an.5.8 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

Falling Away (1)

“Bhikkhus, possessing five qualities a bhikkhu falls away and is not established in the good Dhamma. What five? (1) A bhikkhu devoid of faith falls away and is not established in the good Dhamma. (2) A morally shameless bhikkhu … (3) A morally reckless bhikkhu … (4) A lazy bhikkhu … (5) An unwise bhikkhu falls away and is not established in the good Dhamma. Possessing these five qualities, a bhikkhu falls away and is not established in the good Dhamma.

“Bhikkhus, possessing five other qualities a bhikkhu does not fall away but is established in the good Dhamma. What five? (1) A bhikkhu endowed with faith does not fall away but is established in the good Dhamma. (2) A bhikkhu who has a sense of moral shame … (3) A bhikkhu who has moral dread … (4) An energetic bhikkhu … (5) A wise bhikkhu does not fall away but is established in the good Dhamma. Possessing these five qualities, a bhikkhu does not fall away but is established in the good Dhamma.”

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh

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Failure

“Mendicants, a mendicant with five qualities fails, and doesn’t establish themselves in the true teaching.
What five?
A mendicant who is faithless …
shameless …
imprudent …
lazy …
witless fails, and doesn’t establish themselves in the true teaching.
A mendicant with these five qualities fails, and doesn’t establish themselves in the true teaching.
A mendicant with five qualities doesn’t fail, and establishes themselves in the true teaching.
What five?
A mendicant who is faithful …
conscientious …
prudent …
energetic …
wise doesn’t fail, and establishes themselves in the true teaching.
A mendicant with these five qualities doesn’t fail, and establishes themselves in the true teaching.”