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6. The Question on Similes Outline Venerable Nāgasena, endowed with how many qualities does a bhikkhu realize arahantship? Here, great king, by a bhikkhu wishing to realize arahantship – From a donkey, one quality should be taken. From a rooster, five qualities should be taken. From a squirrel, one quality should be taken. From a leopardess, one quality should be taken. From a leopard, two qualities should be taken. From a tortoise, five qualities should be taken. From a bamboo, one quality should be taken. From a bow, one quality should be taken. From a crow, two qualities should be taken. From a monkey, two qualities should be taken. The first chapter on the Donkey. From a gourd creeper, one quality should be taken. From a lotus, three qualities should be taken. From a seed, two qualities should be taken. From a beautiful Sāla tree, one quality should be taken. From a boat, three qualities should be taken. From a boat-anchor, two qualities should be taken. From a mast, one quality should be taken. From a helmsman, three qualities should be taken. From a worker, one quality should be taken. From the ocean, five qualities should be taken. The second chapter on the Ocean. From the earth, five qualities should be taken. From water, five qualities should be taken. From fire, five qualities should be taken. From wind, five qualities should be taken. From a mountain, five qualities should be taken. From space, five qualities should be taken. From the moon, five qualities should be taken. From the sun, seven qualities should be taken. From Sakka, three qualities should be taken. From a Wheel-turning Monarch, four qualities should be taken. The third chapter on the Earth. From an ant, one quality should be taken. From a cat, two qualities should be taken. From a mouse, one quality should be taken. From a scorpion, one quality should be taken. From a mongoose, one quality should be taken. From an old jackal, two qualities should be taken. Of a deer, three qualities should be taken. Of a bull, four qualities should be taken. Of a boar, two qualities should be taken. Of an elephant, five qualities should be taken. The chapter on Ants is the fourth. Of a lion, seven qualities should be taken. Of a ruddy goose, three qualities should be taken. Of a bat, two qualities should be taken. Of a domestic pigeon, one quality should be taken. Of an owl, two qualities should be taken. Of a woodpecker, one quality should be taken. Of a bat, two qualities should be taken. Of a leech, one quality should be taken. Of a snake, three qualities should be taken. Of a python, one quality should be taken. The chapter on Lions is the fifth. Of a road-spider, one quality should be taken. Of a suckling infant, one quality should be taken. Of a painted tortoise, one quality should be taken. Of the wind, five qualities should be taken. Of a tree, three qualities should be taken. Of a cloud, five qualities should be taken. Of a jewel, three qualities should be taken. Of a hunter, four qualities should be taken. Of a fisherman, two qualities should be taken. Of a carpenter, two qualities should be taken. The chapter on Monkeys is the sixth. Of a pot, one quality should be taken. Of black iron, two qualities should be taken. Of an umbrella, three qualities should be taken. Of a field, three qualities should be taken. Of medicine, two qualities should be taken. Of food, three qualities should be taken. Of an archer, four qualities should be taken. The chapter on Pots is the seventh. Of a king, four qualities should be taken. Of a doorkeeper, two qualities should be taken. Of a seat, one quality should be taken. Of a lamp, two qualities should be taken. Of a peacock, two qualities should be taken. Of a horse, two qualities should be taken. Of a distiller, two qualities should be taken. Of a city-gate post, two qualities should be taken. For a balance, one part should be taken. For a sword, two parts should be taken. For a fish, two parts should be taken. For a debt collector, one part should be taken. For a sick person, two parts should be taken. For a dead person, two parts should be taken. For a river, two parts should be taken. For a bull, one part should be taken. For a path, two parts should be taken. For a toll collector, one part should be taken. For a thief, three parts should be taken. For a bird-catcher, one part should be taken. For a dog, one part should be taken. For a physician, three parts should be taken. For a pregnant woman, two parts should be taken. For a yak, one part should be taken. For a jay, two parts should be taken. For a pigeon, three parts should be taken. For a one-eyed person, two parts should be taken. For a farmer, three parts should be taken. For a jackal, one part should be taken. For a potter, two parts should be taken. For a spoon, one part should be taken. For a debt recoverer, three parts should be taken. For an investigator, one part should be taken. For a charioteer, two parts should be taken. For a steward, two parts should be taken. For a tailor, one part should be taken. For a boatman, one part should be taken. For a bee, two parts should be taken. The list is finished. 1. The Chapter on the Donkey 1. The Question on the Donkey's Part "Venerable Nāgasena, that which you say, 'for a donkey, one part should be taken,' what is that one part to be taken?" "Just as, O great king, a donkey, whether on a heap of rubbish, or at a crossroads, or at a street corner, or at a village gate, or on a heap of chaff, lies down wherever it may be, and is not fond of lying down (for long). Even so, O great king, by a meditator, a practitioner, whether on a bed of grass, or a bed of leaves, or a wooden couch, or on the ground, having spread a piece of hide wherever it may be, one should lie down wherever it may be, and one should not be fond of lying down (for long). This, O great king, one quality of the donkey should be adopted. This was also said, O great king, by the Blessed One, the god of gods: ‘My disciples, monks, now dwell with their heads on a log, diligent, ardent in exertion.’ This was also said, O great king, by the Elder Sāriputta, the General of the Dhamma: ‘‘‘For one seated cross-legged, rain falls on his knees; Enough for a comfortable dwelling, for a monk with a resolute mind.’’’ The first question on the quality of the donkey. 2. The question on the qualities of the rooster. 2. ‘‘Venerable Nāgasena, you say that ‘five qualities of the rooster should be adopted’, Which are those five qualities that should be adopted?’’ ‘‘Just as, O great king, the rooster retires at the proper time, Even so, O great king, the yogi, the practitioner, at the proper time, having swept the shrine courtyard, having prepared water for drinking and food, having attended to his body, having bathed, having worshipped the shrine, having gone to see the elder monks, should enter a solitary dwelling at the proper time. This, O great king, is the first quality of the rooster to be adopted. ‘‘Furthermore, O great king, the rooster rises at the proper time. Even so, O great king, the yogi, the practitioner, at the proper time, having risen, having swept the shrine courtyard, having prepared water for drinking and food, having attended to his body, having worshipped the shrine, should again enter a solitary dwelling. This, O great king, is the second quality of the rooster to be adopted. ‘‘Furthermore, O great king, the rooster pecks and pecks the ground and takes in food. Even so, O great king, the yogi, the practitioner, having reflected and reflected, should take in food, ‘Not for sport, not for intoxication, not for adornment, not for beautification, but only for the maintenance and sustenance of this body, for the cessation of harm, for the support of the holy life, thus I will put an end to old feelings and will not give rise to new feelings, and my journey... there will be blamelessness and comfortable living. This, O great king, is the third quality of the fowl to be taken. This, O great king, was also spoken by the Blessed One, the God of gods: “‘Like a son’s flesh in a wilderness, like an eye’s anointing oil; Thus he partook of food, unattached, for sustenance.’ Again, O great king, though the fowl has eyes, it is blind at night. Even so, O great king, the yogi, the meditator, though not blind, should be like one blind; even when wandering for al alms in a village or a forest, he should be like one blind, deaf, and mute regarding desirable forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, and mental objects; he should not grasp at signs, he should not grasp at details. This, O great king, is the fourth quality of the fowl to be taken. This, O great king, was also spoken by the Elder Mahākaccāna: ‘Though having eyes, be like the blind, though having ears, be like the deaf; Though having wisdom, be like the mute, though strong, be like the weak; When one’s own purpose arises, lie down like one dead.’ Again, O great king, though being struck with clods, sticks, clubs, and hammers, the fowl does not abandon its own home. Even so, O great king, the yogi, the meditator, even when making robes, even when doing new construction, even when performing duties and counter-duties, even when teaching, even when having others teach, should not abandon wise attention; for this, O great king, is the yogi’s home, namely, wise attention. This, O great king, is the fifth quality of the fowl to be taken. This, O great king, was also spoken by the Blessed One, the God of gods: ‘What, bhikkhus, is the bhikkhu’s range, his ancestral domain? It is these four foundations of mindfulness.’ This, O great king, was also spoken by the Elder Sāriputta, the General of the Dhamma: ‘As a well-trained elephant does not crush its own trunk; It knows what is edible and inedible, its own way of living. ‘Even so, the Buddha’s