Aṇguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka Nipāta
14. Rāja Vaggo

Sutta 139

Akkhama Suttaṃ

Not Resilient

Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Proofed against and modified in accordance with the revised edition at dhammatalks.org
Provenance, terms and conditons

 

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[1][pts] "Endowed with five qualities, monks,
a king's elephant is not worthy of a king,
is not a king's asset,
does not count
as a very limb of his king.

Which five?

There is the case
where a king's elephant is not resilient to sights,
not resilient to sounds,
not resilient to aromas,
not resilient to flavors,
not resilient to tactile sensations.

■

"And how is a king's elephant
not resilient to sights?

There is the case where a king's elephant,
having gone into battle,
sees a troop of elephants,
a troop of cavalry,
a troop of chariots,
a troop of foot soldiers,
and so he falters,
faints,
doesn't steel himself,
can't engage in the battle.

This is how a king's elephant
is not resilient to sights.

-◦-

"And how is a king's elephant
not resilient to sounds?

There is the case where a king's elephant,
having gone into battle,
hears the sound of elephants,
the sound of cavalry,
the sound of chariots,
the sound of foot soldiers,
the resounding din of drums, cymbals, conchs, and tom-toms,
and so he falters,
faints,
doesn't steel himself,
can't engage in the battle.

This is how a king's elephant
is not resilient to sounds.

-◦-

"And how is a king's elephant
not resilient to aromas?

There is the case where a king's elephant,
having gone into battle,
smells the stench of the urine and feces
of those pedigreed royal elephants
who are at home in the battlefield,
and so he falters,
faints,
doesn't steel himself,
can't engage in the battle.

This is how a king's elephant
is not resilient to aromas.

-◦-

"And how is a king's elephant
not resilient to flavors?

There is the case where
a king's elephant,
having gone into battle,
goes without his ration of grass and water
for one day, two days, three days,
four days, five,
and so he falters,
faints,
doesn't steel himself,
can't engage in the battle.

This is how a king's elephant
is not resilient to flavors.

-◦-

"And how is a king's elephant
not resilient to tactile sensations?

There is the case
where a king's elephant,
having gone into battle,
is pierced by a flight of arrows,
two flights, three flights,
four flights, five flights of arrows,
and so he falters,
faints,
doesn't steel himself,
can't engage in the battle.

This is how a king's elephant is not resilient to tactile sensations.

"Endowed with these five qualities,
monks, a king's elephant
is not worthy of a king,
is not a king's asset,
does not count
as a very limb of his king.

 

§

 

"In the same way,
a monk endowed with five qualities
is not deserving of gifts,
deserving of hospitality,
deserving of offerings,
deserving of respect,
nor is he an unexcelled field of merit
for the world.

Which five?

There is the case
where a monk is not resilient to sights,
not resilient to sounds,
not resilient to aromas,
not resilient to flavors,
not resilient to tactile sensations.

■

"And how is a monk
not resilient to sights?

There is the case where a monk,
on seeing a sight with the eye,
feels passion for a sight
that incites passion
and cannot center his mind.

This is how a monk
is not resilient to sights.

-◦-

"And how is a monk
not resilient to sounds?

There is the case where a monk,
on hearing a sound with the ear,
feels passion for a sound
that incites passion
and cannot center his mind.

This is how a monk
is not resilient to sounds.

-◦-

"And how is a monk
not resilient to aromas?

There is the case where a monk,
on smelling an aroma with the nose,
feels passion for an aroma
that incites passion
and cannot center his mind.

This is how a monk
is not resilient to aromas.

-◦-

"And how is a monk
not resilient to flavors?

There is the case where a monk,
on tasting a flavor with the tongue,
feels passion for a flavor
that incites passion
and cannot center his mind.

This is how a monk
is not resilient to flavors.

-◦-

"And how is a monk
not resilient to tactile sensations?

There is the case where a monk,
on touching a tactile sensation with the body,
feels passion for a tactile sensation
that incites passion
and cannot center his mind.

This is how a monk
is not resilient to tactile sensations.

"Endowed with these five qualities,
a monk is not deserving of gifts,
deserving of hospitality,
deserving of offerings,
deserving of respect,
nor is he an unexcelled field of merit
for the world.

 

---

 

"Now, a king's elephant
endowed with five qualities
is worthy of a king,
is a king's asset,
counts as a very limb of his king.

Which five?

There is the case
where a king's elephant
is resilient to sights,
resilient to sounds,
resilient to aromas,
resilient to flavors,
resilient to tactile sensations.

■

"And how is a king's elephant
resilient to sights?

There is the case
where a king's elephant,
having gone into battle,
sees a troop of elephants,
a troop of cavalry,
a troop of chariots,
a troop of foot soldiers,
but he doesn't falter or faint,
he steels himself
and engages in the battle.

This is how a king's elephant
is resilient to sights.

-◦-

"And how is a king's elephant
resilient to sounds?

There is the case
where a king's elephant,
having gone into battle,
hears the sound of elephants,
the sound of cavalry,
the sound of chariots,
the sound of foot soldiers,
the resounding din of drums, cymbals, conchs, and tom-toms,
but he doesn't falter or faint,
he steels himself
and engages in the battle.

This is how a king's elephant is resilient to sounds.

-◦-

"And how is a king's elephant
resilient to aromas?

There is the case
where a king's elephant,
having gone into battle,
smells the stench of the urine and feces
of those pedigreed royal elephants
who are at home in the battlefield,
but he doesn't falter or faint,
he steels himself
and engages in the battle.

This is how a king's elephant
is not resilient to aromas.

-◦-

"And how is a king's elephant
resilient to flavors?

There is the case
where a king's elephant,
having gone into battle,
goes without his ration of grass and water
for one day, two days, three days,
four days, five,
but he doesn't falter or faint,
he steels himself
and engages in the battle.

This is how a king's elephant is resilient to flavors.

-◦-

"And how is a king's elephant
resilient to tactile sensations?

There is the case
where a king's elephant,
having gone into battle,
is pierced by a flight of arrows,
two flights, three flights,
four flights, five flights of arrows,
but he doesn't falter or faint,
he steels himself
and engages in the battle.

This is how a king's elephant
is resilient to tactile sensations.

"Endowed with these five qualities, monks,
a king's elephant
is worthy of a king,
is a king's asset,
counts as a very limb of his king.

 

§

 

"In the same way,
a monk endowed with five qualities
is deserving of gifts,
deserving of hospitality,
deserving of offerings,
deserving of respect,
an unexcelled field of merit
for the world.

Which five?

There is the case where a monk
is resilient to sights,
resilient to sounds,
resilient to aromas,
resilient to flavors,
resilient to tactile sensations.

■

"And how is a monk
resilient to sights?

There is the case where a monk,
on seeing a sight with the eye,
feels no passion for a sight
that incites passion
and can center his mind.

This is how a monk
is resilient to sights.

-◦-

"And how is a monk
resilient to sounds?

There is the case where a monk,
on hearing a sound with the ear,
feels no passion for a sound
that incites passion
and can center his mind.

This is how a monk
is resilient to sounds.

-◦-

"And how is a monk
resilient to aromas?

There is the case
where a monk,
on smelling an aroma with the nose,
feels no passion for an aroma
that incites passion
and can center his mind.

This is how a monk
is resilient to aromas.

-◦-

"And how is a monk
resilient to flavors?

There is the case where a monk,
on tasting a flavor with the tongue,
feels no passion for a flavor
that incites passion
and can center his mind.

This is how a monk
is resilient to flavors.

-◦-

"And how is a monk
resilient to tactile sensations?

There is the case where a monk,
on touching a tactile sensation with the body,
feels no passion for a tactile sensation
that incites passion
and can center his mind.

This is how a monk
is resilient to tactile sensations.

"Endowed with these five qualities,
a monk is deserving of gifts,
deserving of hospitality,
deserving of offerings,
deserving of respect,
an unexcelled field of merit
for the world."

 

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Of Related Interest:

MN 28;
MN 61;
AN 3.94;
AN 4:164—165;
AN 5:75—76;
AN 5.140
AN 8:13—14