How to Avoid Downfall

The Parabhava Sutta

How to Avoid Downfall is based on the Parabhava Sutta.  It is a short teaching outlining the pitfalls to avoid in order for one to make progress along the material, moral and spiritual paths. 

1. Material Downfall

One who is fond of sleep and of excessive socializing.  He or she is apathetic, lazy, irritable and rude. 

One who is promiscuous, a drunkard, a gambler.  He or she squanders what is earned. 

One who is past his or her youth and is old, but takes a very young spouse, and is continually suspicious and jealous.  Work becomes poor and business neglected. 

One who gives authority over his or her affairs to someone addicted to drinking and overspending.  

One who is born into a good family but is not well off, and yet has excessive ambition, greed and lust for power.  

2. Moral Downfall

One who is well-to-do but does not support his or her aged parents who are past their prime. 

One who is prosperous with much property, jewellery and food, but does not share any of his or her wealth with others. 

One who is proud of his or her birth, wealth and status, but despises his or her own relatives.  

One who is not content with his or her own spouse and is involved with prostitutes and the partners of others.  

3. Spiritual Downfall

One who loves the Dhamma (or any other virtuous spiritual teachings) prospers, whereas the person who is averse to it declines. 

One who favours the vicious and avoids the virtuous.  

One who prefers wickedness over goodness.  

One who deceives virtuous people and spiritual teachers with lies.

Each of the twelve causes of downfall shuts a person off from the path of material and spiritual progress, and will eventually lead to unhappiness and suffering.

All the causes of downfall are also recipes for financial disaster.  A wealthy person who will not even support his or her own aged parents is definitely a moral bankrupt.  And the person who shuns virtuous spiritual teachings will never enjoy true and lasting peace and happiness. 

But for those who are aware of these dangers and lead their lives accordingly, the higher path towards a richer, more gracious and noble life is open to them. 

 

References

Causes of Downfall Abound – Tormod Kinnes
Parabhava Sutta – Narada Thera
Parabhava Sutta – Piyadassi Thera
The Wholesome Property – Aggamahapandita Bhaddanta U Pannya Vamsa