Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa
"Five blessings, householders, accrue to the righteous person through his practice of virtue: great increase of wealth through his diligence; a favorable reputation; a confident deportment, without timidity, in every society, be it that of nobles, brahmans, householders, or ascetics; a serene death; and, at the breaking up of the body after death, rebirth in a happy state, in a heavenly world."
— DN 16
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa
"Monks, for one who partakes of sensuality, poverty is suffering in the world."
"Yes, lord."
"And a poor, destitute, penniless person gets into debt. For one who partakes of sensuality, getting into debt is suffering in the world."
"Yes, lord."
"And a poor, destitute, penniless person, having gotten into debt, owes interest payments. For one who partakes of sensuality, interest payment is suffering in the world."
"Yes, lord."
"And when a poor, destitute, penniless person owing interest payments does not pay interest on time, they serve him notice. For one who partakes of sensuality, being served notice is suffering in the world."
"Yes, lord."
"And when a poor, destitute, penniless person, being served notice, does not pay, they hound him. For one who partakes of sensuality, being hounded is suffering in the world."
"Yes, lord."
"And when a poor, destitute, penniless person, being hounded, does not pay, he is put into bondage. For one who partakes of sensuality, bondage is suffering in the world."
"Yes, lord."
"Thus, monks, poverty is suffering in the world for one who partakes of sensuality. Getting into debt is suffering in the world for one who partakes of sensuality. Interest payment is suffering in the world for one who partakes of sensuality. Being served notice is suffering in the world for one who partakes of sensuality. Being hounded is suffering in the world for one who partakes of sensuality. Bondage is suffering in the world for one who partakes of sensuality.
"In the same way, monks, whoever has no conviction with regard to skillful mental qualities, no sense of conscience with regard to skillful mental qualities, no sense of concern with regard to skillful mental qualities, no persistence with regard to skillful mental qualities, no discernment with regard to skillful mental qualities is, in the discipline of a noble one, said to be poor, destitute, & penniless.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa
"And what is the bliss of blamelessness? There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones is endowed with blameless bodily kamma, blameless verbal kamma, blameless mental kamma. When he thinks, 'I am endowed with blameless bodily kamma, blameless verbal kamma, blameless mental kamma,' he experiences bliss, he experiences joy. This is called the bliss of blamelessness.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa
"There is the case where a woman or man when visiting a brahman or contemplative, does not ask: 'What is skillful, venerable sir? What is unskillful? What is blameworthy? What is blameless? What should be cultivated? What should not be cultivated? What, having been done by me, will be for my long-term harm & suffering? Or what, having been done by me, will be for my long-term welfare & happiness?' Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in the plane of deprivation... If instead he/she comes to the human state, then he/she will be stupid wherever reborn. This is the way leading to stupidity: when visiting a brahman or contemplative, not to ask: 'What is skillful?... Or what, having been done by me, will be for my long-term welfare & happiness?'
"But then there is the case where a woman or man when visiting a brahman or contemplative, asks: 'What is skillful, venerable sir? What is unskillful? What is blameworthy? What is blameless? What should be cultivated? What should not be cultivated? What, having been done by me, will be for my long-term harm & suffering? Or what, having been done by me, will be for my long-term welfare & happiness?' Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in a good destination... If instead he/she comes to the human state, then he/she is discerning wherever reborn. This is the way leading to discernment: when visiting a brahman or contemplative, to ask: 'What is skillful?... Or what, having been done by me, will be for my long-term welfare & happiness?'
visiting brahman or contemplative, and ask: 'What is skillful, venerable sir? What is unskillful? What is blameworthy? What is blameless? What should be cultivated? What should not be cultivated? What, having been done by me, will be for my long-term harm & suffering? Or what, having been done by me, will be for my long-term welfare & happiness?'
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa
"The misery from the decrease of relations is nothing in comparison to the decrease of wisdom. Bhikkhus, of decreases the decrease in wisdom is miserable.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa
Appamada Sutta: Heedfulness
Then a certain devata, in the far extreme of the night, her extreme radiance lighting up the entirety of Jeta's Grove, went to the Blessed One. On arrival, having bowed down to him, she stood to one side. As she was standing there, she said to the Blessed One, "These seven qualities, lord, lead to a monk's non-decline. Which seven? Respect for the teacher, respect for the Dhamma, respect for the Sangha, respect for training, respect for concentration, respect for heedfulness, respect for hospitality. These seven qualities, lord, lead to the non-decline of a monk."
That is what the devata said. The Teacher approved. Sensing, "The Teacher approves of me," the devata bowed down to the Blessed One and, circled him three times, keeping him to his right, and then disappeared right there.
Then when the night had past, The Blessed One addressed the monks: "Last night, monks, a certain devata in the far extreme of the night, her extreme radiance lighting up the entirety of Jeta's Grove, came to me and, on arrival, bowed down to me and stood to one side. As she was standing there, she said to me, 'These seven qualities, lord, lead to a monk's non-decline. Which seven? Respect for the teacher, respect for the Dhamma, respect for the Sangha, respect for training, respect for concentration, respect for heedfulness, respect for hospitality. These seven qualities, lord, lead to the non-decline of a monk.'
"That is what that devata said. Having said it, she bowed down to me, circled me three times, and then disappeared right there."
Respecting the Teacher
respecting the Dhamma,
and with fierce respect for the Sangha,
respecting concentration, ardent,
and with fierce respect for training,
a monk respecting heedfulness,
and with respect for hospitality
— incapable of decline —
is right in the presence of unbinding.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa
Hirima Sutta: A Sense of Shame
"Last night, monks, a certain devata in the far extreme of the night, her extreme radiance lighting up the entirety of Jeta's Grove, came to me and, on arrival, bowed down to me and stood to one side. As she was standing there, she said to me, 'These seven qualities, lord, lead to a monk's non-decline. Which seven? Respect for the teacher, respect for the Dhamma, respect for the Sangha, respect for training, respect for concentration, respect for shame, respect for compunction. These seven qualities, lord, lead to a monk's non-decline.'
"That is what that devata said. Having said it, she bowed down to me, circled me three times, and then disappeared right there."
Respecting the Teacher
respecting the Dhamma,
and with fierce respect for the Sangha,
respecting concentration, ardent,
and with fierce respect for training,
consummate in shame & compunction,
deferential, respectful
— incapable of decline —
one is right in the presence of unbinding.
See also: AN 7.31 (http://zugangzureinsicht.org/html/tipitaka/an/an07/an07.031.than_en.html); AN 7.33 (http://zugangzureinsicht.org/html/tipitaka/an/an07/an07.033.than_en.html); AN 7.34 (http://zugangzureinsicht.org/html/tipitaka/an/an07/an07.034.than_en.html).:
Respecting the Teacher
respecting the Dhamma,
and with fierce respect for the Sangha,
respecting concentration, ardent,
and with fierce respect for training,
having admirable friends, compliant[1],
deferential, respectful
— incapable of decline —
one is right in the presence of unbinding.
"There is the case where a monk himself has respect for the Teacher. He speaks in praise of having respect for the Teacher. With regard to those other monks who don't have respect for the Teacher, he gets them to undertake respect for the Teacher. As for those other monks who do have respect for the Teacher, he at the proper times speaks in praise of them — truly, accurately.
"There is the case where a monk himself has respect for the Dhamma...
"There is the case where a monk himself has respect for the Sangha...
"There is the case where a monk himself has respect for training...
"There is the case where a monk himself has respect for concentration...
"There is the case where a monk himself is compliant...
"There is the case where a monk himself has admirable friends. He speaks in praise of having admirable friends. With regard to those other monks who don't have admirable friends, he gets them to undertake admirable friendship. As for those other monks who do have admirable friends, he at the proper times speaks in praise of them — truly, accurately.
"This, lord, is how I understand the detailed meaning of the Blessed One's brief statement."
1. Compliance (sovacassa) = willingness to follow instructions given by Noble Ones.