[158] There the Venerable Sāriputta addressed the bhikkhus: "Friends, bhikkhus!" "Friend," those bhikkhus replied to the Venerable Sāriputta. The Venerable Sāriputta said this:
"Friends, whatever bhikkhu or bhikkhunī sees four dhammas in themselves should come to this conclusion: 'I am declining from wholesome states.' For this has been declared decline by the Blessed One. What four? Abundance of lust (rāga), abundance of hatred, abundance of delusion; and one's eye of wisdom (paññācakkhu) does not range over the profound matters of what is possible and impossible (ṭhānāṭhāna). Friends, whatever bhikkhu or bhikkhunī sees these four dhammas in themselves should come to this conclusion: 'I am declining from wholesome states.' For this has been declared decline by the Blessed One.
"Friends, whatever bhikkhu or bhikkhunī sees four dhammas in themselves should come to this conclusion: 'I am not declining from wholesome states.' For this has been declared non-decline by the Blessed One. What four? Attenuation of lust, attenuation of hatred, attenuation of delusion; and one's eye of wisdom does range over the profound matters of what is possible and impossible. Friends, whatever bhikkhu or bhikkhunī sees these four dhammas in themselves should come to this conclusion: 'I am not declining from wholesome states.' For this has been declared non-decline by the Blessed One."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.