The Buddha describes the four things inside themselves should conclude: ‘my skillful qualities—they have much greed, much hate, and much delusion; and their wisdom eye doesn’t go into the many deep matters, any monk or nun who sees these four things inside themselves should conclude:, and ‘my skillful qualities are declining.

AN 4.158 Decline

Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi: “āvuso bhikkhave”ti.

“Āvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ. Āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca:

“Yo hi koci, āvuso, bhikkhu bhikkhunī cattāro dhamme attani samanupassati, niṭṭhamettha gantabbaṁ: ‘parihāyāmi kusalehi dhammehi’. Parihānametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā. Katame cattāro? Rāgavepullattaṁ, dosavepullattaṁ, mohavepullattaṁ, gambhīresu kho panassa ṭhānāṭhānesu paññācakkhu na kamati. Yo hi koci, āvuso, bhikkhu bhikkhunī ime cattāro dhamme attani samanupassati, niṭṭhamettha gantabbaṁ: ‘parihāyāmi kusalehi dhammehi’. Parihānametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā.

Yo hi koci, āvuso, bhikkhu bhikkhunī cattāro dhamme attani samanupassati, niṭṭhamettha gantabbaṁ: ‘na parihāyāmi kusalehi dhammehi’. Aparihānametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā. Katame cattāro? Rāgatanuttaṁ, dosatanuttaṁ, mohatanuttaṁ, gambhīresu kho panassa ṭhānāṭhānesu paññācakkhu kamati. Yo hi koci, āvuso, bhikkhu bhikkhunī ime cattāro dhamme attani samanupassati, niṭṭhamettha gantabbaṁ: ‘na parihāyāmi kusalehi dhammehi’. Aparihānametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā”ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi:

There Sāriputta addressed the mendicants:

“āvuso bhikkhave”ti.

“Reverends, mendicants!”

“Āvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ.

“Reverend,” they replied.

Āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca:

Sāriputta said this:

“Yo hi koci, āvuso, bhikkhu bhikkhunī cattāro dhamme attani samanupassati, niṭṭhamettha gantabbaṁ:

“Reverends, any monk or nun who sees four things inside themselves should conclude:

‘parihāyāmi kusalehi dhammehi’.

‘My skillful qualities are declining.

Parihānametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā.

For this is what the Buddha calls decline.’

Katame cattāro?

What four?

Rāgavepullattaṁ, dosavepullattaṁ, mohavepullattaṁ, gambhīresu kho panassa ṭhānāṭhānesu paññācakkhu na kamati.

They have much greed, much hate, and much delusion; and their wisdom eye doesn’t go into the many deep matters.

Yo hi koci, āvuso, bhikkhu bhikkhunī ime cattāro dhamme attani samanupassati, niṭṭhamettha gantabbaṁ:

Any monk or nun who sees these four things inside themselves should conclude:

‘parihāyāmi kusalehi dhammehi’.

‘My skillful qualities are declining.

Parihānametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā.

For this is what the Buddha calls decline.’

Yo hi koci, āvuso, bhikkhu bhikkhunī cattāro dhamme attani samanupassati, niṭṭhamettha gantabbaṁ:

Any monk or nun who sees four things inside themselves should conclude:

‘na parihāyāmi kusalehi dhammehi’.

‘My skillful qualities are not declining.

Aparihānametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā.

For this is what the Buddha calls non-decline.’

Katame cattāro?

What four?

Rāgatanuttaṁ, dosatanuttaṁ, mohatanuttaṁ, gambhīresu kho panassa ṭhānāṭhānesu paññācakkhu kamati.

Their greed, hate, and delusion grow less; and their wisdom eye goes into the many deep matters.

Yo hi koci, āvuso, bhikkhu bhikkhunī ime cattāro dhamme attani samanupassati, niṭṭhamettha gantabbaṁ:

Any monk or nun who sees these four things inside themselves should conclude:

‘na parihāyāmi kusalehi dhammehi’.

‘My skillful qualities are not declining.

Aparihānametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā”ti.

For this is what the Buddha calls non-decline.’”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Qualities:

Aversion

Aversion

A rejecting mental quality rooted in perception, where one instinctively turns away from or resists unpleasant experiences or objects; it manifests as a tendency to push away discomfort, obstructing patience and acceptance.

Also known as: animosity, hate, hostility, fault-finding mindset, upset
Pāli: dosa, paṭighasaññā, vera
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Craving

Craving

A driving ‘thirst’ that reaches out toward experiences, identities, or outcomes as the place to find satisfaction—“if only I had that.” It spins stories of lack, binds the mind to becoming, and invariably leads to suffering.

Also known as: wanting, yearning, longing, lit. thirst
Pāli: taṇha, abhijjhā
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Delusion

Delusion

A fundamental distortion of reality that sustains confusion, clouds discernment, and fuels further doubt.

Also known as: illusion, hallucination, misapprehension, distorted view
Pāli: moha, micchāñāṇa
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Greed

Greed

A grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment

Also known as: acquisitiveness, avarice, covetousness, rapacity, money grabbing, grabbiness
Pāli: lobha, gedha
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Wholesome

Wholesome

Conducive to or suggestive of good health and mental well-being.

Also known as: blameless, skillful, beneficial, good, useful, healthy, nourishing, sustaining
Pāli: kusala
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Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026