Parabhava Sutta (The Discourse of Downfall)

 

A Flourishing person is easily known, Ruin too is known, and the prospering person likes righteousness the one who dislikes righteousness is in ruin.

If someone is not dear to the noble one, & does not tolerate the right view, but he delights in the wrong view, those are the causes of ruin.

If someone tends to be sleepy, slothful, surrounded by company & waste its time in useless talk, that man who is unenergetic, is lazy, his distinct sign is anger & destroys harmony of life, that is the cause of ruin.

When the parents are in old age, they cannot support themselves, but the children are energetic & maybe wealthy, if children neglect their parents and do not take care of them, those are ruining people.

He who, a Brahmin or a recluse, or another wayfarer, deceives through untruth, that is the cause of ruining.

With much wealth a man, with gold (plenty of money) with food, alone eats sweetmeats, this is the cause of ruining.

Obdurate about race, proud of their tribe, intoxicated with wealth, despise their own relatives, that is a cause of ruining.

Womanizer, drunkard, and  a gambler, destroys whatever he gets, that is the cause of ruining.

Dissatisfied with his wife he is seen among courtesans, he is seen among others’ wives, that is the cause of ruining.

A man gone beyond youth, marrying an extremely young woman, the aged person spends sleepless nights in order to protect her, this is ruining.

A woman, addicted to drink, squandering, or a man of similar sort, one appoints to be in charge of his wealth, that is the cause of ruining.

With little wealth with great craving, one is born in the royal clan, and he desires kingship, that is the cause of ruining.

The insightful person who has seen those ruining methods, he the noble one, considers to follow the right path into the Bliss of a happy world.

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