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(19) 4. The Chapter on Brahmins 1. The Discourse on the Warrior 181. "With four qualities, monks, a warrior is worthy of a king, fit for a king, and is counted as a limb of the king. Which four? Here, monks, a warrior is skilled in position, a long-distance shooter, an instant marksman, and a destroyer of a great host. With these four qualities, monks, a warrior is worthy of a king, fit for a king, and is counted as a limb of the king. Even so, monks, with four qualities, a monk is worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. Which four? Here, monks, a monk is skilled in position, a long-distance shooter, an instant marksman, and a destroyer of a great host. "And how, monks, is a monk skilled in position? Here, monks, a monk is virtuous... he undertakes and trains in the training rules. Thus, monks, a monk is skilled in position. "And how, monks, is a monk a long-distance shooter? Here, monks, whatever form there is— past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near— all form he sees as it actually is with right wisdom: 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.' Whatever feeling there is... whatever perception there is... whatever volitional formations there are... whatever consciousness there is— past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near— all consciousness he sees as it actually is with right wisdom: 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.' Thus, monks, a monk is a long-distance shooter. "And how, monks, is a monk an instant marksman? Here, monks, a monk understands as it actually is: 'This is suffering'... 'This is the origin of suffering'... 'This is the cessation of suffering'... 'This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering.' the path leading to cessation, as it really is, he understands. Thus, monks, a monk is a swift piercer. "And how, monks, is a monk a destroyer of a great mass? Here, monks, a monk destroys the great mass of ignorance. Thus, monks, a monk is a destroyer of a great mass. Endowed with these four qualities, monks, a monk is worthy of offerings... he is an unsurpassed field of merit for the world." The First. 2. The Discourse on Surety 182. [Discourse. 624] "For four things, monks, there is no surety — no ascetic, no brahmin, no god, no Māra, no Brahmā, no one in the world. "Which four? 'May I not grow old, being subject to aging' — there is no surety — no ascetic, no brahmin, no god, no Māra, no Brahmā, no one in the world. 'May I not fall ill, being subject to illness' — there is no surety — no ascetic, no brahmin, no god, no Māra, no Brahmā, no one in the world. 'May I not die, being subject to death' — there is no surety — no ascetic, no brahmin, no god, no Māra, no Brahmā, no one in the world. 'May the results of those evil deeds, defiling, leading to renewed existence, causing suffering, with painful results, leading to birth, aging, and death in the future, which I have done myself in the past, not arise' — there is no surety — no ascetic, no brahmin, no god, no Māra, no Brahmā, no one in the world. "For these four things, monks, there is no surety — no ascetic, no brahmin, no god, no Māra, no Brahmā, no one in the world." The Second. 3. The Discourse on Suta 183. At one time the Blessed One was staying at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Feeding Ground. Then Vassakāra the brahmin, the chief minister of Magadha, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. When the courteous and amiable talk was concluded, he sat down to one side. One Having been invited, Vassakāra the brahmin, the chief minister of Magadha, sat down and said this to the Blessed One: "Indeed, Master Gotama, I am one who speaks thus, one who holds this view: 'Whoever speaks what is seen, saying, "This is what I have seen," there is no fault in that. Whoever speaks what is heard, saying, "This is what I have heard," there is no fault in that. Whoever speaks what is sensed, saying, "This is what I have sensed," there is no fault in that. Whoever speaks what is cognized, saying, "This is what I have cognized," there is no fault in that.'" "I do not say, brahmin, that all that is seen should be spoken. Nor do I say, brahmin, that all that is seen should not be spoken. I do not say, brahmin, that all that is heard should be spoken. Nor do I say, brahmin, that all that is heard should not be spoken. I do not say, brahmin, that all that is sensed should be spoken. Nor do I say, brahmin, that all that is sensed should not be spoken. I do not say, brahmin, that all that is cognized should be spoken. Nor do I say, brahmin, that all that is cognized should not be spoken. "Indeed, brahmin, when one speaks what is seen, unwholesome qualities increase, wholesome qualities decrease. Such a seen thing, I say, should not be spoken. But brahmin, when one does not speak what is seen, wholesome qualities decrease, unwholesome qualities increase. Such a seen thing, I say, should be spoken. "Indeed, brahmin, when one speaks what is heard, unwholesome qualities increase, wholesome qualities decrease. Such a heard thing, I say, should not be spoken. But brahmin, when one does not speak what is heard, wholesome qualities decrease, unwholesome qualities increase. Such a heard thing, I say, should be spoken. "Indeed, brahmin, when one speaks what is sensed, unwholesome qualities increase, wholesome qualities decrease. Such a sensed thing, I say, should not be spoken. But brahmin, when one does not speak what is sensed, wholesome qualities decrease, unwholesome states increase, such a thought, I say, should be spoken. Indeed, brahmin, if, when one speaks what is known, unwholesome states increase, wholesome states decrease, such a known thing, I say, should not be spoken. But if, brahmin, when one does not speak what is known, wholesome states decrease, unwholesome states increase, such a known thing, I say, should be spoken. Then the brahmin Vassakāra, the chief minister of Magadha, having rejoiced in and approved of the Blessed One's words, rose from his seat and departed. The Third. 4. The Discourse on Fearlessness 184. Then the brahmin Jāṇussoṇi approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the brahmin Jāṇussoṇi said this to the Blessed One: "Indeed, Master Gotama, I am one who speaks thus, who holds this view: 'There is no one subject to death who does not fear, who does not tremble at death.'" "There is, brahmin, one subject to death who fears, who trembles at death; but there is, brahmin, one subject to death who does not fear, who does not tremble at death." "And which, brahmin, is the one subject to death who fears, who trembles at death? Here, brahmin, some person is not free from lust for sensual pleasures, not free from desire, not free from affection, not free from thirst, not free from feverish longing, not free from craving. Then some severe illness afflicts him. Afflicted by that severe illness, he thinks thus: 'Alas, dear sensual pleasures will abandon me, and I will abandon dear sensual pleasures!' He grieves, he laments, he weeps, he beats his breast, he falls into confusion. This, brahmin, is the one subject to death who fears, who trembles at death. "Furthermore, brahmin, here some person is not free from lust for the body, not free from desire, not free from affection, His thirst is quenched, but his fever is not gone, his craving is not gone. Then some severe illness afflicts him. Afflicted by that severe illness, it occurs to him: ‘Alas, my dear body will abandon me, and I will abandon my dear body.’ He grieves, he languishes, he laments, he beats his breast, he falls into confusion. This person too, brahmin, though subject to death, fears, and is terrified of death. Again, brahmin, some person here has not done good deeds, has not done skillful deeds, has not made a refuge from fear, has done evil, has done cruel deeds, has done defilements. Then some severe illness afflicts him. Afflicted by that severe illness, it occurs to him: ‘Alas, I have not done good deeds, I have not done skillful deeds, I have not made a refuge from fear; I have done evil, I have done cruel deeds, I have done defilements. Whatever destination, sirs, is for those who have not done good deeds, who have not done skillful deeds, who have not made a refuge from fear, who have done evil, who have done cruel deeds, who have done defilements— to that destination I shall go after death.’ He grieves, he languishes, he laments, he beats his breast, he falls into confusion. This person too, brahmin, though subject to death, fears, and is terrified of death. Again, brahmin, some person here is doubtful, is perplexed, has not found conviction in the True Dhamma. Then some severe illness afflicts him. Afflicted by that severe illness, it occurs to him: ‘Alas, I am doubtful, I am perplexed, I have not found conviction in the True Dhamma.’ He grieves, he languishes, he laments, he beats his breast, he falls into confusion. This person too, brahmin, though subject to death, fears, and is terrified of death. These four persons, brahmin, though subject to death, fear, and are terrified of death. And which person, brahmin, though subject to death, does not fear, and is not terrified of death? Here, brahmin, some person is dispassionate towards sensual pleasures, is free from desire, is free from affection, is free from without thirst, without feverishness, without craving. Then some severe illness afflicts him. When afflicted by that severe illness, he does not think: ‘Alas, dear sensual pleasures will abandon me, and I will abandon dear sensual pleasures.’ He does not grieve,