[70] Then, not long after Vassakāra the brahmin, the chief minister of Magadha, had departed, the Blessed One addressed the Venerable Ānanda: "Go, Ānanda; assemble in the attendance hall all the bhikkhus who dwell in dependence on Rājagaha." "Even so, venerable sir," the Venerable Ānanda replied to the Blessed One, and having assembled in the attendance hall all the bhikkhus who dwell in dependence on Rājagaha, he approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he stood at one side. Standing at one side, the Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, the Saṅgha of bhikkhus is assembled. Let the Blessed One now do as he deems it time."
Then the Blessed One rose from his seat, went to the attendance hall, and having approached, sat down on the seat prepared. Having sat down, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus, I shall teach you seven principles of non-decline (aparihāniyā dhammā). Listen to it, attend well, and I shall speak." "Even so, venerable sir," those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
"Bhikkhus, so long as the bhikkhus shall assemble frequently and hold many assemblies, only growth may be expected for the bhikkhus, not decline.
Bhikkhus, so long as the bhikkhus shall assemble in concord, rise in concord, and carry out the business of the Saṅgha in concord, only growth may be expected for the bhikkhus, not decline.
Bhikkhus, so long as the bhikkhus shall not lay down what has not been laid down, shall not abolish what has been laid down, and shall undertake and conduct themselves according to the training rules as they have been laid down, only growth may be expected for the bhikkhus, not decline.
Bhikkhus, so long as the bhikkhus shall honor, respect, esteem, and venerate those bhikkhus who are elders, of long standing, long gone forth, fathers of the Saṅgha, leaders of the Saṅgha, and shall think them worth listening to, only growth may be expected for the bhikkhus, not decline.
Bhikkhus, so long as the bhikkhus shall not come under the power of arisen craving (taṇhā) that leads to renewed existence, only growth may be expected for the bhikkhus, not decline.
Bhikkhus, so long as the bhikkhus shall look with longing upon forest lodgings, only growth may be expected for the bhikkhus, not decline.
Bhikkhus, so long as the bhikkhus shall each individually establish mindfulness, thinking, 'May well-behaved companions in the holy life who have not yet come, come; and may well-behaved companions in the holy life who have come dwell at ease,' only growth may be expected for the bhikkhus, not decline.
Bhikkhus, so long as these seven principles of non-decline shall stand among the bhikkhus, and so long as the bhikkhus shall be seen conforming to these seven principles of non-decline, only growth may be expected for the bhikkhus, not decline."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.