English
Thus, they show its difficulty of penetration. “How do they show its need for much restraint and protection? Just as, great king, some man, having come to a very great battlefield, surrounded on all sides by the enemy army, seeing people approaching with spears in hand, terrified, he retreats, he turns back, he flees. For what reason? Because of the fear of protecting many kinds of battlefronts. Even so, great king, whoever are wicked, unrestrained, shameless, inactive, impatient, fickle, agitated, frivolous, foolish people go forth in the Dispensation of the Conqueror. They, unable to protect the many kinds of training rules, having retreated, having turned back, having fled, not long after, they revert to a lower state. For what reason? Because of the need for many kinds of restraint and protection in the Dispensation of the Conqueror. Thus, they show its need for many kinds of restraint and protection. Even in the best of land-grown plants, great king, in the jasmine bush, there are flowers infested with worms; those buds shrivel up and fall off right in the middle. and when they fall, the jasmine bush is not thereby despised. The flowers that remain there, they properly spread their fragrance in all directions. Just so, great king, those who, having gone forth in the Buddha's dispensation, fall back into a lower state, they are like worm-eaten jasmine flowers in the Buddha's dispensation, devoid of color and fragrance, of ignoble character, incapable of growth, and by their falling back the Buddha's dispensation is not thereby despised. The monks who remain there, they pervade the world with its devas with the excellent fragrance of virtue. Even among rice, great king, among the healthy red rice, a kind of rice called karumbhaka arises and perishes in between, and by its perishing the red rice is not thereby despised. The rice that remains there, it is fit for the king's enjoyment. Just so, great king, those who, having gone forth in the Buddha's dispensation, fall back into a lower state, they are like karumbhaka rice among the red rice in the Buddha's dispensation, not growing, not reaching fullness, but perishing in between, falling back into a lower state, and by their falling back the Buddha's dispensation is not thereby despised. The monks who remain there, they are worthy of arahantship. Even in a wish-fulfilling jewel, great king, a rough part arises in one section, but because of that rough part arising there, the jewel is not thereby despised. That which is pure in the jewel, it brings joy to people. Just so, great king, those who, having gone forth in the Buddha's dispensation, fall back into a lower state, they are rough flakes in the Buddha's dispensation, and by their falling back the Buddha's dispensation is not thereby despised. The monks who remain there, they bring joy to devas and humans. Even in high-born, red sandalwood, great king, a part is rotten and has little fragrance. But by that, the red sandalwood is not thereby despised. That which is not rotten there, that which is fragrant, that saman they dispel and spread. Just so, great king, those who, having gone forth in the Teaching of the Conqueror, turn to a lower state, are to be discarded in the Teaching of the Conqueror like a rotten part within the heartwood of red sandalwood. And by their turning to a lower state, the Teaching of the Conqueror is not reviled. The bhikkhus who remain steadfast there anoint the world with its deities with the fragrance of the excellent perfume of virtue. "Excellent, venerable Nāgasena! By that appropriate reason, by that comparable reason, the blameless Teaching of the Conqueror has been brought to light, its excellence has been revealed. Even those who turn to a lower state reveal the excellence of the Teaching of the Conqueror." The fifth question is about turning to a lower state. 6. The Question of the Arahant's Experience of Feeling "Venerable Nāgasena, you say: 'An Arahant experiences one feeling, a bodily one, not a mental one.' Now, venerable Nāgasena, is the Arahant's mind, which depends on the body to function, not its master, not its owner, not subject to its will?" "Yes, great king." "That is not fitting, venerable Nāgasena, that he is not master, not owner, not subject to the will of his own mind, which functions in the body. Even a bird, venerable sir, in the nest where it dwells, is its master, its owner, subject to its will." "These ten qualities, great king, accompany the body, pursue the body, and revolve around it in every existence. Which ten? Cold, heat, hunger, thirst, defecation, urination, drowsiness, old age, sickness, death. These ten qualities, great king, accompany the body, pursue the body, and revolve around it in every existence. Therein, the Arahant is not master, not owner, not subject to its will." "Venerable Nāgasena, for what reason does the Arahant's command or mastery not prevail over the body? Tell me the reason for that." "Just as, great king, whatever beings depend on the earth, all of them live, dwell, and sustain themselves depending on the earth. But does their command or mastery prevail over the earth, great king?" “No, Venerable Sir.” “Just so, great king, the Arahant’s mind functions dependent on the body, but no command or mastery over the Arahant’s body is exercised.” “Venerable Nāgasena, for what reason does an ordinary person feel both bodily and mental pain?” “Because the mind is undeveloped, great king, an ordinary person feels both bodily and mental pain. Just as, great king, a hungry, thirsty, weak, feeble ox might be tied to some sparse grass or a creeper; when that ox becomes enraged, it breaks away with its tether. Just so, great king, when feeling arises in an undeveloped mind, it enrages the mind; the enraged mind bends, twists, and turns the body. Then that undeveloped person trembles, cries out, and utters a terrifying cry. This, great king, is the reason why an ordinary person feels both bodily and mental pain.” “But what is the reason why an Arahant feels one kind of feeling, bodily, not mental?” “The Arahant’s mind, great king, is developed, well-developed, tamed, well-tamed, obedient, compliant. When touched by painful feeling, he firmly grasps ‘impermanent,’ he ties his mind to the pillar of concentration. His mind, tied to the pillar of concentration, does not tremble, does not waver; it remains steady, undistracted. Due to the impact of the feeling’s disturbance, his body bends, twists, and turns. This, great king, is the reason why an Arahant feels one kind of feeling, bodily, not mental.” “Venerable Nāgasena, it is indeed amazing in the world that when the body moves, the mind does not move. Tell me the reason for this.” “Just as, great king, when a very large tree, full of trunk, branches, and leaves, is struck by the force of the wind, its branches move. But does its trunk also move?” “No, Venerable Sir.” Even so, O great king, an Arahant, when touched by painful feeling, firmly grasps 'impermanent'. He binds his mind to the pillar of concentration. That mind of his, bound to the pillar of concentration, does not tremble, does not waver, it remains steady, undisturbed. Though his body bends, straightens, and turns over due to the agitation of feeling, his mind, however, does not tremble, does not waver, like the trunk of a great tree. "Wonderful, Venerable Nāgasena! Amazing, Venerable Nāgasena! Never before have I seen such a timeless lamp of Dhamma!" The Sixth Question: The Arahant's Experience of Feeling. 7. The Question on Obstacles to Realization 7. "Venerable Nāgasena, if here, some layperson were to commit a pārājika offense, and later were to go forth (as a monk), and he himself would not know, 'I have committed a lay pārājika,' nor would anyone else tell him, 'You have committed a lay pārājika.' And he would practice for that state (of arahantship), would he then realize the Dhamma?" "No, O great king." "For what reason, Venerable Sir?" "That which is the cause for his realization of the Dhamma, that is cut off for him. Therefore, there is no realization of the Dhamma." "Venerable Nāgasena, you say: 'For one who knows, there is remorse; when there is remorse, there is an obstruction; when the mind is obstructed, there is no realization of the Dhamma.' But for this one, who does not know, who is without remorse, who dwells with a peaceful mind, for what reason is there no realization of the Dhamma? This question goes from uneven to uneven. Think it over and answer." "Does a seed, O great king, sown well, in good mud, in a well-prepared field, in autumn, grow well?" "Yes, Venerable Sir." "But, O great king, would that same seed grow on a solid rock slab?" "No, Venerable Sir." "Why then, O great king, does that same seed grow in mud, but not on solid rock?" "Venerable Sir, there is no (condition) for that seed to grow..." In solid rock, a cause (is lacking), Without a cause, a seed does not grow. Just so, O great king, The cause by which His Dhamma-realization would be, That cause for him is cut off, Without a cause, Dhamma-realization does not happen. Or just as, O great king, Sticks, clods, balls, and clubs Find a place on the earth, But do, O great king, Those very sticks, clods, balls, and clubs Find a place in the sky? No, venerable sir. What then, O great king, is the reason, By which reason Those very sticks, clods, balls, and clubs Find a place on the earth, By what reason Do they not stand in the sky? There is no, venerable sir, For those sticks, clods, balls, and clubs A cause for standing in the sky, Without a cause, They do not stand. Just so, O great king, By that fault of his, The cause for realization is cut off, With the uprooting of the cause, Without a cause, Realization does not occur. Or just as, O great king, Fire burns on dry land, But does, O great king, That very fire Burn in water? No, venerable sir. What then, O great king, is the reason, By which reason