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The Question of the Elephant's Qualities 10. "Venerable Nāgasena, when you say, 'Five qualities of an elephant are to be adopted,' what are those five qualities to be adopted?" "Just as, great king, an elephant, while walking, indeed tears up the earth, even so, great king, by the yogi, the meditator, while examining the body, all defilements are to be torn up. This, great king, is the first quality of an elephant to be adopted. "Furthermore, great king, an elephant looks with its whole body, it looks straight ahead, it does not look in the cardinal or intermediate directions. Even so, great king, by the yogi, the meditator, one should be one who looks with the whole body, one should not look in the cardinal or intermediate directions, one should not look upwards, one should not look downwards, one should be one who looks only a yoke's length ahead. This, great king, is the second quality of an elephant to be adopted. "Furthermore, great king, an elephant, not having a fixed sleeping place, after going for pasture, does not return to that same place for dwelling; it does not have a permanent abode. Even so, great king, by the yogi, the meditator, one should be one without a fixed sleeping place, one should go for alms without attachment. If the insight-practitioner sees a pleasing, suitable, charming place, be it a pavilion, or the root of a tree, or a cave, or a rock shelter, one should go to dwell right there; a permanent abode should not be made. This, great king, is the third quality of an elephant to be adopted. "Furthermore, great king, an elephant, having plunged into water, having plunged into a great, vast lotus pond, full of pure, clear, cool water, covered with white and blue water lilies, lotuses, and white lotuses, plays the noble elephant's game. Even so, great king, by the yogi, the meditator, one should plunge into the great foundation of mindfulness, full of the pure, clear, serene, undefiled excellent water of Dhamma, covered with the flowers of liberation Having plunged into a pond, with wisdom, formations should be shaken off, should be cast away. The sport of a yogi should be played. This, O great king, is the fourth quality of an elephant to be taken. Furthermore, O great king, an elephant lifts its foot mindfully, puts down its foot mindfully. Even so, O great king, by a yogi, a practitioner, a foot should be lifted with mindfulness and clear comprehension, a foot should be put down with mindfulness and clear comprehension. In going forward, in going back, in bending, in stretching, everywhere there should be mindfulness and clear comprehension. This, O great king, is the fifth quality of an elephant to be taken. This, O great king, was also spoken by the Blessed One, the God of gods, in the excellent Saṃyutta Nikāya – 'Restraint of body is good, good is restraint of speech; Restraint of mind is good, good is restraint everywhere; Restrained everywhere, modest, is called 'protected'.' The Question on the Qualities of an Elephant is the tenth. The Chapter on the Ant is the fourth. Its summary – Ant and Cat, Mouse and Scorpion, Mongoose, Jackal, Deer, Ox, Boar, with the Elephant, ten. 5. The Chapter on the Lion 1. The Question on the Qualities of a Lion 1. "Venerable Nāgasena, what you say, 'seven qualities of a lion are to be taken', what are those seven qualities to be taken?" "Just as, O great king, a lion is white, pure, perfectly clean, and pale, even so, O great king, by a yogi, a practitioner, there should be a mind white, pure, perfectly clean, and pale, free from remorse. This, O great king, is the first quality of a lion to be taken. Furthermore, O great king, a lion has four feet and walks with powerful strides. Even so, O great king, by a yogi, a practitioner, there should be a walk of the four bases of power. This, O great king, is the second quality of a lion to be taken. Furthermore, O great king, a lion has a beautiful and lovely mane. Even so, O great king, by a yogi, a practitioner, there should be a beautiful and lovely mane of virtue. This, O great king, is the third quality of a lion to be taken. Furthermore, And further, O great king, a lion, even when life is at an end, does not bow down to anyone. Just so, O great king, by the yogi, the practitioner, even when robes, almsfood, lodging, medicines for the sick, and requisites are at an end, should not bow down to anyone. This, O great king, is the fourth quality of the lion to be adopted. And further, O great king, a lion eats in sequence; in whatever place it falls upon, there it eats its fill, it does not pick out choice meat. Just so, O great king, by the yogi, the practitioner, one should be one who eats in sequence. Families should not be chosen, nor, having left a former house, should families be approached. Food should not be chosen. In whatever place a mouthful is received, in that very place it should be eaten for the sustenance of the body. Choice food should not be chosen. This, O great king, is the fifth quality of the lion to be adopted. And further, O great king, a lion does not store up food. Having eaten its prey once, it does not go back to it again. Just so, O great king, by the yogi, the practitioner, one should be one who consumes without storing up. This, O great king, is the sixth quality of the lion to be adopted. And further, O great king, a lion, not having obtained food, does not fret. And having obtained food, it consumes it unattached, uninfatuated, unabsorbed. Just so, O great king, by the yogi, the practitioner, not having obtained food, one should not fret. And having obtained food, it should be consumed unattached, uninfatuated, unabsorbed, seeing the danger, with wisdom of escape. This, O great king, is the seventh quality of the lion to be adopted. And this, O great king, was spoken by the Blessed One, the God of gods, in the excellent Saṃyutta Nikāya, praising the elder Mahākassapa – 'Monks, Kassapa is content with whatever almsfood, and he is a praiser of contentment with whatever almsfood, and for the sake of almsfood, he does not engage in improper seeking... falls into what is unseemly, and not getting alms, does not worry, and getting alms, without greed, without infatuation, without clinging, seeing the danger, with wisdom of escape, he consumes. The first question on the qualities of a lion. 2. The Question on the Qualities of a Ruddy Goose 2. "Venerable Nāgasena, what you say, 'three qualities of the ruddy goose are to be adopted,' which are those three qualities to be adopted?" "Just as, O great king, the ruddy goose does not abandon its mate until the end of life, even so, O great king, by the yogi, the meditator, wise attention should not be abandoned until the end of life. This, O great king, is the first quality of the ruddy goose to be adopted. "Furthermore, O great king, the ruddy goose feeds on moss and water plants, and is content with that, and by that contentment, it does not decline in strength and appearance. Even so, O great king, by the yogi, the meditator, contentment with whatever is obtained should be practiced. For, O great king, the yogi, the meditator, content with whatever is obtained, does not decline in virtue, does not decline in concentration, does not decline in wisdom, does not decline in liberation, does not decline in the knowledge and vision of liberation, does not decline in all wholesome states. This, O great king, is the second quality of the ruddy goose to be adopted. "Furthermore, O great king, the ruddy goose does not harm living beings. Even so, O great king, by the yogi, the meditator, one should be one who has laid down the rod, laid down the weapon, modest, compassionate, sympathetic to the welfare of all living beings. This, O great king, is the third quality of the ruddy goose to be adopted. And this, O great king, was spoken by the Blessed One, the God of gods, in the Cakkavāka Jātaka – Who does not kill, nor cause to kill, nor torment, nor cause to torment; With loving-kindness towards all beings, for him, there is no enmity with anyone. The second question on the qualities of a ruddy goose. 3. The Question on the Qualities of a Water-hen 3. "Venerable Nāgasena, what you say, 'two qualities of the water-hen are to be adopted' , what are those two qualities to be adopted?" "Just as, O great king, a hen, out of jealousy towards her own mate, does not nourish her chicks, even so, O great king, by a yogi, a meditator, when defilements arise in his own mind, he should be jealous (of them), and having cast them into the aperture of right restraint through mindfulness, he should cultivate mindfulness of the body at the mind's door. This, O great king, is the first quality of the hen to be adopted. "Furthermore, O great king, a hen, having grazed in the forest during the day, approaches the flock of birds in the evening for her own protection, even so, O great king, by a yogi, a meditator, solitude should be resorted to alone for the release from fetters, and if he does not find delight there, for protection from the fear of blame, he should resort to the Sangha and dwell protected by the Sangha. This, O great king, is the second quality of the hen to be adopted. And this, O great king, was spoken by Brahmā Sahampati in the presence of the Blessed One – "‘One should resort to remote abodes, and wander for release from fetters; If one does not find delight there, one should dwell in the Sangha, protected in oneself, mindful.’" The Third Question on the Qualities of the Hen. 4. The Question on the Quality of the House Pigeon 4. "Venerable Nāgasena, what is that one quality of the house pigeon to be adopted, which you speak of?" "Just as, O great king, a house pigeon dwelling in another's house does not take any sign of their belongings, but dwells impartially, full of awareness, even so, O great king, by a yogi, a meditator, having approached another's family, in that family, whether of women or men,