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is the eighth danger in entering the royal inner palace. "Furthermore, monks, the king dispatches the army at the proper time, but then recalls it from mid-journey. Those to whom that unpleasant thought arises in them: 'The king is indeed associated with the recluse. Perhaps this is the recluse's doing.' This, bhikkhus, is the ninth danger in entering the royal inner palace. Again, furthermore, bhikkhus, the royal inner palace is crowded with elephants, crowded with horses, crowded with chariots, and filled with sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile objects that excite passion, which are not suitable for a recluse. This, bhikkhus, is the tenth danger in entering the royal inner palace. These, bhikkhus, are the ten dangers in entering the royal inner palace. The Fifth. 6. The Sakka Sutta 46. At one time the Blessed One was staying among the Sakyans in Kapilavatthu, at the Nigrodha Park. Then a number of Sakyan lay followers, on that Uposatha day, approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, they sat down to one side. To the Sakyan lay followers seated to one side, the Blessed One said this: "Do you, Sakyans, observe the Uposatha endowed with eight factors?" "Sometimes, Venerable Sir, we observe the Uposatha endowed with eight factors, sometimes we do not observe it." "For you, Sakyans, that is a loss, that is ill-gained, that you, in such a life full of sorrow and fear, a life full of fear of death, sometimes observe the Uposatha endowed with eight factors, and sometimes do not observe it. "What do you think, Sakyans, if here a man, by some work, without doing evil, were to earn half a kahāpaṇa a day? Would he be called a skillful man, diligent and accomplished?" "Yes, Venerable Sir." "What do you think, Sakyans, if here a man, by some work, without doing evil, were to earn a kahāpaṇa a day? Would he be called a skillful man, diligent and accomplished?" "Yes, Venerable Sir." "What do you think, Sakyans, if here a man, by some work, without doing evil, were to earn two kahāpaṇas a day... were to earn three kahāpaṇas... were to earn four kahāpaṇas... earn… earn five kahāpaṇas… earn six kahāpaṇas… earn seven kahāpaṇas… earn eight kahāpaṇas… earn nine kahāpaṇas… earn ten kahāpaṇas… earn twenty kahāpaṇas… earn thirty kahāpaṇas… earn forty kahāpaṇas… earn fifty kahāpaṇas… earn a hundred kahāpaṇas. Is it enough to say, ‘That person is skillful and diligent’?” “Yes, venerable sir.” “What do you think, Sakkas? Could that person, earning a hundred kahāpaṇas or a thousand kahāpaṇas day after day, and depositing what they earn, living for a hundred years, living a hundred years, accumulate a great mass of wealth?” “Yes, venerable sir.” “What do you think, Sakkas? Could that person, for the sake of wealth, because of wealth, on account of wealth, experience unalloyed happiness for one night or one day, or half a night or half a day?” “No, venerable sir.” “For what reason?” “Because, venerable sir, sensual pleasures are impermanent, empty, false, of a deceptive nature.” “But here, Sakkas, my disciple, living for ten years diligent, ardent, resolute, practicing as I have instructed, could experience unalloyed happiness for a hundred years, for a hundred centuries, for a hundred millennia. And that one would be a Once-returner, or a Non-returner, or an assured Stream-enterer. Let ten years pass, Sakkas. Here, my disciple, living for nine years… eight years… seven years… six years… five years… four years… three years… two years… one year diligent, ardent, resolute, practicing as I have instructed, could experience unalloyed happiness for a hundred years, for a hundred centuries, for a hundred millennia. And that one would be a Once-returner, or a Non-returner, or an assured Stream-enterer. Let one year pass, Sakkas. Year. Here, my disciple, for ten months, diligent, ardent, resolute, dwelling, practicing as I have instructed, would dwell experiencing unalloyed happiness for even a hundred years, for even a hundred hundreds of years, for even a hundred thousands of years. And he would be either a Once-returner, or a Non-returner, or an assured Stream-enterer. Let them stand, O Sakka, these ten months. Here, my disciple, for nine months... eight months... seven months... six months... five months... four months... three months... two months... one month... half a month, diligent, ardent, resolute, dwelling, practicing as I have instructed, would dwell experiencing unalloyed happiness for even a hundred years, for even a hundred hundreds of years, for even a hundred thousands of years. And he would be either a Once-returner, or a Non-returner, or an assured Stream-enterer. Let it stand, O Sakka, this half a month. Here, my disciple, for ten days and nights, diligent, ardent, resolute, dwelling, practicing as I have instructed, would dwell experiencing unalloyed happiness for even a hundred years, for even a hundred hundreds of years, for even a hundred thousands of years. And he would be either a Once-returner, or a Non-returner, or an assured Stream-enterer. Let them stand, O Sakka, these ten days and nights. Here, my disciple, for nine days and nights... eight days and nights... seven days and nights... six days and nights... five days and nights... four days and nights... three days and nights... two days and nights... one day and night, diligent, ardent, resolute, dwelling, practicing as I have instructed, would dwell experiencing unalloyed happiness for even a hundred years, for even a hundred hundreds of years, for even a hundred thousands of years. And he would be either a Once-returner, or a Non-returner, or an assured Stream-enterer. For them, O Sakka, it is a loss, for them, it is ill-gained, who you, in such a life fraught with sorrow, in a life fraught with death, sometimes observe the Uposatha endowed with eight factors, and sometimes do not observe it. Venerable sir, we, from today onwards, will observe the Uposatha endowed with eight factors. The Sixth. 7. The Discourse to Mahāli 47. At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Vesālī, in the Great Wood, in the Gabled Hall. Then Mahāli the Licchavi approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Mahāli the Licchavi said to the Blessed One: “What, Venerable sir, is the cause, what is the reason for the performance of unwholesome kamma, for the arising of unwholesome kamma?” “Greed, Mahāli, is the cause, greed is the reason for the performance of unwholesome kamma, for the arising of unwholesome kamma. Hatred, Mahāli, is the cause, hatred is the reason for the performance of unwholesome kamma, for the arising of unwholesome kamma. Delusion, Mahāli, is the cause, delusion is the reason for the performance of unwholesome kamma, for the arising of unwholesome kamma. Unwise attention, Mahāli, is the cause, unwise attention is the reason for the performance of unwholesome kamma, for the arising of unwholesome kamma. A wrongly directed mind, Mahāli, is the cause, a wrongly directed mind is the reason for the performance of unwholesome kamma, for the arising of unwholesome kamma. This, Mahāli, is the cause, this is the reason for the performance of unwholesome kamma, for the arising of unwholesome kamma.” “But what, Venerable sir, is the cause, what is the reason for the performance of wholesome kamma, for the arising of wholesome kamma?” “Non-greed, Mahāli, is the cause, non-greed is the reason for the performance of wholesome kamma, for the arising of wholesome kamma. Non-hatred, Mahāli, is the cause, non-hatred is the reason for the performance of wholesome kamma, for the arising of wholesome kamma. Non-delusion, Mahāli, is the cause, non-delusion is the reason for the performance of wholesome kamma, for the arising of wholesome kamma. Wise attention, Mahāli, is the cause, wise attention is the reason for the performance of wholesome kamma, for the arising of wholesome kamma. A rightly directed k Oh, Mahāli, mind is the cause, a rightly directed mind is the condition for the doing of wholesome action, for the carrying out of wholesome action. This, Mahāli, is the cause, this is the condition for the doing of wholesome action, for the carrying out of wholesome action. If these, Mahāli, ten qualities did not exist in the world, then here would not be discerned unrighteous conduct and uneven conduct, or righteous conduct and even conduct. But since, Mahāli, these ten qualities exist in the world, therefore is discerned unrighteous conduct and uneven conduct, or righteous conduct and even conduct. The Seventh. 8. The Discourse on the Monk's Frequent Reflection 48. These ten, monks, qualities should be frequently reflected upon by a monk. Which ten? 'I have entered a different state' — should be frequently reflected upon by a monk; 'My livelihood is dependent on others' — should be frequently reflected upon by a monk; 'My deportment should be different' — should be frequently reflected upon by a monk; 'Does my self not blame me concerning morality?' — should be frequently reflected upon by a monk; 'Do my wise fellow practitioners, having examined me, not blame me concerning morality?' — should be frequently reflected upon by a monk; 'Separation and disunion from all that is dear and pleasing to me' — should be frequently reflected upon by a monk; 'I am owner of my kamma, heir to my kamma, born of my kamma, related to my kamma, supported by my kamma. Whatever kamma I shall do, whether good or bad, of that I shall be the heir.' — should be frequently reflected upon by a monk; 'How do my days and nights pass?' — should be frequently reflected upon by a monk; 'Do I delight in empty dwellings?' — should be frequently reflected upon by a monk; 'Is there in me any superhuman state, a distinction in noble knowledge and vision, attained, so that when questioned by my fellow practitioners at the last moment, I would not be ashamed?'