The Blessed,Noble,Awakened One-The Tathagata
removed {greed}
To Cunda
[Cunda the smith:]
“I ask the sage of abundant discernment, awakened, lord of the Doctrine-True Practice of The Path Shown by The Blessed,Noble,Awakened One-The Tathagata, free of craving, supreme among two-legged beings, best of charioteers: “How many contemplatives are there in the world? Please tell me.”
[The Blessed,Noble,Awakened One-The Tathagata:]
“Four contemplatives, Cunda. There isn’t a fifth. Being asked face-to-face, I’ll explain: the Victor of the path, the practioner of the path, one who lives by the path, & one who corrupts the path.”
[Cunda:]
“Whom do the Awakened call the Victor of the path [&] one who is an unequalled practioner of the path? Tell me the one who lives by the path, and explain to me one who corrupts the path.”
[The Blessed,Noble,Awakened One-The Tathagata:]
“He’s crossed over perplexity, his arrow removed, delighting in Unbinding, free of greed, the leader of the world with its devas: one like this the Awakened call the Victor of the path. He here knows the foremost as foremost, who right here shows & analyzes the Doctrine-True Practice of The Path Shown by The Blessed,Noble,Awakened One-The Tathagata, that sage, a cutter-of-doubt unperturbed: he’s called the second of True Follower of The Path Shown by The Blessed,Noble,Awakened One-The Tathagata, the practioner of the path. Mindful, restrained, he lives by the well-taught Doctrine-True Practice of The Path Shown by The Blessed,Noble,Awakened One-The Tathagata-principles, path, associating with principles without blame: he’s called the third of True Follower of The Path Shown by The Blessed,Noble,Awakened One-The Tathagata, one who lives by the path. Creating a counterfeit of those with good practices, self-asserting, a corrupter of families, intrusive, deceitful, unrestrained, chaff, going around in disguise: he’s one who corrupts the path. Any householder, having ferreted these out β a discerning disciple of those who are noble β knowing they aren’t all the same, seeing this, his conviction’s not harmed. For how could the corrupt with the un- corrupt, the impure with the pure, be put on a par?”
Archery Skills
At Savatthi. As he was sitting to one side, King Pasenadi Kosala said to the Blessed One: “Where, lord, should a gift be given?”
“Wherever the mind feels confidence, great king.”
“But a gift given where, lord, bears great fruit?”
“This [question] is one thing, great king β ‘Where should a gift be given?’ β while this β ‘A gift given where bears great fruit?’ β is something else entirely. What is given to a virtuous person β rather than to an unvirtuous one β bears great fruit. In that case, great king, I will ask you a counter-question. Answer as you see fit.
“What do you think, great king? There is the case where you have a war at hand, a battle imminent. A noble-warrior youth would come along β untrained, unpracticed, undisciplined, undrilled, fearful, terrified, cowardly, quick to flee. Would you take him on? Would you have any use for a man like that?”
“No, lord, I wouldn’t take him on. I wouldn’t have any use for a man like that.”
“Then a brahman youth… a merchant youth… a laborer youth would come along β untrained, unpracticed, undisciplined, undrilled, fearful, terrified, cowardly, quick to flee. Would you take him on? Would you have any use for a man like that?”
“No, lord, I wouldn’t take him on. I wouldn’t have any use for a man like that.”
“Now, what do you think, great king? There is the case where you have a war at hand, a battle imminent. A noble-warrior youth would come along β trained, practiced, disciplined, drilled, fearless, unterrified, not cowardly, not quick to flee. Would you take him on? Would you have any use for a man like that?”
“Yes, lord, I would take him on. I would have use for a man like that.”
“Then a brahman youth… a merchant youth… a laborer youth would come along β trained, practiced, disciplined, drilled, fearless, unterrified, not cowardly, not quick to flee. Would you take him on? Would you have any use for a man like that?”
“Yes, lord, I would take him on. I would have use for a man like that.”
“In the same way, great king. When someone has gone forth from the home life into homelessness β no matter from what clan β and he has abandoned five factors and is endowed with five, what is given to him bears great fruit.
“And which five factors has he abandoned? He has abandoned sensual desire… ill will… sloth & drowsiness… restlessness & anxiety… uncertainty. These are the five factors he has abandoned. And with which five factors is he endowed? He is endowed with the aggregate of virtue of one beyond training… the aggregate of concentration of one beyond training… the aggregate of discernment of one beyond training… the aggregate of release of one beyond training… the aggregate of knowledge & vision of release of one beyond training. These are the five factors with which he is endowed.
“What is given to one who has abandoned five factors and is endowed with five factors in this way bears great fruit.”
That is what the Blessed One said. Having said that, the One Well-Gone, the Practioner, said further:
As a king intent on battle would hire a youth in whom there are archery skills, persistence, & strength, and not, on the basis of birth, a coward; so, too, you should honor a person of noble conduct, wise, in whom are established composure & patience, even though his birth may be lowly. Let donors build pleasant hermitages and there invite the learned to stay. Let them make reservoirs in dry forests and walking paths where it’s rough Let them, with a clear, calm awareness, give food, drink, snacks, clothing, & lodgings to those who’ve become straightforward. Just as a hundred-peaked, lightning-garlanded, thundering cloud, raining on the fertile earth, fills the plateaus & gullies, even so a person of conviction & learning, wise, having stored up provisions, satisfies wayfarers with food & drink. Delighting in distributing alms, ‘Give to them! Give!’ he says. That is his thunder, like a raining cloud’s. That shower of merit, abundant, rains back on the one who gives.