Aṇguttara-Nikāya
III. Tika Nipāta
XIV. Yodh-ā-jīva Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
or
More-Numbered Suttas
III. The Book of the Threes
XIV. The Fighting-Man
Sutta 131
Yodh-ā-jīva Suttaṃ
Fighting-Man
Translated from the Pali by
F.L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[1] THUS HAVE I HEARD
Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī.
There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," they replied, and the Exalted One said:
"Monks, possessed of three qualities[1]
a fighting-man is worthy of a rajah,
is a royal possession
and is reckoned an asset to a rajah.
What are the three qualities?
Herein, monks, a fighting-man is a far-shooter,
a shooter like lightning,[2]
and a piercer[3] of huge objects.
Possessed of these three qualities
a fighting-man is worthy of a rajah,
is a royal possession
and is reckoned an asset[4] to a rajah.
§
2. In like manner, monks,
possessed of three qualities
a monk is worthy of respect,
of offerings and gifts,
of being saluted with clasped hands upraised,
a field of merit unsurpassed for the world.
What three?
In this connexion a monk is (reckoned) a far-shooter,
a shooter like lightning,
a piercer of huge objects.
§
3. Now in what way is a monk a far-shooter?
Herein, whatsoever object,
be it past,
future
or present,
personal
or external to self,
be it gross or subtle,
mean or exalted,
far or near, -
every object in short that he beholds,
he sees it as it really is
by right insight, thus:
'This is nou mine.
This am I not.
This is not for me the Self.'
-◦-
Whatsoever feeling,[ed1]
be it past,
future
or present,
personal
or external to self,
be it gross or subtle,
mean or exalted,
far or near, -
every feeling in short that he feels,
he sees it as it really is
by right insight, thus:
'This is nou mine.
This am I not.
This is not for me the Self.'
-◦-
Whatsoever perception,
be it past,
future
or present,
personal
or external to self,
be it gross or subtle,
mean or exalted,
far or near, -
every perception in short that he perceives,
he sees it as it really is
by right insight, thus:
'This is nou mine.
This am I not.
This is not for me the Self.'
-◦-
Whatsoever activity,
be it past,
future
or present,
personal
or external to self,
be it gross or subtle,
mean or exalted,
far or near, -
every activity in short that he engages in,
he sees it as it really is
by right insight, thus:
'This is nou mine.
This am I not.
This is not for me the Self.'
-◦-
Whatsoever consciousness he has,
be it past,
future
or present,[ed2]
personal or external to self,
be it gross or subtle,
mean or exalted,
far or near, -
everything in short of which he is conscious,
he sees as it really is
by right insight, thus:
'This is not mine.
This am I not.
This is not for me the Self.'
That is how a monk is 'a far-shooter.'
■
[264] 4. And bow is a monk a shooter like lightning?
Herein a monk understands as it really is:
'This is Ill.'
'This is the arising of Ill.'
'This is the ending of Ill.'
This is the practice leading to the ending of Ill.'
Thus is he 'a shooter like lightning.'
■
5. And how is a monk a piercer of huge objects?
Herein a monk pierces through the huge mass of nescience.
That is how he is 'a piercer of huge objects.'
Thus, monks, possessed of these three qualities
a monk is worthy of respect,
of offerings and gifts,
of being saluted with clasped hands upraised,
a field of merit unsurpassed for the world."
[1] Cf. A. ii, 170 (where four qualities are described, the first being ṭhāna-kusalo, 'skilled in points of vantage'), 202; iii, 88 ff.
[2] Akkhaṇa-vedi = avirādhita-v. Comy. - i.e., never missing the mark; cf. SA. i, 181.
[3]Padaieta.
[4] Angan t'eva sankhaṃ qacchati, 'as desirable as a limb, a hand or foot.' Comy.
[ed1] Woodward abridges the sections for feeling, perception and activity and so the phrases 'every ... in short that he ...' are guesses as to his terminology.
[ed2] Woodward has past, present future which is incorrect.
