Aṅguttara Nikāya — Discursos Numerados — 7.31 — Downfalls for a Lay Follower

1“Mendicants, there are these seven downfalls for a lay follower … There are these seven successes for a lay follower. What seven?

2They don’t miss out on seeing the mendicants.

3They don’t neglect listening to the true teaching.

4They train in higher ethical conduct.

5They’re very confident about mendicants, whether senior, junior, or middle.

6They don’t listen to the teaching with a hostile, fault-finding mind.

7They don’t seek outside of the Buddhist community for those worthy of religious donations.

8And they serve the Buddhist community first.

9These are the seven successes for a lay follower.

10A lay follower misses out on seeing
those who are evolved
and listening to the teachings of the Noble One.
They don’t train in higher ethical conduct,

11and their suspicion about mendicants
just grows and grows.
They want to listen to the true teaching
with a fault-finding mind.

12They seek outside the Buddhist community
for someone else worthy of religious donations,
and that lay follower
serves them first.

13These seven principles leading to decline
have been well taught.
A lay follower who practices these
falls away from the true teaching.

14A lay follower doesn’t miss out on seeing
those who are evolved
and listening to the teachings of the Noble One.
They train in higher ethical conduct,

15and their confidence in mendicants
just grows and grows.
They want to listen to the true teaching
without a fault-finding mind.

16They don’t seek outside the Buddhist community
for someone else worthy of religious donations,
and that lay follower
serves the Buddhist community first.

17These seven principles that prevent decline
have been well taught.
A lay follower who practices them
doesn’t fall away from the true teaching.”