98 (1)
“Among internal factors, bhikkhus, I do not see even a single factor that leads to such great harm as heedlessness. Heedlessness leads to great harm.”
99 (2)
“Among internal factors, bhikkhus, I do not see even a single factor that leads to such great good as heedfulness. [17] Heedfulness leads to great good.”
(100) “Among internal factors, bhikkhus, I do not see even a single factor that leads to such great harm as laziness … (101) … that leads to such great good as arousal of energy …”60
(102) “… strong desire … (103) … fewness of desires …”
(104) “… non-contentment … (105) … contentment …”
(106) “… careless attention … (107) … careful attention …”
(108) “… lack of clear comprehension … (109) … clear comprehension …”
(110) “Among external factors, bhikkhus, I do not see even a single factor that leads to such great harm as bad friendship….”
(111) “Among external factors, bhikkhus, I do not see even a single factor that leads to such great good as good friendship….”
(112) “Among internal factors, bhikkhus, I do not see even a single factor that leads to such great harm as the pursuit of unwholesome qualities and the non-pursuit of wholesome qualities … (113) … that leads to such great good as the pursuit of wholesome qualities and the non-pursuit of unwholesome qualities. The pursuit of wholesome qualities and the non-pursuit of unwholesome qualities leads to great good.”
114 (17)
“Bhikkhus, I do not see even a single thing that so leads to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma as heedlessness. Heedlessness leads to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma.”
115 (18)
“Bhikkhus, I do not see even a single thing that so leads to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma as heedfulness. [18] Heedfulness leads to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma.”
116 (19)–129 (32)
(116) “Bhikkhus, I do not see even a single thing that so leads to the decline and disappearance of the good Dhamma as laziness … (117) … that so leads to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma as arousal of energy …”
(118) “… strong desire … (119) … fewness of desires …”
(120) “… non-contentment … (121) … contentment …”
(122) “… careless attention … (123) … careful attention …”
(124) “… lack of clear comprehension … (125) … clear comprehension …”
(126) “… bad friendship … (127) … good friendship …”
(128) “… the pursuit of unwholesome qualities and the non-pursuit of wholesome qualities … (129) … the pursuit of wholesome qualities and the non-pursuit of unwholesome qualities. The pursuit of wholesome qualities and the non-pursuit of unwholesome qualities leads to the continuation, non-decline, and non-disappearance of the good Dhamma.”
130 (33)
“Bhikkhus, those bhikkhus who explain non-Dhamma as Dhamma are acting for the harm of many people, the unhappiness of many people, for the ruin, harm, and suffering of many people, of devas and human beings.61 These bhikkhus generate much demerit and cause this good Dhamma to disappear.”
131 (34)–139 (42)
(131) “Bhikkhus, those bhikkhus who explain Dhamma as non-Dhamma … (132) … non-discipline as discipline62 … (133) … discipline as non-discipline … (134) … what has not been stated and uttered by the Tathāgata as having been stated and uttered by him … [19] (135) … what has been stated and uttered by the Tathāgata as not having been stated and uttered by him … (136) … what has not been practiced by the Tathāgata as having been practiced by him … (137) … what has been practiced by the Tathāgata as not having been practiced by him … (138) … what has not been prescribed by the Tathāgata as having been prescribed by him … (139) … what has been prescribed by the Tathāgata as not having been prescribed by him are acting for the harm of many people, for the unhappiness of many people, for the ruin, harm, and suffering of many people, of devas and human beings. These bhikkhus generate much demerit and cause this good Dhamma to disappear.”63
59 Ee titles the first part of this vagga, constituted by the first thirty-two suttas, Catukoṭika, “Four-Pointed,” and the second part, consisting of the last ten suttas, Adhammādi, “Non-Dhamma, Etc.”
60 Here, and in all the couplets through 1:113, I read with Ce and Be ekaṅgampi over Ee ekadhammam pi.
61 Mp: “The ten courses of wholesome kamma are Dhamma; the ten courses of unwholesome kamma are non-Dhamma. So too, the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment—namely, the four establishments of mindfulness, the four right strivings, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the noble eightfold path—are Dhamma; three establishments of mindfulness, three right strivings, three bases of spiritual power, six faculties, six powers, eight factors of enlightenment, and a ninefold path [are non-Dhamma.] The four types of clinging, the five hindrances, the seven underlying tendencies, and the eight kinds of wrongness [the opposites of the noble path factors] are non-Dhamma. They teach non-Dhamma as Dhamma when they select one type of non-Dhamma and think, ‘We will teach this as Dhamma. In that way our teacher’s group will be emancipating, and we will become famous in the world.’ By the Vinaya method, Dhamma is a disciplinary action that should be done according to the claim, after having reprimanded, after having reminded, according to a true base. Non-Dhamma is a disciplinary action done without a claim, without having reprimanded, without having reminded, according to a false base.”
62 Mp: “By the sutta method, discipline (vinaya) means restraint, abandoning, reflection, and the removal of lust, hatred, and delusion. Non-discipline (avinaya) means non-restraint, non-abandoning, non-reflection, and the non-removal of lust, hatred, and delusion. By the Vinaya method, discipline is a proper base, motion, announcement, bounded area, and assembly. Non-discipline is a defective base, motion, announcement, bounded area, and assembly.”
63 Mp, in line with other commentaries, explains five kinds of disappearance of the good Dhamma. I summarize: (1) Disappearance of attainment (adhigama-antaradhāna): the gradual disappearance of attainment of the paths, fruits, and auxiliary attainments such as the analytical knowledges (paṭisambhidā) and direct knowledges (abhiññā). (2) Disappearance of practice (paṭipatti-antaradhāna): the gradual disappearance of the jhānas, insight, paths, and fruits, and even the eventual disappearance of virtuous behavior. (3) Disappearance of learning (pariyatti-antaradhāna): the gradual disappearance of the Tipiṭaka, the Buddhist canon. (4) Disappearance of the emblem (liṅga-antaradhāna): the gradual discarding of the renunciant robes until monastics wear merely a strip of ochre cloth around their necks. (5) Disappearance of the relics (dhātuantaradhāna): at the end of the Buddha Gotama’s teaching, his relics all gather at the Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya, replicate the Buddha’s bodily form, and vanish in a blaze of glory.