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” “Just as, great king, a painted tortoise, fearing water, avoids water and wanders about, and by that avoidance of water does not decline in life, even so, great king, a yogi, a practitioner, should see danger in heedlessness, and see special qualities in heedfulness. And by that seeing of danger, he does not decline in recluseship, but approaches Nibbāna. This, great king, is the one quality of a painted tortoise that should be adopted. This was also said, great king, by the Blessed One, the God of gods, in the Dhammapada: “‘A monk who delights in heedfulness, And sees danger in heedlessness, Is not capable of decline.” to decline, but near to Nibbana. The Fourth Question on the Characteristics of the Painter and the Potter. 4. The Question on the Characteristics of the Forest. 4. "Venerable Nāgasena, when you say 'five characteristics of a forest should be adopted,' what are those five characteristics that should be adopted?" "Just as, great king, a forest conceals impure people, even so, great king, a yogi, a practitioner, should conceal the faults and errors of others, not reveal them. This, great king, is the first characteristic of a forest to be adopted. "And further, great king, a forest is empty of many people; even so, great king, a yogi, a practitioner, should be empty of the nets of greed, hatred, delusion, conceit, and wrong views, and of all defilements. This, great king, is the second characteristic of a forest to be adopted. "And further, great king, a forest is secluded, free from the press of people; even so, great king, a yogi, a practitioner, should be secluded from evil, unwholesome, ignoble states. This, great king, is the third characteristic of a forest to be adopted. "And further, great king, a forest is peaceful and pure; even so, great king, a yogi, a practitioner, should be peaceful and pure, extinguished, with conceit abandoned, with hypocrisy abandoned. This, great king, is the fourth characteristic of a forest to be adopted. "And further, great king, a forest is frequented by noble ones; even so, great king, a yogi, a practitioner, should be frequented by noble ones. This, great king, is the fifth characteristic of a forest to be adopted. This too, great king, was spoken by the Blessed One, the God of gods, in the excellent Saṃyutta Nikāya – "'With noble ones, secluded, with minds dedicated, meditators; always with aroused energy, with the wise, one should dwell.'" The Fourth Question on the Characteristics of the Forest. 5. The Question on the Characteristics of the Tree. 5. "Venerable Nāgasena, when you say 'three characteristics of a tree should be adopted,' what are those three characteristics qualities are to be taken?” “Just as, great king, a tree bears flowers and fruits, even so, great king, a yogi, a practitioner, should bear the fruit of the flower of liberation. This, great king, is the first quality of a tree to be taken. “Again, great king, a tree gives shade to people who approach and enter it, even so, great king, a yogi, a practitioner, should greet individuals who approach and enter, with a material greeting or a Dhamma greeting. This, great king, is the second quality of a tree to be taken. “Again, great king, a tree does not make a distinction in shade, even so, great king, a yogi, a practitioner, should not make distinctions among all beings; even towards murderers, enemies, and robbers, and towards oneself, one should cultivate equal loving-kindness, thinking: ‘May these beings be free from enmity, free from affliction, free from trouble, and maintain themselves in happiness.’ This, great king, is the third quality of a tree to be taken. And this was spoken, great king, by the Elder Sāriputta, the General of the Dhamma: “‘Towards the murderer Devadatta, towards the robber Aṅgulimāla; Towards Dhanapāla and Rāhula, the sage is equal to all.’ The Question on the Qualities of a Tree, the fifth. 6. The Question on the Qualities of a Cloud 6. “Venerable Nāgasena, when you say, ‘Five qualities of a cloud are to be taken,’ which are those five qualities to be taken?” “Just as, great king, a cloud calms down the dust and dirt that has arisen, even so, great king, a yogi, a practitioner, should calm down the dust and dirt of defilements that has arisen. This, great king, is the first quality of a cloud to be taken. “Again, great king, a cloud extinguishes the heat of the earth, even so, great king, a yogi, a practitioner, should extinguish the world with its deities through the cultivation of loving-kindness. This, great king, is the second quality of a cloud to be taken. “Again, great king, a cloud makes all seeds grow causes the seed to grow. Just so, O great king, by the meditator, the practitioner, having aroused faith in all beings, that seed of faith should be planted in the three attainments: in the divine and human attainments of happiness, up to the ultimate happiness of Nibbāna. This, O great king, is the third quality to be taken from the cloud. And further, O great king, a cloud, having arisen from its season, protects the grasses, trees, creepers, bushes, herbs, and forest trees growing on the surface of the earth. Just so, O great king, by the meditator, the practitioner, having produced wise attention, the ascetic's practice should be protected by that wise attention. All wholesome states have wise attention as their root. This, O great king, is the fourth quality to be taken from the cloud. And further, O great king, a cloud, raining, fills rivers, ponds, lotus-ponds, caves, chasms, lakes, pits, and wells with streams of water. Just so, O great king, by the meditator, the practitioner, having rained down the cloud of Dhamma through the study of the scriptures, the minds of those desirous of attainment should be filled. This, O great king, is the fifth quality to be taken from the cloud. And this was spoken, O great king, by the Elder Sāriputta, the General of the Dhamma – “Having seen a person to be awakened, even a hundred thousand leagues away; Having gone in an instant, the Great Sage awakens him.” The Sixth Question on the Qualities of the Cloud. 7. The Question on the Qualities of the Jewel 7. “Venerable Nāgasena, what are those three qualities to be taken from a jewel, which you speak of?” “Just as, O great king, a jewel is utterly pure, just so, O great king, by the meditator, the practitioner, there should be an utterly pure livelihood. This, O great king, is the first quality to be taken from a jewel. And further, O great king, a jewel does not mix with anything. Just so, O great king, by the meditator, the practitioner, one should not mix with evil persons, with evil companions. This, O great king, is the jewel's the second quality of the jewel should be taken. “Again, great king, a jewel is joined with precious gems of good lineage. Even so, great king, a yogi, a meditator, should associate with those of supreme and excellent lineage, should associate with the jewel-like ascetics who have attained the fruits of practice, the fruits of training, such as stream-enterers, once-returners, non-returners, arahants, those with the three knowledges, and those with the six supernormal powers. This, great king, is the third quality of the jewel to be taken. And this, great king, was spoken by the Exalted One, the God of gods, in the Sutta Nipāta: “‘Pure ones, associate with the pure, mindful and vigilant; Then, united and wise, you will make an end of suffering.’ The Question of the Jewel, the seventh. 8. The Question of the Hunter's Qualities 8. “Venerable Nāgasena, when you say, ‘Four qualities of a hunter should be taken,’ what are those four qualities to be taken?” “Just as, great king, a hunter is not drowsy, even so, great king, a yogi, a meditator, should not be drowsy. This, great king, is the first quality of a hunter to be taken. “Again, great king, a hunter fixes his mind solely on the deer. Even so, great king, a yogi, a meditator, should fix his mind solely on the meditation object. This, great king, is the second quality of a hunter to be taken. “Again, great king, a hunter knows the time for his work. Even so, great king, a yogi, a meditator, should know the time for seclusion: ‘This is the time for seclusion, this is the time for emerging.’ This, great king, is the third quality of a hunter to be taken. “Again, great king, a hunter, seeing a deer, generates joy, thinking, ‘I shall get this!’ Even so, great king, a yogi, a meditator, should delight in the meditation object, should generate joy, thinking, ‘I shall attain further distinction!’ This, great king, is the fourth quality of a hunter to be taken. And this was spoken This, O great king, was said by the Elder Mogharāja: "Having gained an object, by a monk with a mind intent, Further joy should be generated, 'I shall attain what is higher.'" The eighth question on the hunter's qualities. 9. The question on the fisherman's qualities. "Venerable Nāgasena, when you say, 'Two qualities of a fisherman are to be adopted,' what are those two qualities to be adopted?" "Just as, O great king, a fisherman draws out fish with a hook, even so, O great king, by a yogi, a practitioner, higher fruits of recluseship should be drawn out with wisdom. This, O great king, is the first quality of a fisherman to be adopted. "Furthermore, O great king, a fisherman, having caught a little, obtains great gain. Even so, O great king, by a yogi, a practitioner, a mere trifle of worldly bait should be renounced. Having renounced a mere trifle of worldly bait, O great king, the yogi, the practitioner, obtains abundant fruits of recluseship. This, O great king, is the second quality of a fisherman to be adopted. This, O great king, was also said by the Elder Rāhula: "Emptiness and signlessness, and liberation without desire; The four fruits, the six super-knowledges, having abandoned worldly bait, one obtains." The ninth question on the fisherman's qualities.