Person liable to decline

Let’s see what Samma Sambuddha and the blessed one’s noble disciple has to say on this!

Once few bhikkhus, wen to see noble disciple Sariputta arhath thero.  And they asked;

“They speak of a “person liable to decline”, and “one not liable to decline”. But how did the Samma Sambuddha define a “person liable to decline”, and “one not liable to decline”?”

Then the Ven. Sāriputta explained how did the Samma Sambuddha define a “person liable to decline”

1. It’s when a person doesn’t get to hear the true teachings of the blessed ones which they haven’t heard before.

2. Even if they heard a little of them, they forget those teachings they have heard because of the carelessness.

3. They don’t keep rehearsing the teachings they’ve already got to know.

4. They don’t come to understand what they haven’t understood before.

When there are these 4 facts are available in one self, that person is liable to decline.  If you don’t have any of these you a “person NOT liable to decline”

You should train your mind to be skillful by thinking “I will be skilled in the ways of my own mind”.

Like you take your time to maintain the beauty of your face.  Like that way you should train your mind to be skillful.

“Suppose there was a woman or man who was young, youthful, and fond of adornments, and they check their own reflection in a clean bright mirror or a clear bowl of water. If they see any dirt or blemish there, they’d try to remove it. But if they don’t see any dirt or blemish there, they’re happy with that, as they’ve got all they wished for: ‘How fortunate that I’m clean!”

You can read the full sutta in; https://suttacentral.net/an10.55/en/sujato

In the same way you should check your mind and see how skilled you are.  Let’s find out how to do this through our next editorial.  Till then have a blessed time dear dhamma friend with a prettier face & a beautiful mind!