[490] "Venerable sir, at present the bhikkhus are difficult to admonish, Blessed One; they are endowed with qualities that make them difficult to admonish; they are impatient and do not accept instruction (anusāsanī) respectfully. Venerable sir, for whomever there is no faith (saddhā) in wholesome states (kusalā dhammā), no moral shame (hiri) in wholesome states, no moral dread (ottappa) in wholesome states, no energy in wholesome states, no wisdom (paññā) in wholesome states — for him, whatever night or day comes, only decline in wholesome states is to be expected, not growth. Just as, venerable sir, in the dark fortnight, whatever night or day comes, the moon declines in beauty, declines in roundness, declines in radiance, declines in height and breadth — even so, venerable sir, for whomever there is no faith in wholesome states, no moral shame ... no moral dread ... no energy ... no wisdom in wholesome states — for him, whatever night or day comes, only decline in wholesome states is to be expected, not growth. 'A person without faith,' venerable sir — this is decline; 'a person without moral shame,' venerable sir — this is decline; 'a person without moral dread,' venerable sir — this is decline; 'a lazy person,' venerable sir — this is decline; 'a person of poor wisdom,' venerable sir — this is decline; 'an angry person,' venerable sir — this is decline; 'a resentful person,' venerable sir — this is decline; 'there are no bhikkhus who give exhortation,' venerable sir — this is decline."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.