The seven conditions for non-decline (satta aparihāniyā dhammā) at the beginning of the Mahāparinibbāna-sutta (hereafter MPS) are items that bring harmony and prosperity to the Sangha. There are five sets of seven conditions for non-decline and a set of six conditions for non-decline. They can be categorized into community norms and personal practice items.
However, what kind of relationship is there between items for community harmony and items to be practiced personally? To get to the heart of the questions relating to this issue, first we need to examine the MN Sāmagāma-sutta; it clearly shows that the Sangha should agree upon its path of practice, especially with regard to the thirty-seven bodhi-pakkhiyā dhammā. Thus, it seems reasonable to conclude that four pairs of practical items had to be presented at the beginning of the MPS in order to prevent controversy about the path of practice from occurring in the Sangha after the Buddha’s death.
