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2. Discourse on Decline 1. Decline in Argumentation 239. Does an Arahant decline from Arahantship? Yes. Does an Arahant decline from Arahantship in all circumstances? It should not be said thus... ... Does an Arahant decline from Arahantship in all circumstances? Yes. Is there decline for an Arahant in all circumstances? It should not be said thus... Does an Arahant decline from Arahantship? Yes. Does an Arahant decline from Arahantship always? It should not be said thus... ... Does an Arahant decline from Arahantship always? Yes. Is there decline for an Arahant always? It should not be said thus... Does an Arahant decline from Arahantship? Yes. Do all Arahants decline from Arahantship? It should not be said thus... ... Do all Arahants decline from Arahantship? Yes. Is there decline for all Arahants? It should not be said thus... Does an Arahant decline from Arahantship? Yes. Does an Arahant, declining from Arahantship, decline from the four fruits? It should not be said thus... A wealthy man, making his wealth with four hundred thousand, if a hundred thousand declines, is he declined from wealth? Yes. Is he declined from all his property? It should not be said thus... A wealthy man, making his wealth with four hundred thousand, if a hundred thousand declines, is he capable of declining from all his property? Yes. Is an Arahant, declining from Arahantship, capable of declining from the four fruits? It should not be said thus... 2. Decline in Comparison with Noble Persons 240. Does an Arahant decline from Arahantship? Yes. Does a Stream-enterer decline from the fruit of Stream-entry? It should not be said thus... Does an Arahant decline from Arahantship? Yes. Does a Once-returner decline from the fruit of Once-returning? It should not be said thus... Does an Arahant decline from Arahantship? Yes. Does a Non-returner decline from the fruit of Non-returning? It should not be said thus... Does a Non-returner decline from the fruit of Non-returning? Yes. Does a Stream-enterer decline from the fruit of Stream-entry? It should not be said thus... Does a Non-returner decline from the fruit of Non-returning? Does a Non-returner decline from the fruit of Non-returning? Yes. Does a Once-returner decline from the fruit of Once-returning? It should not be said thus...etc. Does a Once-returner decline from the fruit of Once-returning? Yes. Does a Stream-enterer decline from the fruit of Stream-entry? It should not be said thus...etc. Does a Stream-enterer not decline from the fruit of Stream-entry? Yes. Does an Arahant not decline from Arahantship? It should not be said thus...etc. Does a Once-returner not decline from the fruit of Once-returning? Yes. Does an Arahant not decline from Arahantship? It should not be said thus...etc. Does a Non-returner not decline from the fruit of Non-returning? Yes. Does an Arahant not decline from Arahantship? It should not be said thus...etc. Does a Stream-enterer not decline from the fruit of Stream-entry? Yes. Does a Non-returner not decline from the fruit of Non-returning? It should not be said thus...etc. Does a Once-returner not decline from the fruit of Once-returning? Yes. Does a Non-returner not decline from the fruit of Non-returning? It should not be said thus...etc. Does a Stream-enterer not decline from the fruit of Stream-entry? Yes. Does a Once-returner not decline from the fruit of Once-returning? It should not be said thus...etc. Does an Arahant decline from Arahantship? Yes. An Arahant declining from Arahantship, where does he stand? In the fruit of Non-returning. A Non-returner declining from the fruit of Non-returning, where does he stand? In the fruit of Once-returning. A Once-returner declining from the fruit of Once-returning, where does he stand? In the fruit of Stream-entry. A Stream-enterer declining from the fruit of Stream-entry, does he stand in the realm of ordinary people? It should not be said thus. Understand the refutation. If an Arahant declining from Arahantship stands in the fruit of Non-returning, a Non-returner declining from the fruit of Non-returning stands in the fruit of Once-returning, a Once-returner declining from the fruit of Once-returning stands in the fruit of Stream-entry; then indeed it should be said: "A Stream-enterer declining from the fruit of Stream-entry stands in the realm of ordinary people." An Arahant declining from Arahantship, does he stand in the fruit of Stream-entry? Yes. Immediately after the fruit of Stream-entry is Arahantship itself... Does he do it? It should not be said thus... 242. Does an Arahant fall from Arahantship? Yes. Does a Stream-enterer fall from the fruit of Stream-entry? It should not be said thus... Whose defilements are more abandoned, an Arahant's or a Stream-enterer's? An Arahant's. If an Arahant's defilements are more abandoned, and an Arahant falls from Arahantship; Then indeed it should be said – "a Stream-enterer falls from the fruit of Stream-entry." Does an Arahant fall from Arahantship? Yes. Does a Once-returner fall from the fruit of Once-returning? It should not be said thus... Whose defilements are more abandoned, an Arahant's or a Once-returner's? An Arahant's. If an Arahant's defilements are more abandoned, and an Arahant falls from Arahantship; Then indeed it should be said – "a Once-returner falls from the fruit of Once-returning." Does an Arahant fall from Arahantship? Yes. Does a Non-returner fall from the fruit of Non-returning? It should not be said thus... Whose defilements are more abandoned, an Arahant's or a Non-returner's? An Arahant's. If an Arahant's defilements are more abandoned, and an Arahant falls from Arahantship; Then indeed it should be said – "a Non-returner falls from the fruit of Non-returning." Does a Non-returner fall from the fruit of Non-returning? Yes. Does a Stream-enterer fall from the fruit of Stream-entry? It should not be said thus... Whose defilements are more abandoned, a Non-returner's or a Stream-enterer's? A Non-returner's. If a Non-returner's defilements are more abandoned, and a Non-returner falls from the fruit of Non-returning; Then indeed it should be said – "a Stream-enterer falls from the fruit of Stream-entry." 243. Does a Non-returner fall from the fruit of Non-returning? Yes. Does a Once-returner fall from the fruit of Once-returning? It should not be said thus... Whose defilements are more abandoned, a Non-returner's or a Once-returner's? A Non-returner's. If a Non-returner's defilements are more abandoned, and a Non-returner falls from the fruit of Non-returning; Then indeed it should be said – "a Once-returner falls from the fruit of Once-returning." Does a Once-returner fall Does a once-returner fall from the fruit of once-returning? Yes. Does a stream-enterer fall from the fruit of stream-entry? It should not be said thus. Whose defilements are more abandoned, those of a once-returner or those of a stream-enterer? Those of a once-returner. If the defilements of a once-returner are more abandoned, then a once-returner falls from the fruit of once-returning; therefore, it should be said – "a stream-enterer falls from the fruit of stream-entry." 244. Does an Arahant fall from Arahantship? Yes. Does a stream-enterer fall from the fruit of stream-entry? It should not be said thus. Whose development of the path is greater, that of an Arahant or that of a stream-enterer? That of an Arahant. If the development of the path of an Arahant is greater, then an Arahant falls from Arahantship; therefore, it should be said – "a stream-enterer falls from the fruit of stream-entry." Does an Arahant fall from Arahantship? Yes. Does a stream-enterer fall from the fruit of stream-entry? It should not be said thus. Whose development of mindfulness foundations, right exertions, bases of psychic power, faculties, powers, and enlightenment factors is greater, that of an Arahant or that of a stream-enterer? That of an Arahant. If the development of enlightenment factors of an Arahant is greater, then an Arahant falls from Arahantship; therefore, it should be said – "a stream-enterer falls from the fruit of stream-entry." Does an Arahant fall from Arahantship? Yes. Does a once-returner fall from the fruit of once-returning? It should not be said thus. Whose development of the path, and so on, up to enlightenment factors is greater, that of an Arahant or that of a once-returner? That of an Arahant. If the development of enlightenment factors of an Arahant is greater, then an Arahant falls from Arahantship; therefore, it should be said – "a once-returner falls from the fruit of once-returning." Does an Arahant fall from Arahantship? Yes. Does a non-returner fall from the fruit of non-returning? It should not be said thus. Whose development of the path, and so on, up to enlightenment factors is greater, that of an Arahant or that of a non-returner? That of an Arahant. If the development of enlightenment factors of an Arahant is greater, then an Arahant falls from Arahantship; Arahantship. Therefore, indeed, it should be said: "The non-returner falls away from the fruit of non-returning." 245. Does the non-returner fall away from the fruit of non-returning? Yes. Does the stream-enterer fall away from the fruit of stream-entry? It should not be said thus. ... Whose cultivation of the path... whose cultivation of the enlightenment factors is greater, the non-returner's or the stream-enterer's? The non-returner's. If the non-returner's cultivation of the enlightenment factors is greater, and the non-returner falls away from the fruit of non-returning; then, indeed, it should be said: "The stream-enterer falls away from the fruit of stream-entry." Does the non-returner fall away from the fruit of non-returning? Yes. Does the once-returner fall away from the fruit of once-returning? It should not be said thus. ... Whose cultivation of the path... whose cultivation of the enlightenment factors is greater,