1:6  Decline

The Buddha:

Easily known     is the one of good prospects;

easily known,1     the one in decline.

The one of good prospects

loves the Dhamma,

the one in decline

detests it.

The deva:

We know, indeed, that that is so.

That’s the first one in decline.

May the Blessed One tell the second:

What is the way leading to decline?

The Buddha:

The wicked are dear to him,

the good he doesn’t hold dear.

He approves of the ideas of the wicked:

That is the way leading to decline.

The deva:

We know, indeed, that that is so.

That’s the second one in decline.

May the Blessed One tell the third:

What is the way leading to decline?

The Buddha:

Prone to sleep, prone to company,

the man with no initiative,

lazy & known for his anger:

That is the way leading to decline.

The deva:

We know, indeed, that that is so.

That’s the third one in decline.

May the Blessed One tell the fourth:

What is the way leading to decline?

The Buddha:

Though capable, one doesn’t support

one’s mother or father

—old, their youth over & done:

That is the way leading to decline.

The deva:

We know, indeed, that that is so.

That’s the fourth one in decline.

May the Blessed One tell the fifth:

What is the way leading to decline?

The Buddha:

Whoever deceives with a lie

a brahman, contemplative,

or other mendicant:

That is the way leading to decline.

The deva:

We know, indeed, that that is so.

That’s the fifth one in decline.

May the Blessed One tell the sixth:

What is the way leading to decline?

The Buddha:

The man of great wealth,

with gold & food,

enjoys his luxuries alone:

That is the way leading to decline.

The deva:

We know, indeed, that that is so.

That’s the sixth one in decline.

May the Blessed One tell the seventh:

What is the way leading to decline?

The Buddha:

The man proud of his birth,

proud of his wealth,

proud of his clan,

despises his own relatives:

That is the way leading to decline.

The deva:

We know, indeed, that that is so.

That’s the seventh one in decline.

May the Blessed One tell the eighth:

What is the way leading to decline?

The Buddha:

The man debauched with women,

debauched in drink,

debauched in gambling,

squanders his earnings:

That is the way leading to decline.

The deva:

We know, indeed, that that is so.

That’s the eighth one in decline.

May the Blessed One tell the ninth:

What is the way leading to decline?

The Buddha:

One uncontent with his own wives,

misbehaves with prostitutes

& the wives of others2:

That is the way leading to decline.

The deva:

We know, indeed, that that is so.

That’s the ninth one in decline.

May the Blessed One tell the tenth:

What is the way leading to decline?

The Buddha:

His youth past,

a man takes a young woman

with timbara-fruit breasts,

and, jealous of her, doesn’t sleep:

That is the way leading to decline.

The deva:

We know, indeed, that that is so.

That’s the tenth one in decline.

May the Blessed One tell the eleventh:

What is the way leading to decline?

The Buddha:

To place in authority

a woman given to drink & squandering

or a man of that sort:

That is the way leading to decline.

The deva:

We know, indeed, that that is so.

That’s the eleventh one in decline.

May the Blessed One tell the twelfth:

What is the way leading to decline?

The Buddha:

One of meager means

but great craving,

born into a noble family,

who aspires to kingship:

That is the way leading to decline.

Contemplating

these ones in decline

in the world,

the wise one,

consummate in noble view,

heads to a world

auspicious.