AN 7.30: Vipatti Sutta – Failure
Translated by Bhante Suddhāso
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“Monks, there are seven failures of a lay devotee. What seven? One puts off seeing monks; one neglects listening to the good Dhamma; one does not train in higher virtue; one does not have much serene faith; when one listens to the Dhamma – whether the monks are senior, junior, or in the middle – one is intent on criticizing and looking for errors; one looks for non-Buddhists when one is ready to give a donation; and one prioritizes performing services there. Monks, these are seven failures of a lay devotee.
“Monks, there are seven accomplishments of a lay devotee. What seven? One does not put off seeing monks; one does not neglect listening to the good Dhamma; one trains in higher virtue; one has a lot of serene faith; when one listens to the Dhamma – whether the monks are senior, junior, or in the middle – one is not intent on criticizing or on looking for errors; one does not look for non-Buddhists when one is ready to give a donation; and one prioritizes performing services here. Monks, these are seven accomplishments of a lay devotee.”