Toward the end of his life, the Fortunate One dwelt at Rajagaha, on the hill called Vultures’ Peak. At that time the king of Magadha, Ajatasattu, was planning to wage war against the Vajjis. He bragged about it: “These Vajjis, powerful and glorious as they are, I shall annihilate them, I shall make them perish, I shall utterly destroy them.”
Then Ajatasattu addressed his chief minister, the brahmin Vassakara, saying: “Come, brahmin, go to the Fortunate One, pay homage in my name at his feet, wish him good health, strength, ease, vigour, and comfort, and speak thus: ‘O Lord, Ajatasattu, the king of Magadha, desires to wage war against the Vajjis. He has spoken in this fashion: “These Vajjis, powerful and glorious as they are, I shall annihilate them, I shall make them perish, I shall utterly destroy them.”‘ And whatever the Fortunate One should answer you, keep it well in mind and inform me; for Tathagatas do not speak falsely.”
“Very well, sire,” said the brahmin Vassakara in assent to Ajatasattu, king of Magadha. And he ordered a large number of magnificent carriages to be made ready, mounted one himself, and accompanied by the rest, drove out to Rajagaha towards Vultures’ Peak. He went by carriage as far as the carriage could go, then dismounted and approached the Fortunate One on foot. After exchanging courteous greetings, he sat down at one side and addressed the Fortunate One thus: “Venerable Gotama, Ajatasattu, the king of Magadha, pays homage at the feet of the Venerable Gotama and wishes him good health, strength, ease, vigour, and comfort. He desires to wage war against the Vajjis, and he has spoken in this fashion: ‘These Vajjis, powerful and glorious as they are, I shall annihilate them, I shall make them perish, I shall utterly destroy them.’”
At that time the Venerable Ananda was standing behind the Fortunate One, fanning him, and the Fortunate One addressed the Venerable Ananda thus: “What have you heard, Ananda: do the Vajjis have frequent gatherings, and are their meetings well attended?”
“I have heard, Lord, that this is so.”
“So long, Ananda, as this is the case, the expansion of the Vajjis is to be expected, not their decline.
“What have you heard, Ananda: do the Vajjis assemble and disperse peacefully and attend to their affairs in concord?”
“I have heard, Lord, that they do.”
“So long, Ananda, as this is the case, the expansion of the Vajjis is to be expected, not their decline.
“What have you heard, Ananda: do the Vajjis neither enact new decrees nor abolish existing ones, but proceed in accordance with their established constitutions?”
“I have heard, Lord, that they do.”
“So long, Ananda, as this is the case, the expansion of the Vajjis is to be expected, not their decline.
“What have you heard, Ananda: do the Vajjis show respect, honor, esteem, and veneration towards their elders and think it worthwhile to listen to them?”
“I have heard, Lord, that they do.”
“So long, Ananda, as this is the case, the expansion of the Vajjis is to be expected, not their decline.
“What have you heard, Ananda: do the Vajjis refrain from mistreating women and holding them against their will?”
“I have heard, Lord, that they refrain from doing so.”
“So long, Ananda, as this is the case, the expansion of the Vajjis is to be expected, not their decline.
“What have you heard, Ananda: do the Vajjis show respect, honor, esteem, and veneration towards their public institutions, both those within the captial and those in the rest of the country, and give those the support they need to do their work?”
“I have heard, Lord, that they do esteem their public institutions, and that they do not deprive them of support.”
“So long, Ananda, as this is the case, the expansion of the Vajjis is to be expected, not their decline.
“What have you heard, Ananda: do the Vajjis duly protect and guard the sages and scholars, so that those who have not come to the realm yet might do so, and those who have already come might live and work in peace and freedom?”
“I have heard, Lord, that they do.”
“So long, Ananda, as this is the case, the expansion of the Vajjis is to be expected, not their decline.”
And the Fortunate One addressed the brahmin Vassakara in these words: “Once, brahmin, I dwelt at Vesali, at the Sarandada shrine, and there it was that I taught the Vajjis these seven conditions leading to their communal welfare. So long, brahmin, as the Vajjis hold to those conditions, their expansion is to be expected, not their decline.”
Thereupon the brahmin Vassakara spoke thus to the Fortunate One: “If the Vajjis, Venerable Gotama, were endowed with only one or another of these conditions leading to welfare, their expansion would have to be expected, not their decline. What then of all the seven? No harm, indeed, can be done to the Vajjis in battle by Magadha’s king, Ajatasattu, except through treachery or discord. Well, then, Venerable Gotama, we will take our leave, for we have much to perform, much work to do.”
“Do as now seems fit to you, brahmin.” And the brahmin Vassakara, the chief minister of Magadha, approving of the Fortunate One’s words and delighted by them, rose from his seat and departed.
Then, when Vassakara had departed, the Fortunate One addressed the Venerable Ananda thus: “Go now, Ananda, and assemble in the hall of audience all of the bhikkhus now living around Rajagaha.”
“Very well, Lord.” And the Venerable Ananda did as he was requested and informed the Fortunate One: “The community of bhikkhus is assembled, Lord. Now let the Fortunate One do as he wishes.”
Thereupon the Fortunate One rose from his seat, went up to the hall of audience, took his appointed seat there, and addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Seven conditions leading to welfare I shall set forth, bhikkhus. Listen and pay heed to what I shall say.”
“So be it, Lord.”
“Bhikkhus, the expansion of the community of bhikkhus is to be expected, not their decline, so long as they assemble frequently and in large numbers; meet and disperse peacefully and attend to the affairs of the Sangha in concord; so long as they appoint no new rules, and do not abolish the existing ones, but proceed in accordance with the established Vinaya; so long as they show respect, honor, esteem, and veneration towards the elder bhikkhus, those of long standing, long gone forth, the fathers and leaders of the Sangha, and think it worthwhile to listen to them; so long as they do not come under the power of the craving that leads them to become something different than they are; so long as they cherish the forest depths for their dwellings; so long as they establish themselves in mindfulness, so that virtuous seekers who have not yet entered the community might do so, and those already part of the community might live in peace; so long, bhikkhus, as these seven conditions leading to welfare endure among the bhikkhus and the bhikkhus are known for it, their expansion is to be expected, not their decline.
“Seven further conditions leading to welfare I shall set forth, bhikkhus. Listen and pay heed to what I shall say.”
“So be it, Lord.”
“Bhikkhus, the expansion of the community of bhikkhus is to be expected, not their decline, so long as they do not delight in or find their pleasure in time-wasting activities, gossip, idleness, and public spectacles; so long as they do not harbor or come under the spell of evil desires; have no bad friends, associates, or companions; and so long as they do not stop halfway on account of some trifling achievement. So long, bhikkhus, as these seven conditions leading to welfare endure among the bhikkhus and the bhikkhus are known for it, their expansion is to be expected, not their decline.
“Seven further conditions leading to welfare I shall set forth, bhikkhus. Listen and pay heed to what I shall say.”
“So be it, Lord.”
“Bhikkhus, the expansion of the community of bhikkhus is to be expected, not their decline, so long as they shall have faith to hold to the path they’ve chosen, so long as they have moral shame and are watchful of misconduct, are proficient in learning, resolute, mindful, and wise. So long, bhikkhus, as these seven conditions leading to welfare endure among the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus are known for it, their expansion is to be expected, not their decline.
“Seven further conditions leading to welfare I shall set forth, bhikkhus. Listen and pay heed to what I shall say.”
“So be it, Lord.”
“Bhikkhus, the expansion of the community of bhikkhus is to be expected, not their decline, so long as they cultivate the seven factors of enlightenment, that is: mindfulness, rational inquiry into the nature of things, energy, contentment, tranquillity, concentration, and equanimity. So long, bhikkhus, as these seven conditions leading to welfare endure among the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus are known for it, their expansion is to be expected, not their decline.
“Seven further conditions leading to welfare I shall set forth, bhikkhus. Listen and pay heed to what I shall say.”
“So be it, Lord.”
“Bhikkhus, the expansion of the community of bhikkhus is to be expected, not their decline, so long as they continue to realize the truths of impermanence, of selflessness, of their own physical limitations, of their susceptibility to disease and injury, of the need to let go, of the need to look at things dispassionately, and of the fact that everything that has a beginning also has an end. So long, bhikkhus, as these seven conditions leading to welfare endure among the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus are known for it, their expansion is to be expected, not their decline.
“Six further conditions leading to welfare I shall set forth, bhikkhus. Listen and pay heed to what I shall say.”
“So be it, Lord.”
“Bhikkhus, the expansion of the community of bhikkhus is to be expected, not their decline, so long as they attend on each other with loving-kindness in deed, word, and thought, both openly and in private; so long as in respect of what they receive as due offerings, even the contents of their alms bowls, they do not use them selfishly but share them with virtuous members of the community; so long as, in company with their brethren, they train themselves, openly and in private, in the rules of conduct, which are complete and perfect, spotless and pure, liberating, praised by the wise, uninfluenced by thoughts of gain and loss or fame and disrepute, and favorable to concentration of mind; and in company with their brethren, preserve, openly and in private, the insight that is noble and liberating, and leads one who acts upon it to the utter destruction of suffering. So long, bhikkhus, as these six conditions leading to welfare endure among the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus are known for it, their expansion is to be expected, not their decline.
