Dutiyasekha Sutta
[1. Decline]
“Five qualities lead to the decline of people in training.”
What are they?
(1) Firstly monks,
some people in training busy themselves,
with many duties,
with much work
since they are competent in many of the tasks that should be done. [1]
Because of this, they neglect solitary retreat
and are not devoted to inner serenity of heart. [2]
This is the first quality.
(2) Secondly, some people in training
waste their entire day performing trivial works. [3]
Because of this, they neglect solitary retreat
and are not devoted to inner serenity of heart.
This is the second quality.
(3) Thirdly, some people in training live in society,
frequently visiting householders
and associating with them improperly. [4]
Because of this, they neglect solitary retreat
and are not devoted to inner serenity of heart.
This is the third quality.
(4) Fourthly, some people in training
journey to town at improper times
and return late in the day. [5]
Because of this, they neglect solitary retreat
and are not devoted to inner serenity of heart.
This is the fourth quality.
(5) Fifthly, when it comes to hearing those talks
on the direct practice of the higher life,
which is for the sake of opening the heart such as; [6]
Talks on having few desires,
Talks on contentment,
Talks on actively letting go,
Talks on aloofness from society,
Talks on practicing whole-heartedly,
Talks on virtue,
Talks on meditation,
Talks on discernment,
Talks about liberation,
Talks about seeing and experiencing liberation;
Some people in training do not have access to such talks,
easily, without problems or difficulty. [7]
Because of this, they neglect solitary retreat
and are not devoted to inner serenity of heart.
This is the fifth quality.
These are the five qualities which lead to the decline of one in training
[2. Progress]
“Five qualities lead to the progress of a person in training.”
What are they?
(1) Firstly monks,
some people in training do not busy themselves
with many duties,
and much work
thought they are competent in many of the tasks that should be done.
They do not neglect solitary retreat
and devote themselves to inner serenity of heart.
This is the first quality.
(2) Secondly, some people in training
do not waste their entire day performing trivial works.
They do not neglect solitary retreat
and they devote themselves to inner serenity of heart.
This is the second quality.
(3) Thirdly, some people in training
do not in live in society,
frequently visiting householders
and do not associate with them improperly.
They do not neglect solitary retreat
and they devote themselves to inner serenity of heart.
This is the third quality.
(4) Fourthly, some people in training
do not journey to town at improper times
and do not return late in the day.
They do not neglect solitary retreat
and they devote themselves to inner serenity of heart.
This is the fourth quality.
(5) Fifthly, when it comes to hearing those talks
on the direct practice of the higher life,
which is for the sake of opening the heart such as;
Talks on having few desires,
Talks on contentment,
Talks on actively letting go,
Talks on aloofness from society,
Talks on practicing whole-heartedly,
Talks on virtue,
Talks on meditation,
Talks on discernment,
Talks about liberation,
Talks about seeing and experiencing liberation;
Some people in training have access to such talks
easily, without problems or difficulty.
They do not neglect solitary retreat
and devote themselves to inner serenity of heart.
This is the fifth quality.
These are the five qualities which lead to the progress of one in training.
[1] bahukicco hoti bahukaraṇīyo viyatto kiṅkaraṇīyesu
[2] riñcati paṭisallānaṁ, nānuyuñjati ajjhattaṁ cetosamathaṁ. I choose to translate ‘ajjhattaṁ cetosamathaṁ’ differently here, by inner serenity of heart. In my perspective, the meaning in this particular sutta, is closer to a neutral name rather than an action, even though both are interesting.
[3] appamattakena kammena divasaṁ atināmeti;
[4] saṁsaṭṭho viharati gahaṭṭhapabbajitehi ananulomikena gihisaṁsaggena;
[5] akālena gāmaṁ pavisati, atidivā paṭikkamati;
[6] yāyaṁ kathā ābhisallekhikā cetovivaraṇasappāyā, seyyathidaṁ—
[7] evarūpiyā kathāya na nikāmalābhī hoti na akicchalābhī na akasiralābhī;
