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Sutta Nipāta 1.6

Parābhavasutta

Downfalls for a Lay Follower · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā near Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ was stayingviharati in Jeta's Grovejetavane of Anāthapiṇḍikaanāthapiṇḍikassa monasteryārāme.
thenAtha indeedkho a certainaññatarā deitydevatā advancedabhikkantāya of the nightrattiyā of glorious appearanceabhikkantavaṇṇā the entirekevalakappaṁ Jeta's Grovejetavanaṁ having illuminatedobhāsetvā whereyena the Blessed Onebhagavā approached himtenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ having bowedabhivādetvā to one sideekamantaṁ stoodaṭṭhāsi.
to one sideEkamantaṁ standingṭhitā indeedkho thatsā deitydevatā the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ in versegāthāya addressedajjhabhāsi:

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then, late at night, a glorious deity, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, and stood to one side. Standing to one side, that deity addressed the Buddha in verse:

one going to ruin“Parābhavantaṁ manpurisaṁ,
wemayaṁ we askpucchāma Gotamagotama;
sirBhavantaṁ having come to askpuṭṭhumāgamma,
whatkiṁ for one going to ruinparābhavato entrancemukhaṁ”.

“We ask Gotama about a man’s downfall. We have come to ask you, sir: what leads to downfall?”

easy to understand“Suvijāno successbhavaṁ ishoti,
easy to understandsuvijāno downfallparābhavo;
one who loves the teachingDhammakāmo successbhavaṁ ishoti,
a hater of the teachingdhammadessī downfallparābhavo”.

“It’s easy to understand success, understanding downfall is just as easy. One who loves the teaching succeeds, but a hater of the teaching meets their downfall.”

thus“Iti this indeedhetaṁ we understandvijānāma,
firstpaṭhamo thisso downfallparābhavo;
secondDutiyaṁ Blessed Onebhagavā tellbrūhi,
whatkiṁ of one fallingparābhavato causemukhaṁ”.

“We understand what you’re saying, this is the first downfall. Tell us the second, Blessed One: what leads to downfall?”

to the bad one“Asantassa dearpiyā arehonti,
for the goodsante nona he makeskurute lovepiyaṁ;
of the badAsataṁ the teachingdhammaṁ he believesroceti,
thattaṁ to downfallparābhavato leadsmukhaṁ”.

“The bad are dear to him, he has no love for the good. He believes the teaching of the bad; and that leads to his downfall.”

thus“Iti indeed thishetaṁ we understandvijānāma,
seconddutiyo thisso downfallparābhavo;
thirdTatiyaṁ Blessed Onebhagavā tellbrūhi,
whatkiṁ to downfallparābhavato leadsmukhaṁ”.

“We understand what you’re saying, this is the second downfall. Tell us the third, Blessed One: what leads to downfall?”

fond of sleep“Niddāsīlī fond of companysabhāsīlī,
who does no workanuṭṭhātā andca whoyo a mannaro;
lazyAlaso marked by angerkodhapaññāṇo,
thattaṁ to downfallparābhavato a facemukhaṁ”.

“Fond of sleep, fond of company, a man who does no work; he’s lazy, marked by anger, and that leads to his downfall.”

quotation marker“Iti indeed thishetaṁ we understandvijānāma,
thirdtatiyo thisso downfallparābhavo;
fourthCatutthaṁ Blessed Onebhagavā tellbrūhi,
whatkiṁ of one falling to downfallparābhavato causemukhaṁ”.

“We understand what you’re saying, this is the third downfall. Tell us the fourth, Blessed One: what leads to downfall?”

who“Yo mothermātaraṁ fatherpitaraṁ orvā,
elderlyjiṇṇakaṁ past their primegatayobbanaṁ;
ablePahu beingsanto notna looks afterbharati,
thattaṁ of downfallparābhavato facemukhaṁ”.

“Though able, he does not look after his mother and father when elderly, past their prime, and that leads to his downfall.”

thus“Iti indeed thishetaṁ we understandvijānāma,
fourthcatuttho thatso downfallparābhavo;
fifthPañcamaṁ Blessed Onebhagavā tellbrūhi,
whatkiṁ of one falling awayparābhavato mouthmukhaṁ”.

“We understand what you’re saying, this is the fourth downfall. Tell us the fifth, Blessed One: what leads to downfall?”

who“Yo a brahminbrāhmaṇaṁ an asceticsamaṇaṁ orvā,
otherAññaṁ or alsovāpi a supplicantvanibbakaṁ;
with liesMusāvādena deceivesvañceti,
thatTaṁ of downfallparābhavato a causemukhaṁ”.

“He deceives with lies ascetics and brahmins and other supplicants, and that leads to his downfall.”

thus“Iti this indeedhetaṁ we understandvijānāma,
fifthPañcamo thisso downfallparābhavo;
sixthChaṭṭhamaṁ Blessed Onebhagavā tellbrūhi,
whatKiṁ to one fallingparābhavato facemukhaṁ”.

“We understand what you’re saying, this is the fifth downfall. Tell us the sixth, Blessed One: what leads to downfall?”

having abundant wealth“Pahūtavitto a manpuriso,
with gold coinSahirañño with foodsabhojano;
aloneEko eatsbhuñjati delicaciessādūni,
thatTaṁ of downfallparābhavato the facemukhaṁ”.

“A man with plenty of wealth, including gold coin and food, eats delicacies alone, and that leads to his downfall.”

thus“Iti indeed thishetaṁ we understandvijānāma,
sixthChaṭṭhamo thisso downfallparābhavo;
seventhSattamaṁ Blessed Onebhagavā tellbrūhi,
whatKiṁ to downfallparābhavato mouthmukhaṁ”.

“We understand what you’re saying, this is the sixth downfall. Tell us the seventh, Blessed One: what leads to downfall?”

proud of birth“Jātitthaddho proud of wealth,dhanatthaddho,
proud of clanGottatthaddho andca whoyo a man;naro;
his own familySaññātiṁ looks down on,atimaññeti,
thatTaṁ to downfallparābhavato leads.mukhaṁ”.

“Vain of birth, wealth, and clan, a man looks down on his own family, and that leads to his downfall.”

thus“Iti indeed thishetaṁ we understandvijānāma,
seventhSattamo thatso downfallparābhavo;
eighthAṭṭhamaṁ Blessed Onebhagavā tellbrūhi,
whatKiṁ for one going to downfallparābhavato facemukhaṁ”.

“We understand what you’re saying, this is the seventh downfall. Tell us the eighth, Blessed One: what leads to downfall?”

devoted to women“Itthidhutto devoted to liquorsurādhutto,
devoted to gamblingAkkhadhutto andca whoyo mannaro;
what has been earnedLaddhaṁ what has been earnedladdhaṁ wastesvināseti,
thatTaṁ to his downfallparābhavato the causemukhaṁ”.

“In womanizing, drinking, and gambling, a man wastes all that he has earned, and that leads to his downfall.”

thus“Iti indeed thishetaṁ we understandvijānāma,
eighthAṭṭhamo thisso downfallparābhavo;
ninthNavamaṁ Blessed Onebhagavā tellbrūhi,
whatKiṁ of one falling to ruinparābhavato mouthmukhaṁ”.

“We understand what you’re saying, this is the eighth downfall. Tell us the ninth, Blessed One: what leads to downfall?”

with his own“Sehi partnersdārehi not contentasantuṭṭho,
with prostitutesVesiyāsu he debauches himselfpadussati;
he debauches himselfDussati with others’ partnersparadāresu,
thatTaṁ to his downfallparābhavato leadsmukhaṁ”.

“Not content with his own partners, he debauches himself with prostitutes, and with others’ partners, and that leads to his downfall.”

thus“Iti thishetaṁ we understandvijānāma,
ninthNavamo thisso downfallparābhavo;
tenthDasamaṁ Blessed Onebhagavā tellbrūhi,
whatKiṁ of one falling to ruinparābhavato mouthmukhaṁ”.

“We understand what you’re saying, this is the ninth downfall. Tell us the tenth, Blessed One: what leads to downfall?”

past his youth“Atītayobbano manposo,
marriesĀneti a girl with budding breaststimbarutthaniṁ;
because of herTassā jealousyissā notna sleepssupati,
thatTaṁ of downfallparābhavato the facemukhaṁ”.

“A man well past his prime marries a girl with budding breasts; he cannot sleep for jealousy, and that leads to his downfall.”

thus“Iti indeed thishetaṁ we understandvijānāma,
tenthDasamo thisso downfallparābhavo;
eleventhEkādasamaṁ Blessed Onebhagavā tellbrūhi,
whatKiṁ of downfallparābhavato mouthmukhaṁ”.

“We understand what you’re saying, this is the tenth downfall. Tell us the eleventh, Blessed One: what leads to downfall?”

a woman“Itthiṁ drunkardsoṇḍiṁ wastrelvikiraṇiṁ,
a manPurisaṁ or indeedvāpi suchtādisaṁ;
in authorityIssariyasmiṁ he placesṭhapeti,
thatTaṁ leads to downfallparābhavato mouthmukhaṁ”.

“He places in authority a woman or a man who’s a drunkard and a wastrel, and that leads to his downfall.”

thus“Iti indeed thishetaṁ we understandvijānāma,
eleventhEkādasamo thisso downfallparābhavo;
twelfthDvādasamaṁ Blessed Onebhagavā tellbrūhi,
whatKiṁ to downfallparābhavato mouthmukhaṁ”.

“We understand what you’re saying, this is the eleventh downfall. Tell us the twelfth, Blessed One: what leads to downfall?”

of little wealth“Appabhogo with strong cravingmahātaṇho,
in an aristocraticKhattiye is bornjāyate familykule;
heSo andca kingshiprajjaṁ sets his sights onpatthayati,
thatTaṁ of downfallparābhavato leads tomukhaṁ.

“A man of little wealth and strong craving, born into an aristocratic family, sets his sights on kingship, and that leads to his downfall.

theseEte downfallsparābhave in the worldloke,
an astute personPaṇḍito having seensamavekkhiya;
nobleAriyo accomplished in visiondassanasampanno,
heSa worldlokaṁ will enjoybhajate of gracesivan”ti.
Discourse on DownfallParābhavasuttaṁ the sixthchaṭṭhaṁ.

Seeing these downfalls in the world, an astute and noble person, accomplished in vision, will enjoy a world of grace.”

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