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Thus, great king, faith has the characteristic of clarity.” “Give a simile.” “Just as, great king, a universal monarch, traveling along a road with his four-fold army, might cross a small body of water. That water would become disturbed, turbid, muddied, and full of mire by the elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry. And when the universal monarch has crossed, he might order his men, ‘Bring water, sirs, I will drink.’ And the king might have a water-purifying gem. ‘Yes, Your Majesty,’ those men, having assented to the universal monarch, would place that water-purifying gem in the water. they would throw it in. As soon as it was thrown into that water, the moss, algae, and water-weeds would disappear, the mud would settle, the water would become clear, serene, and undisturbed. Then they would offer drinking water to the Wheel-turning King, saying, 'Drink, O King, this water.' "Just as, great king, the water, so should the mind be seen. Just as those people, so should the meditator be seen. Just as the moss, algae, water-weeds, and mud, so should the defilements be seen. Just as the water-purifying gem, so should faith be seen. Just as, when the water-purifying gem is thrown into the water, the moss, algae, and water-weeds disappear, the mud settles, the water becomes clear, serene, and undisturbed, even so, great king, when faith arises, it suppresses the hindrances. The mind becomes free from hindrances, clear, serene, and undisturbed. Thus, great king, faith has the characteristic of purification." "You are skillful, Venerable Nāgasena." The tenth question is on faith having the characteristic of purification. 11. The Question on Faith Having the Characteristic of Leaping Forward 11. "How, Venerable Sir, does faith have the characteristic of leaping forward?" "Just as, great king, a meditator, seeing the liberated minds of others, leaps forward into the fruit of stream-entry, or the fruit of once-returning, or the fruit of non-returning, or Arahantship, and practices the yoga for the attainment of what is not yet attained, for the comprehension of what is not yet comprehended, for the realization of what is not yet realized. Thus, great king, faith has the characteristic of leaping forward." "Give an analogy." "Just as, great king, a great cloud might rain down on a mountain top. That water, flowing downwards, would fill the mountain caves, crevices, and ravines, and then fill a river. That river would flow, overflowing both banks. Then a large crowd of people would come, and not knowing the shallowness or depth of that river, they would stand on the bank, fearful and hesitant. Then a certain man would come, and seeing his own strength and power, firmly having tied a raft, having plunged in, he would cross. Seeing him crossed, the great multitude would also cross. Just so, O great king, a meditator, seeing the liberated minds of others, in the fruit of stream-entry, or the fruit of once-returning, or the fruit of non-returning, or arahantship, plunges in, practices for the attainment of the unobtained, the realization of the unrealized, the direct experience of the unexperienced. Thus, O great king, faith has the characteristic of plunging in. And this, O great king, was spoken by the Blessed One in the excellent Saṃyutta Nikāya – ‘‘By faith one crosses the flood, by diligence the ocean; By energy one overcomes suffering, by wisdom one is purified.’’ ‘‘You are skillful, Venerable Nāgasena.’’ The eleventh question on faith having the characteristic of plunging in. 12. The Question on the Characteristic of Energy 12. The king said, ‘‘Venerable Nāgasena, what is the characteristic of energy?’’ ‘‘Energy, O great king, has the characteristic of support; supported by energy, all wholesome states do not decline.’’ ‘‘Give an illustration.’’ ‘‘Just as, O great king, a man would support a falling house with another piece of wood; being supported, that house would not fall. Just so, O great king, energy has the characteristic of support; supported by energy, all wholesome states do not decline.’’ ‘‘Give a further illustration.’’ ‘‘Just as, O great king, a great army might defeat a small army; then the king would encourage and send forth others, giving strength to his small army; with that, the small army would defeat the great army. Just so, O great king, energy has the characteristic of support; supported by energy, all wholesome states do not decline. And this, O great king, was spoken by the Blessed One – ‘Monks, a noble disciple, full of energy, abandons the unwholesome, develops the wholesome. He abandons what is blameworthy, develops what is blameless. He maintains himself in purity.’’’ . “You are capable, venerable Nāgasena.” The Twelfth Question: The Characteristic of Energy. 13. The Thirteenth Question: The Characteristic of Mindfulness. 13. The king said, “Venerable Nāgasena, what is the characteristic of mindfulness?” “It is the characteristic of not forgetting, great king, and the characteristic of holding on.” “How, venerable sir, is it the characteristic of not forgetting?” “Mindfulness, great king, when it arises, does not forget wholesome and unwholesome, blameworthy and blameless, inferior and superior, dark and bright, and their counterparts, such as: ‘These are the four foundations of mindfulness, these are the four right efforts, these are the four bases of psychic power, these are the five faculties, these are the five powers, these are the seven factors of enlightenment, this is the Noble Eightfold Path, this is tranquility, this is insight, this is knowledge, this is liberation.’ Then the meditator practices the qualities to be cultivated, and does not practice the qualities not to be cultivated. He associates with the qualities to be associated with, and does not associate with the qualities not to be associated with. Thus, great king, is the characteristic of mindfulness as not forgetting.” “Give an analogy.” “Just as, great king, the treasurer of a universal monarch reminds the universal monarch morning and evening of his wealth: ‘So many elephants, O king, so many horses, so many chariots, so many infantry, so much silver, so much gold, so much property; may the king remember it.’ He does not forget the king’s property. Even so, great king, mindfulness, when it arises, does not forget wholesome and unwholesome, blameworthy and blameless, inferior and superior, dark and bright, and their counterparts, such as: ‘These are the four foundations of mindfulness, these are the four right efforts, these are the four bases of psychic power, these are the five faculties, these are the five powers, these are the seven factors of enlightenment, this is the Noble Eightfold Path, this is tranquility, this is insight, this is knowledge, this is liberation.’ Then the meditator practices the qualities to be cultivated, and does not practice the qualities not to be cultivated. He associates with the qualities to be associated with, and does not associate with the qualities not to be associated with. Thus, great king, is the characteristic of mindfulness as not forgetting.” “How, venerable sir, is it the characteristic of holding on?” Is mindfulness characterized by upholding? Mindfulness, great king, when it arises, investigates the courses of beneficial and unbeneficial states: 'These states are beneficial, these states are unbeneficial. These states are helpful, these states are unhelpful.' Then the meditator rejects the unbeneficial states, upholds the beneficial states. Rejects the unhelpful states, upholds the helpful states. Thus, great king, mindfulness is characterized by upholding. "Give an analogy." "Just as, great king, the guiding jewel of a universal monarch knows what is beneficial and unbeneficial for the king: 'These are beneficial for the king, these are unbeneficial. These are helpful, these are unhelpful.' Then it rejects the unbeneficial, upholds the beneficial. Rejects the unhelpful, upholds the helpful. Just so, great king, mindfulness, when it arises, investigates the courses of beneficial and unbeneficial states: 'These states are beneficial, these states are unbeneficial. These states are helpful, these states are unhelpful.' Then the meditator rejects the unbeneficial states, upholds the beneficial states. Rejects the unhelpful states, upholds the helpful states. Thus, great king, mindfulness is characterized by upholding. And this, great king, was spoken by the Blessed One: 'And mindfulness, monks, I declare to be useful everywhere.'" "You are skillful, Venerable Nāgasena." The Thirteenth Question on the Characteristic of Mindfulness. 14. The Question on Concentration 14. The king said, "Venerable Nāgasena, what is the characteristic of concentration?" "Concentration, great king, has the characteristic of being foremost; whatever wholesome states there are, all of them have concentration as their chief, inclining towards concentration, leaning towards concentration, tending towards concentration." "Give an analogy." "Just as, great king, for a peaked house, whatever rafters there are, all of them go to the peak, incline towards the peak, converge at the peak; the peak is declared to be their chief. Just so, great king, whatever wholesome states there are, all of them have concentration as their chief, inclining towards concentration, leaning towards concentration, tending towards concentration." "Give a further analogy." "Just as, great King, if some king were to enter battle with a fourfold army, all that army— elephants and horses, chariots and infantry— would have him as their chief, inclined towards him, tending towards him, leaning towards him, they would follow him alone. Just so, great king, whatever wholesome states there are, all of them have concentration as their chief, are inclined towards concentration, tend towards concentration, lean towards concentration. Thus, great king, concentration has the characteristic of being chief.