[67] On one occasion the Blessed One, while wandering on tour among the Kosalans together with a large Saṅgha of bhikkhus, arrived at a market town of the Kosalans named Naḷakapāna. There the Blessed One dwelt at Naḷakapāna in the Palāsa Grove. Now on that occasion, on the uposatha day, the Blessed One was seated surrounded by the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. Then the Blessed One, having through much of the night instructed, roused, inspired, and gladdened the bhikkhus with a talk on the Dhamma, surveying the utterly silent Saṅgha of bhikkhus, addressed the Venerable Sāriputta: "The Saṅgha of bhikkhus is free from dullness and drowsiness, Sāriputta. Let a talk on the Dhamma occur to you for the bhikkhus. My back is aching; I shall stretch it." "Yes, venerable sir," the Venerable Sāriputta replied to the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One, having had his outer robe (saṅghāṭi) laid out folded in four, lay down on his right side in the lion's posture, placing one foot upon the other, with mindfulness and clear comprehension, having attended in mind to the perception of rising (uṭṭhānasaññā).
There the Venerable Sāriputta addressed the bhikkhus: "Friends, bhikkhus!" "Friend," those bhikkhus replied to the Venerable Sāriputta. The Venerable Sāriputta said this: "Friends, for whoever has no faith (saddhā) in wholesome dhammas, no moral shame (hiri) … no moral dread (ottappa) … no energy … no wisdom (paññā) in wholesome dhammas — whatever night or day comes for him, only decline in wholesome dhammas is to be expected, not growth. Just as, friends, in the dark fortnight, whatever night or day comes for the moon, it declines only in beauty, declines in roundness, declines in radiance, declines in diameter and circumference; even so, friends, for whoever has no faith in wholesome dhammas, no moral shame … no moral dread … no energy … no wisdom in wholesome dhammas — whatever night or day comes for him, only decline in wholesome dhammas is to be expected, not growth. 'A person without faith,' friends: this is decline. 'A person without moral shame,' friends: this is decline. 'A person without moral dread,' friends: this is decline. 'A lazy person,' friends: this is decline. 'A person of poor wisdom,' friends: this is decline. 'An angry person,' friends: this is decline. 'A person who bears grudges,' friends: this is decline. 'A person of evil desires,' friends: this is decline. 'A person with bad friends,' friends: this is decline. 'A person of wrong view,' friends: this is decline.
"Friends, for whoever has faith in wholesome dhammas, moral shame … moral dread … energy … wisdom in wholesome dhammas — whatever night or day comes for him, only growth in wholesome dhammas is to be expected, not decline. Just as, friends, in the bright fortnight, whatever night or day comes for the moon, it increases only in beauty, increases in roundness, increases in radiance, increases in diameter and circumference; even so, friends, for whoever has faith in wholesome dhammas, moral shame … moral dread … energy … wisdom in wholesome dhammas — whatever night or day comes for him, only growth in wholesome dhammas is to be expected, not decline. 'A person with faith,' friends: this is non-decline. 'A person with moral shame,' friends: this is non-decline. 'A person with moral dread,' friends: this is non-decline. 'A person of aroused energy,' friends: this is non-decline. 'A wise person,' friends: this is non-decline. 'A person without anger,' friends: this is non-decline. 'A person who bears no grudges,' friends: this is non-decline. 'A person of few desires,' friends: this is non-decline. 'A person with good friends,' friends: this is non-decline. 'A person of right view,' friends: this is non-decline."
Then the Blessed One, having risen, addressed the Venerable Sāriputta: "Good, good, Sāriputta! Sāriputta, for whoever has no faith in wholesome dhammas, no moral shame … no moral dread … no energy … no wisdom in wholesome dhammas — whatever night or day comes for him, only decline in wholesome dhammas is to be expected, not growth. Just as, Sāriputta, in the dark fortnight, whatever night or day comes for the moon, it declines only in beauty, declines in roundness, declines in radiance, declines in diameter and circumference; even so, Sāriputta, for whoever has no faith in wholesome dhammas … no wisdom in wholesome dhammas … 'A person without faith,' Sāriputta: this is decline. 'A person without moral shame' … 'without moral dread' … 'lazy' … 'of poor wisdom' … 'angry' … 'bearing grudges' … 'of evil desires' … 'with bad friends' … 'a person of wrong view,' Sāriputta: this is decline.
"Sāriputta, for whoever has faith in wholesome dhammas, moral shame … moral dread … energy … wisdom in wholesome dhammas — whatever night or day comes for him, only growth in wholesome dhammas is to be expected, not decline. Just as, Sāriputta, in the bright fortnight, whatever night or day comes for the moon, it increases only in beauty, increases in roundness, increases in radiance, increases in diameter and circumference; even so, Sāriputta, for whoever has faith in wholesome dhammas, moral shame … moral dread … energy … wisdom in wholesome dhammas — whatever night or day comes for him, only growth in wholesome dhammas is to be expected, not decline. 'A person with faith,' Sāriputta: this is non-decline. 'A person with moral shame' … 'with moral dread' … 'of aroused energy' … 'wise' … 'without anger' … 'bearing no grudges' … 'of few desires' … 'with good friends' … 'a person of right view,' Sāriputta: this is non-decline."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.