Aṇguttara Nikāya
X. Dasaka-Nipāta
II. Nātha Vagga
Sutta 18
Dutiya Nātha-Karaṇa Suttaṃ
Protectors (2)
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Sourced from the edition at dhammatalks.org
Provenance, terms and conditons
[1][pts][bodh] "Live with a protector, monks, and not without a protector.
He suffers, one who lives without a protector.
And these ten are qualities creating a protector.
Which ten?
"There is the case where a monk is virtuous.
He dwells restrained in accordance with the Pāṭimokkha, consummate in his behavior and sphere of activity.
He trains himself, having undertaken the training rules, seeing danger in the slightest faults.
[When they think,] 'How virtuous is this monk!
He dwells restrained in accordance with the Pāṭimokkha, consummate in his behavior and sphere of activity.
He trains himself, having undertaken the training rules, seeing danger in the slightest faults,'
elder monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
Even monks of middle standing and newcoming monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
For him — treated with sympathy by the elders, sympathy by those of middle standing, and sympathy by newcomers — growth in skillful qualities is to be expected, and not decline.
This is a quality creating a protector.
"Then again, the monk has heard much, has retained what he has heard, has stored what he has heard.
Whatever teachings are admirable in the beginning, admirable in the middle, admirable in the end, that — in their meaning and expression — proclaim the holy life that is entirely perfect, surpassingly pure: Those he has listened to often, retained, discussed, accumulated, examined with his mind, and well-penetrated in terms of his views.
[When they think,] 'How much this monk has heard!
Whatever teachings are admirable in the beginning, admirable in the middle, admirable in the end, that — in their meaning and expression — proclaim the holy life that is entirely perfect, surpassingly pure: Those he has listened to often, retained, discussed, accumulated, examined with his mind, and well-penetrated in terms of his views,' elder monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
Even monks of middle standing and newcoming monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
For him — treated with sympathy by the elders, sympathy by those of middle standing, and sympathy by newcomers — growth in skillful qualities is to be expected, and not decline.
This, too, is a quality creating a protector.
"Then again, the monk has admirable friends, admirable comrades, admirable companions.
[When they think,] 'How this monk has admirable friends, admirable comrades, admirable companions!' elder monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
Even monks of middle standing and newcoming monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
For him — treated with sympathy by the elders, sympathy by those of middle standing, and sympathy by newcomers — growth in skillful qualities is to be expected, and not decline.
This, too, is a quality creating a protector.
"Then again, the monk is easy to speak to, endowed with qualities that make him easy to speak to, patient, respectful to instruction.
[When they think,] 'How easy this monk is to speak to!
He is endowed with qualities that make him easy to speak to, patient, respectful to instruction,' elder monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
Even monks of middle standing and newcoming monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
For him — treated with sympathy by the elders, sympathy by those of middle standing, and sympathy by newcomers — growth in skillful qualities is to be expected, and not decline.
This, too, is a quality creating a protector.
"Then again, the monk is adept at the various affairs involving his companions in the holy life; is vigorous, quick-witted in the techniques involved in them, is up to doing them or arranging to get them done.
[When they think,] 'How adept this monk is at the various affairs involving his companions in the holy life!
He is vigorous, quick-witted in the techniques involved in them, is up to doing them or arranging to get them done,' elder monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
Even monks of middle standing and newcoming monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
For him — treated with sympathy by the elders, sympathy by those of middle standing, and sympathy by newcomers — growth in skillful qualities is to be expected, and not decline.
This, too, is a quality creating a protector.
"Then again, the monk is one who desires the Dhamma, endearing in his conversation, greatly rejoicing in the higher Dhamma and higher Vinaya.
[When they think,] 'How this monk is one who desires the Dhamma!
He is endearing in his conversation, greatly rejoicing in the higher Dhamma and higher Vinaya,' elder monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
Even monks of middle standing and newcoming monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
For him — treated with sympathy by the elders, sympathy by those of middle standing, and sympathy by newcomers — growth in skillful qualities is to be expected, and not decline.
This, too, is a quality creating a protector.
"Then again, the monk keeps his persistence aroused for abandoning unskillful qualities and for taking on skillful qualities.
He is steadfast, solid in his effort, not shirking his duties with regard to skillful qualities.
[When they think,] 'How this monk keeps his persistence aroused for abandoning unskillful qualities and for taking on skillful qualities!
He is steadfast, solid in his effort, not shirking his duties with regard to skillful qualities,' elder monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
Even monks of middle standing and newcoming monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
For him — treated with sympathy by the elders, sympathy by those of middle standing, and sympathy by newcomers — growth in skillful qualities is to be expected, and not decline.
This, too, is a quality creating a protector.
"Then again, the monk is content with any old robe cloth at all, any old alms food, any old lodging, any old medicinal requisites for curing sickness at all.
[When they think,] 'How this monk is content with any old robe cloth at all, any old alms food, any old lodging, any old medicinal requisites for curing sickness at all!' elder monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
Even monks of middle standing and newcoming monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
For him — treated with sympathy by the elders, sympathy by those of middle standing, and sympathy by newcomers — growth in skillful qualities is to be expected, and not decline.
This, too, is a quality creating a protector.
"Then again, the monk mindful, endowed with excellent proficiency in mindfulness, remembering and recollecting what was done and said a long time ago.
[When they think,] 'How mindful is this monk! He is endowed with excellent proficiency in mindfulness, remembering and recollecting what was done and said a long time ago,' elder monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
Even monks of middle standing and newcoming monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
For him — treated with sympathy by the elders, sympathy by those of middle standing, and sympathy by newcomers — growth in skillful qualities is to be expected, and not decline.
This, too, is a quality creating a protector.
"Then again, the monk is discerning, endowed with discernment of arising and passing away — noble, penetrating, leading to the right ending of stress.
[When they think,] 'How this monk is discerning!
He is endowed with discernment of arising and passing away — noble, penetrating, leading to the right ending of stress,' elder monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
Even monks of middle standing and newcoming monks think that he should be corrected and instructed.
For him — treated with sympathy by the elders, sympathy by those of middle standing, and sympathy by newcomers — growth in skillful qualities is to be expected, and not decline.
This, too, is a quality creating a protector.
"Live with a protector, monks, and not without a protector.
He suffers, one who lives without a protector.
These are the ten qualities creating a protector."
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