mendicants, someone with five qualities is unable to enter the sure path with regards to skillful qualities even when listening to the true teaching. What five? They disparage the talk, the speaker, or themselves. They listen with scattered and disunified mind. They apply the mind irrationally. Someone with these five qualities is unable to enter the sure path with regards to skillful qualities, even when listening to the true teaching.

Someone with five qualities is able to enter the sure path with regards to skillful qualities when listening to the true teaching. What five? They don't disparage the talk, the speaker, or themselves. They listen with unscattered and unified mind. They apply the mind rationally. Someone with these five qualities is able to enter the sure path with regards to skillful qualities when listening to the true teaching."

AN 5.152 Surety in the Right Way (2nd) Dutiyasammattaniyāmasutta

"Mendicants, someone with five qualities is unable to enter the sure path with regards to skillful qualities even when listening to the true teaching. What five? They disparage the talk, the speaker, or themselves. They're witless, dull, and idiotic. They think they know what they don't know. Someone with these five qualities is unable to enter the sure path with regards to skillful qualities, even when listening to the true teaching.

Someone with five qualities is able to enter the sure path with regards to skillful qualities when listening to the true teaching. What five? They don't disparage the talk, the speaker, or themselves. They're wise, bright, and clever. They don't think they know what they don't know. Someone with these five qualities is able to enter the sure path with regards to skillful qualities when listening to the true teaching."

AN 5.153 Surety in the Right Way (3rd) Tatiyasammattaniyāmasutta

"Mendicants, someone with five qualities is unable to enter the sure path with regards to skillful qualities even when listening to the true teaching. What five? They listen to the teaching bent only on putting it down. They listen to the teaching with a hostile, fault-finding mind. They're antagonistic to the teacher, planning to attack them. They're witless, dull, and idiotic. And they think they know what they don't know. Someone with these five qualities is unable to enter the sure path with regards to skillful qualities even when listening to the true teaching.

Someone with five qualities is able to enter the sure path with regards to skillful qualities when listening to the true teaching. What five? They don't listen to the teaching bent only on putting it down. They don't listen to the teaching with a hostile, fault-finding mind. They're not antagonistic to the teacher, and not planning to attack them. They're wise, bright, and clever. And they don't think they know what they don't know. Someone with these five qualities is able to enter the sure path with regards to skillful qualities when listening to the true teaching."

AN 5.154 The Decline of the True Teaching (1st) Paṭhamasaddhammasammosasutta

"Mendicants, these five things lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching. What five? It's when mendicants don't carefully listen to the teachings, memorize them, and remember them. They don't carefully examine the meaning of teachings that they remember. And they don't carefully practice in line with the meaning and the teaching they've understood. These five things lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.

These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching. What five? It's when mendicants carefully listen to the teachings, memorize them, and remember them. They carefully examine the meaning of teachings that they remember. And they carefully practice in line with the meaning and the teaching they've understood. These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching."

AN 5.155 The Decline of the True Teaching (2nd) Dutiyasaddhammasammosasutta

"Mendicants, these five things lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching. What five?

It's when the mendicants don't memorize the teaching---statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations. This is the first thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.

Furthermore, the mendicants don't explain the teaching in detail to others as they learned and memorized it. This is the second thing ...

Furthermore, the mendicants don't make others recite the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it. This is the third thing ...

Furthermore, the mendicants don't recite the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it. This is the fourth thing ...

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. This is the fifth thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.

These five things lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.

These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching. What five?

It's when the mendicants memorize the teaching---statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations. This is the first thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.

Furthermore, the mendicants explain the teaching in detail to others as they learned and memorized it. This is the second thing ...

Furthermore, the mendicants make others recite the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it. This is the third thing ...

Furthermore, the mendicants recite the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it. This is the fourth thing ...

Furthermore, the mendicants think about and consider the teaching in their hearts, examining it with their minds as they learned and memorized it. This is the fifth thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.

These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching."

AN 5.156 The Decline of the True Teaching (3rd) Tatiyasaddhammasammosasutta

"Mendicants, these five things lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching. What five?

It's when the mendicants memorize discourses that they learned incorrectly, with misplaced words and phrases. When the words and phrases are misplaced, the meaning is misinterpreted. This is the first thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.

Furthermore, the mendicants are hard to admonish, having qualities that make them hard to admonish. They're impatient, and don't take instruction respectfully. This is the second thing ...

Furthermore, the mendicants who are very learned---inheritors of the heritage, who have memorized the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines---don't carefully make others recite the discourses. When they pass away, the discourses are cut off at the root, with no-one to preserve them. This is the third thing ...

Furthermore, the senior mendicants are indulgent and slack, leaders in backsliding, neglecting seclusion, not rousing energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized. Those who come after them follow their example. They too are indulgent and slack ... This is the fourth thing ...

Furthermore, there's a schism in the Saṅgha. When the Saṅgha is split, they abuse, insult, block, and forsake each other. This doesn't inspire confidence in those without it, and it causes some with confidence to change their minds. This is the fifth thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.

These five things lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.

These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching. What five? It's when the mendicants memorize discourses that have been learned correctly, with well placed words and phrases. When the words and phrases are well organized, the meaning is correctly interpreted. This is the first thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.

Furthermore, the mendicants are easy to admonish, having qualities that make them easy to admonish. They're patient, and take instruction respectfully. This is the second thing ...

Furthermore, the mendicants who are very learned---inheritors of the heritage, who have memorized the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines---carefully make others recite the discourses. When they pass away, the discourses aren't cut off at the root, and they have someone to preserve them. This is the third thing ...

Furthermore, the senior mendicants are not indulgent and slack, leaders in backsliding, neglecting seclusion. They rouse energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized. Those who come after them follow their example. They too are not indulgent or slack ... This is the fourth thing ...

Furthermore, the Saṅgha lives comfortably, in harmony, appreciating each other, without quarreling, with one recitation. When the Saṅgha is in harmony, they don't abuse, insult, block, or forsake each other. This inspires confidence in those without it, and increases confidence in those who have it. This is the fifth thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.

These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching."

AN 5.157 Inappropriate Talk Dukkathāsutta

"Mendicants, it is inappropriate to speak to five kinds of person by comparing that person with someone else. What five?

It's inappropriate to talk to an unfaithful person about faith. It's inappropriate to talk to an unethical person about ethics. It's inappropriate to talk to an unlearned person about learning. It's inappropriate to talk to a stingy person about generosity. It's inappropriate to talk to a witless person about wisdom.

And why is it inappropriate to talk to an unfaithful person about faith? When an unfaithful person is spoken to about faith they lose their temper, becoming annoyed, hostile, and hard-hearted, and displaying annoyance, hate, and bitterness. Why is that? Not seeing that faith in themselves, they don't get the rapture and joy that faith brings. That's why it's inappropriate to talk to an unfaithful person about faith.

And why is it inappropriate to talk to an unethical person about ethics? When an unethical person is spoken to about ethics they lose their temper ... Why is that? Not seeing that ethical conduct in themselves, they don't get the rapture and joy that ethical conduct brings. That's why it's inappropriate to talk to an unethical person about ethics.

And why is it inappropriate to talk to an unlearned person about learning? When an unlearned person is spoken to about learning they lose their temper ... Why is that? Not seeing that learning in themselves, they don't get the rapture and joy that learning brings. That's why it's inappropriate to talk to an unlearned person about learning.

And why is it inappropriate to talk to a stingy person about generosity? When a stingy person is spoken to about generosity they lose their temper ... Why is that? Not seeing that generosity in themselves, they don't get the rapture and joy that generosity brings. That's why it's inappropriate to talk to a stingy person about generosity.

And why is it inappropriate to talk to a witless person about wisdom? When a witless person is spoken to about wisdom they lose their temper, becoming annoyed, hostile, and hard-hearted, and displaying annoyance, hate, and bitterness. Why is that? Not seeing that wisdom in themselves, they don't get the rapture and joy that wisdom brings. That's why it's inappropriate to talk to a witless person about wisdom.

It is inappropriate to speak to these five kinds of person by comparing that person with someone else.

It is appropriate to speak to five kinds of person by comparing that person with someone else. What five?

It's appropriate to talk to a faithful person about faith. It's appropriate to talk to an ethical person about ethical conduct. It's appropriate to talk to a learned person about learning. It's appropriate to talk to a generous person about generosity. It's appropriate to talk to a wise person about wisdom.

And why is it appropriate to talk to a faithful person about faith? When a faithful person is spoken to about faith they don't lose their temper, they don't get annoyed, hostile, and hard-hearted, or display annoyance, hate, and bitterness. Why is that? Seeing that faith in themselves, they get the rapture and joy that faith brings. That's why it's appropriate to talk to a faithful person about faith.

And why is it appropriate to talk to an ethical person about ethical conduct? When an ethical person is spoken to about ethical conduct they don't lose their temper ... Why is that? Seeing that ethical conduct in themselves, they get the rapture and joy that ethical conduct brings. That's why it's appropriate to talk to an ethical person about ethical conduct.

And why is it appropriate to talk to a learned person about learning? When a learned person is spoken to about learning they don't lose their temper ... Why is that? Seeing that learning in themselves, they get the rapture and joy that learning brings. That's why it's appropriate to talk to a learned person about learning.

And why is it appropriate to talk to a generous person about generosity? When a generous person is spoken to about generosity they don't lose their temper ... Why is that? Seeing that generosity in themselves, they get the rapture and joy that generosity brings. That's why it's appropriate to talk to a generous person about generosity.

And why is it appropriate to talk to a wise person about wisdom? When a wise person is spoken to about wisdom they don't lose their temper, they don't get annoyed, hostile, and hard-hearted, or display annoyance, hate, and bitterness. Why is that? Seeing that wisdom in themselves, they get the rapture and joy that wisdom brings. That's why it's appropriate to talk to a wise person about wisdom.

It is appropriate to speak to these five kinds of person by comparing that person with someone else."

AN 5.158 Timidity Sārajjasutta

"Mendicants, a mendicant with five qualities is overcome by timidity. What five? It's when a mendicant is faithless, unethical, with little learning, lazy, and witless. A mendicant with these five qualities is overcome by timidity.

A mendicant with five qualities is self-assured. What five? It's when a mendicant is faithful, ethical, learned, energetic, and wise. A mendicant with these five qualities is self-assured."

AN 5.159 With Udāyī Udāyīsutta

SO I HAVE HEARD. At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambī, in Ghosita's Monastery. Now, at that time Venerable Udāyī was sitting teaching Dhamma, surrounded by a large assembly of laypeople. Seeing this, Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

"Sir, Venerable Udāyī is teaching Dhamma, surrounded by a large assembly of laypeople."

"Ānanda, it's not easy to teach Dhamma to others. You should establish five things in yourself before teaching Dhamma to others. What five?

You should teach Dhamma to others thinking: 'I will teach step by step.' ...

'I will teach showing my method.' ...

'I will teach out of kindness.' ...

'I will not teach while secretly hoping to profit.' ...

'I will teach without hurting myself or others.'

It's not easy to teach Dhamma to others. You should establish these five things in yourself before teaching Dhamma to others."

AN 5.160 Hard to Get Rid Of Duppaṭivinodayasutta

"Mendicants, these five things are hard to get rid of once they've arisen. What five? Greed, hate, delusion, the feeling of being inspired to speak out, and thoughts of traveling. These five things are hard to get rid of once they've arisen."