AN 7.27 - (A iv 24)
Saññā Sutta
— Perceptions —
[saññā]

Seven perceptions that lead to the long-term welfare of the bhikkhus and prevent their decline.



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Pāḷi


English




“satta vo, bhikkhave, aparihāniye dhamme desessāmi. taṃ suṇātha, sādhukaṃ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.

Bhikkhu, I will teach the seven criteria of non-decline. Listen to that, and pay close attention, I will speak.

“evaṃ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṃ. bhagavā etadavoca:

Yes, Bhante, answered the bhikkhus. The Bhagavā said:

katame ca, bhikkhave, satta aparihāniyā dhammā? yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū aniccasaññaṃ bhāvessanti; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṃ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

And what, bhikkhus, are the seven criteria of non-decline? So long, bhikkhus, as the bhikkhus develop the perception of inconstancy, only growth, bhikkhus, is to be expected for the bhikkhus, not decline.

yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū anattasaññaṃ bhāvessanti; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṃ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

So long, bhikkhus, as the bhikkhus develop the perception of non-self, only growth, bhikkhus, is to be expected for the bhikkhus, not decline.

yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū asubhasaññaṃ bhāvessanti; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṃ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

So long, bhikkhus, as the bhikkhus develop the perception of loathsomeness, only growth, bhikkhus, is to be expected for the bhikkhus, not decline.

yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū ādīnavasaññaṃ bhāvessanti; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṃ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

So long, bhikkhus, as the bhikkhus develop the perception of drawbacks, only growth, bhikkhus, is to be expected for the bhikkhus, not decline.

yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū pahānasaññaṃ bhāvessanti; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṃ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

So long, bhikkhus, as the bhikkhus develop the perception of abandoning, only growth, bhikkhus, is to be expected for the bhikkhus, not decline.

yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū virāgasaññaṃ bhāvessanti; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṃ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

So long, bhikkhus, as the bhikkhus develop the perception of dispassion, only growth, bhikkhus, is to be expected for the bhikkhus, not decline.

yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū nirodhasaññaṃ bhāvessanti; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṃ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

So long, bhikkhus, as the bhikkhus develop the perception of cessation, only growth, bhikkhus, is to be expected for the bhikkhus, not decline.

“yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, ime satta aparihāniyā dhammā bhikkhūsu ṭhassanti, imesu ca sattasu aparihāniyesu dhammesu, bhikkhū sandississanti; vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṃ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihānī”ti.

So long, bhikkhus, as these seven criteria of non-decline stand among the bhikkhus, so long as the bhikkhus are seen [endowed with] these seven criteria of non-decline, only growth, bhikkhus, is to be expected for the bhikkhus, not decline.



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Translation suggested by the webmaster.

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