As we progress through life, we see many who were once successful and famous but later decline. Also, people with much potential but never reaching it. Buddhism is one way of explaining why such things happen.
Summarized below is translation of the discourse given by the Buddha whilst at Jetavana Monastery in answer to the question of what are the causes of decline/downfall of a person:
- The lover of the Dhamma (laws of nature) prospers. The hater of the Dhamma declines – this is the cause of his downfall.
- If a person prefers the association of the unwise, unnoble, vicious and does not like those who are virtuous – this is the cause of his downfall.
- One who is fond of sleep and gossiping in company, inactive and lazy, and manifesting anger – this is the cause of his downfall.
- Whoever being affluent, does not support his mother and father who are old – this is the cause of his downfall.
- Whoever by falsehood deceives either a brahmana, or a samana (a holy man), or any other mendicant – this is the cause of his downfall.
- A person who is possessed of much wealth, and has an abundance of food, but enjoys his delicacies all by himself without sharing – this is the cause of his downfall.
- A person who, out of ego proud of his birth, of his wealth, and of his clan, despises or looks down at his relations or others – this is the cause of his downfall.
- One who is addicted to women (given to a life of debauchery), is a drunkard, a gambler, and a squanderer of his earnings – this is the cause of his downfall.
- Not satisfied with one’s own wives, he is seen among other women and the wives of others – this is the cause of his downfall.
- A person past his youth takes as wife, a girl in her teens, and sleeps not being jealous of her – this is the cause of his downfall.
- One who is the head of a family or organization, if that one is greedy for meat eating, drink, squandering – this is the cause of the downfall or that organization or family.
- He who having but little possessions but great ambition through greed, is of warrior birth and aspires selfishly to an unattainable sovereignty – this is the cause of his downfall
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