English
the wise person is one who thinks well-thought thoughts, and speaks well-spoken words, and does well-done deeds, therefore the wise recognize him as 'This venerable one is a wise, good person'. That wise person, monks, experiences three kinds of happiness and joy in this very life. If, monks, the wise person is seated in an assembly, or seated in a street, or seated at a crossroads; and there people discuss a topic inappropriate for him. If, monks, the wise person abstains from taking life, abstains from taking what is not given, abstains from sexual misconduct, abstains from false speech, abstains from fermented and distilled liquors, which are the basis of heedlessness; then, monks, the wise person thinks thus: 'What people discuss, a topic relevant to unsuitability; those qualities are not found in me, and I am not seen among those qualities.' This, monks, is the first kind of happiness and joy the wise person experiences in this very life. 254. Furthermore, monks, the wise person sees kings, having caught a criminal, a wrongdoer, inflicting various kinds of punishments – beating with whips, beating with canes, beating with clubs, cutting off hands, cutting off feet, cutting off hands and feet, cutting off ears, cutting off noses, cutting off ears and noses, inflicting the 'gruel pot' punishment, inflicting the 'shell-shaving' punishment, inflicting the 'Rahu's mouth' punishment, inflicting the 'garland of flames' punishment, inflicting the 'hand-torch' punishment, inflicting the 'rag-strip' punishment, inflicting the 'bark-dress' punishment, inflicting the 'antelope' punishment, inflicting the 'fish-hook flesh' punishment. inflicting the 'ika' torture, inflicting the 'coin' torture, inflicting the 'lye-ash' torture, inflicting the 'roller-pin' torture, inflicting the 'straw-mat' torture, drenching with hot oil, making dogs eat them, impaling them alive on a stake, cutting off their heads with a sword. There, bhikkhus, the wise person thinks thus: 'Because of such evil deeds, kings, having seized a thief, an evildoer, inflict various tortures: They lash them with whips, they lash them with canes, they lash them with clubs, they cut off their hands, they cut off their feet, they cut off their hands and feet, they cut off their ears, they cut off their nose, they cut off their ears and nose, they inflict the 'porridge-pot' torture, they inflict the 'shell-shaving' torture, they inflict the 'Rāhu's mouth' torture, they inflict the 'garland of flames' torture, they inflict the 'hand-torch' torture, they inflict the 'rag-strip' torture, they inflict the 'bark-dress' torture, they inflict the 'antelope' torture, they inflict the 'fish-hook flesh' torture, they inflict the 'coin' torture, they inflict the 'lye-ash' torture, they inflict the 'roller-pin' torture, they inflict the 'straw-mat' torture, they drench them with hot oil, they make dogs eat them, they impale them alive on a stake, they cut off their heads with a sword. These things are not found in me, and I am not seen in these things.' This too, bhikkhus, is a second joy and happiness that the wise person experiences in this very life. 255. Again, furthermore, bhikkhus, when a wise person is seated on a chair, or seated on a couch, or lying on the ground, the good deeds he performed before – good conduct in body, good conduct in speech, good conduct in mind – these come to him at that time. Just as, bhikkhus, the shadows of great mountain peaks at evening time stretch over the earth, they stretch down, they stretch far; even so, bhikkhus, when a wise person is seated on a chair, or seated on a couch, or lying on the ground, the good deeds he performed before Those deeds done, by body, well-done, by speech, well-done, by mind, well-done, those for him at that time hang down, hang close, hang all around. There, monks, for the wise one, it is thus: ‘Not done, indeed, by me is evil, not done is cruelty, not done is wickedness; done is good, done is wholesome, done is protection from fear. As far as, sirs, for those who have not done evil, not done cruelty, not done wickedness, for those who have done good, done wholesome, done protection from fear, is the destination, that destination, having passed away, I shall go.’ He does not grieve, does not tire, does not lament, does not beat his breast, does not fall into confusion. This too, monks, the wise one, a third, in this very life experiences happiness and joy. That wise one, monks, having lived a good conduct by body, having lived a good conduct by speech, having lived a good conduct by mind, with the breaking up of the body, after death, is reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world. That which, monks, one would rightly say, ‘is entirely desirable, entirely lovely, entirely pleasing,’ that heaven itself one would rightly say, ‘is entirely desirable, entirely lovely, entirely pleasing.’ To such an extent, monks, an analogy is not easy for how happy are the heavens. When this was said, a certain monk said to the Blessed One: “Is it possible, venerable sir, to make an analogy?” “It is possible, monk,” the Blessed One said. “Just as, monks, a Wheel-turning monarch, endowed with seven jewels, and with four powers, experiences happiness and joy on account of that. With which seven? Here, monks, for a khattiya king, anointed on the head, on the Uposatha day, the fifteenth, having bathed his head, observing the Uposatha, having ascended to the top of his palace, a divine wheel-jewel appears, with a thousand spokes, with a rim, with a hub, complete in all its aspects. Seeing that, for the khattiya king, anointed on the head, it is thus: ‘I have heard Oh, how is it that for that anointed warrior king, on that Uposatha day, the fifteenth day, having bathed his head, observing Uposatha, having gone to the top of the excellent palace, a divine wheel-treasure appears? With a thousand spokes, with a rim, with a nave, complete in all aspects, he becomes a Wheel-turning Monarch. Might I not be a Wheel-turning Monarch? Then, monks, the anointed warrior king, taking a water-pot with his left hand, sprinkles the wheel-treasure with his right hand, saying: ‘May the venerable wheel-treasure roll forth, may the venerable wheel-treasure conquer!’ Then, monks, that wheel-treasure rolls towards the eastern direction. The Wheel-turning Monarch follows, together with his fourfold army. And wherever, monks, the wheel-treasure stands still, there the Wheel-turning Monarch takes up residence, together with his fourfold army. And those, monks, opposing kings in the eastern direction, they approach the Wheel-turning Monarch and say thus: ‘Come, great king! Welcome to you, great king! Yours is this, great king! Instruct us, great king!’ The Wheel-turning Monarch says thus: ‘No living being is to be killed, what is not given is not to be taken, wrong conduct in sensual pleasures is not to be practiced, no falsehood is to be spoken, no intoxicating drink is to be consumed, and enjoy what you have enjoyed.’ And those, monks, opposing kings in the eastern direction, they become followers of the Wheel-turning Monarch. Then, monks, that wheel-treasure, having plunged into the eastern ocean and emerged again, rolls towards the southern direction… having plunged into the southern ocean and emerged again, rolls towards the western direction… having plunged into the western ocean and emerged again, rolls towards the northern direction. The Wheel-turning Monarch follows... with the fourfold army. And wherever, monks, the wheel-gem stands, there the Wheel-turning Monarch resides with the fourfold army. “And those, monks, who are rival kings from the northern direction, they approach the Wheel-turning Monarch and say this: ‘Come, great king! Welcome, great king! Yours, great king! Instruct us, great king!’ The Wheel-turning Monarch says this: ‘No living being is to be killed, what is not given is not to be taken, misconduct in sensual pleasures is not to be done, falsehood is not to be spoken, intoxicants are not to be drunk; and eat what you have eaten.’ And those, monks, who are rival kings from the northern direction, they become followers of the Wheel-turning Monarch. “Then, monks, that wheel-gem, having conquered the earth to the ocean's edge, returns to that same capital, and stands, as if fixed on an axle, at the inner palace gate of the Wheel-turning Monarch, adorning the inner palace gate of the Wheel-turning Monarch. To the Wheel-turning Monarch, monks, such a wheel-gem appears. “Furthermore, monks, to the Wheel-turning Monarch an elephant-gem appears – all white, seven-footed, endowed with psychic power, able to travel through the air, a king of elephants named Uposatha. Seeing it, the mind of the Wheel-turning Monarch is pleased: ‘Excellent indeed, sirs, is this elephant-vehicle, if it would submit to training!’ Then, monks, that elephant-gem submits to training just as a noble elephant of good breed that has been well-trained for a long time. Formerly, monks, the Wheel-turning Monarch, testing that same elephant-gem, mounted it in the forenoon, traveled over the earth to the ocean's edge, and returned to that same capital to take his morning meal. To the Wheel-turning Monarch, monks, such an elephant-gem appears. “Furthermore, monks, to the Wheel-turning Monarch a horse-gem appears— i – All-white, black-headed, with muñja-grass mane, powerful, moving through the sky, named Valāhaka, a king of horses. Seeing him, the mind of the Wheel-turning King was pleased: ‘Excellent indeed, sirs, among horses, if it would submit to training.’ Then, monks, that jewel of a horse, just like a noble thoroughbred horse, well-trained for a long time, likewise submits to training. Once upon a time, monks, a Wheel-turning King, testing that very jewel of a horse, mounted it in the forenoon, traversed the earth to the ocean's edge, returned to that same capital, and took his breakfast. To a Wheel-turning King, monks,