Aṇguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka Nipāta
8. Yodhājīva Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fives
VIII. The Warrior
Sutta 76
Dutiya Yodhājīvūpama Suttaṃ
The Warrior (b)
Translated by E. M. Hare
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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Once the Exalted One dwelt near Sāvatthī, at Jeta Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park;
and there he addressed the monks,
saying:
"Monks."
'Yes, lord,' they replied;
and the Exalted One said:
"Monks, these five kinds of warriors
are found in the world.
What five?
Monks, in one case a warrior,
grasping his sword and shield,
binding on his bow and quiver,[1]
goes down into the thick of the fight;
and there he dares and strives;
but others strike him
as he dares and strives
and overpower him.[2]
Monks, there is here this sort of warrior.
This, monks, is the first kind of warrior
found in the world.
■
Again, another warrior,
grasping his sword and shield,
binding on his bow and quiver,
goes down into the thick of the fight;
and as he dares and strives
the enemy wound[3] him.
And they bear[4] him away
to bring him to his relations;
but while he is being carried by his kinsmen,
ere he arrives,
he dies on the way to his relations.
Monks, there is here this sort of warrior.
This, monks, is the second kind of warrior
found in the world.
■
Another warrior,
grasping his sword and shield,
binding on his bow and quiver,
goes down into the thick of the fight;
and as he dares and strives
the enemy wound him
and wounded by the enemy,
he is carried to his relations
and they nurse him and care for him,
but he dies of that hurt.
Monks, there is here this sort of warrior.
This, monks, is the third kind kind of warrior
found in the world.
■
Another warrior,
grasping his sword and shield,
binding on his bow and quiver,
goes down into the thick of the fight;
and as he dares and strives
the enemy wound him
and wounded by the enemy,
he is carried to his relations
and they nurse him and care for him,
is cured of that hurt.
Monks, there is here this sort of warrior.
This, monks, is the fourth kind of warrior
found in the world.
■
Then, monks, there is the soldier who,
grasping his sword and shield,
binding on his bow and quiver,
goes down into the thick of the fight;
victorious in battle,
winning the fight,
he continues at the head of the battle.
Monks, there is here this sort of warrior.
This, monks, is the fifth kind of warrior
found in the world.
Monks, these are the five kinds of warriors
found in the world.
§
[78] Even so, monks, these five kinds of persons,
like warriors,
are found in the world.
What five?
Monks,[5] take the case of a monk
who lives dependent on some village or town —
while it is yet early,
he robes himself and with bowl and cloak
enters that village or town for alms,
just with his body under no restraint,
with speech unrestrained,
with mind unrestrained,
without mindfulness being set up,
with his faculties uncontrolled;
and there he sees a woman
with dress disordered
or not properly dressed,
and at the sight
passion overwhelms his mind;
in that state,
without giving up the training,
without declaring his weakness,
he gives himself over to fornication.
Monks, just as the warrior,
grasping sword and shield,
binding on bow and quiver,
goes down into the thick of the fight
and there dares and strives;
but the enemy strike and overpower him:
like that, monks, I say,
is this person.
Monks, there is here this sort of person.
This, monks, is the first kind of person,
like a warrior,
found among monks.
■
Again, monks, take the case of a monk
who lives dependent on some village or town —
while it is yet early,
he robes himself and with bowl and cloak
enters that village or town for alms,
just with his body under no restraint,
with speech unrestrained,
with mind unrestrained,
without mindfulness being set up,
with his faculties uncontrolled;
and there he sees a woman
with dress disordered
or not properly dressed,
and at the sight
passion overwhelms his mind;
in that state,
he burns in body,
he burns in mind;
and the thought comes to him:
What if I go to the Park
and say to the monks:
"Good sirs, I burn[6] with passion;
I am overcome by passion;
I cannot stay the course of the godly life;
I declare my weakness
and give up the training;
I will return to the lower life."
As he goes to the Park,
ere he arrives,
even on the way to the Park,
he declares his weakness,
gives up the training
and returns to the lower life.
Monks, just as the warrior,
grasping his sword and shield,
binding on his bow and quiver,
goes down into the thick of the fight;
and as he dares and strives
the enemy wound him.
And they bear him away
to bring him to his relations;
but while he is being carried by his kinsmen,
ere he arrives,
he dies on the way to his relations;
like that, monks, I say,
is this person.
Monks, there is here this sort of person.
This, monks, is the second kind of person,
like a warrior,
found among monks.
■
Again, monks, take the case of a monk
who lives dependent on some village or town —
while it is yet early,
he robes himself and with bowl and cloak
enters that village or town for alms,
just with his body under no restraint,
with speech unrestrained,
with mind unrestrained,
without mindfulness being set up,
with his faculties uncontrolled;
and there he sees a woman
with dress disordered
or not properly dressed,
and at the sight
passion overwhelms his mind;
in that state,
he burns in body,
he burns in mind;
and the thought comes to him:
What if I go to the Park
and say to the [79] monks:
"Good sirs, I burn with passion;
I am overcome by passion;
I cannot stay the course of the godly life;
I declare my weakness
and give up the training;
I will return to the lower life."
And he does go to the Park
and says to the monks:
"Good sirs, I burn with passion;
I am overcome by passion;
I cannot stay the course of the godly life;
I declare my weakness
and give up the training;
I will return to the lower life."
Then[7] they who live the godly life
admonish him and warn him, saying:
"Good air, the Exalted One has said:
But little satisfying[8]
is this lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow.
Like a piece[9] of bone
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
like a lump of meat[10]
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
like a fire-stick made of grass
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
like a pit of glowing embers[11]
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
like a passing dream[12]
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
like some borrowed bravery
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
like ripe fruit on a broken branch
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
like a chopper in the shambles[13]
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
like a spear and javelin[14]
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
like a hooded snake
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
—so the Exalted One has said.
Find your delight, reverend sir,
in the godly life;
declare not your weakness, reverend sir,
nor give up the training
nor return to the lower life!"
And he thus admonished,
thus warned,
by those who live the godly life,
replies thuswise:
"Good sirs, although the Exalted One has said
lust is but little satisfying,
fraught as it is with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
yet I am not able
to stay the course of the godly life,
but I will declare my weakness,
give up the training
and return to the lower life.'
Monks, just as the warrior,
grasping his sword and shield,
binding on his bow and quiver,
goes down into the thick of the fight;
and as he dares and strives
the enemy wound him
and wounded by the enemy,
he is carried to his relations
and they nurse him and care for him,
but he dies of that hurt:
like that, monks, I say,
is this person.
Monks, there is here this sort of person.
This, monks, is the third kind of person,
like a warrior,
found among monks.
■
Again, monks, take the case of a monk
who lives dependent on some village or town —
while it is yet early,
he robes himself and with bowl and cloak
enters that village or town for alms,
just with his body under no restraint,
with speech unrestrained,
with mind unrestrained,
without mindfulness being set up,
with his faculties uncontrolled;
and there he sees a woman
with dress disordered
or not properly dressed,
and at the sight
passion overwhelms his mind;
in that state,
he burns in body,
he burns in mind;
and the thought comes to him:
What if I go to the Park
and say to the monks:
"Good sirs, I burn with passion;
I am overcome by passion;
I cannot stay the course of the godly life;
I declare my weakness
and give up the training;
I will return to the lower life."
And he does go to the Park
and says to the monks:
"Good sirs, I burn with passion;
I am overcome by passion;
I cannot stay the course of the godly life;
I declare my weakness
and give up the training;
I will return to the lower life."
Then they who live the godly [80] life
admonish him and warn him, saying:
"Good air, the Exalted One has said:
But little satisfying
is this lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow.
Like a piece of bone
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
like a lump of meat
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
like a fire-stick made of grass
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
like a pit of glowing embers
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
like a passing dream
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
like some borrowed bravery
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
like ripe fruit on a broken branch
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
like a chopper in the shambles
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
like a spear and javelin
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
like a hooded snake
is lust,
fraught as it is
with ill and tribulation,
with perils worse to follow;
—so the Exalted One has said.
Find your delight, reverend sir,
in the godly life;
declare not your weakness, reverend sir,
nor give up the training
nor return to the lower life!"
And he thus admonished,
thus warned,
by those who live the godly life,
replies thuswise:
"Good sirs, I will dare and strive;[15]
I will find my delight in the godly life;
not now will I declare my weakness,
nor give up the training,
nor return to the lower life."
Monks, just as the warrior warrior,
grasping his sword and shield,
binding on his bow and quiver,
goes down into the thick of the fight;
and as he dares and strives
the enemy wound him
and wounded by the enemy,
he is carried to his relations
and they nurse him and care for him,
is cured of that hurt;
like that, monks, I say,
is this person.
Monks, there is here this sort of person.
This, monks, is the fourth kind of person,
like a warrior,
found among monks.
■
Then, monks, there is the monk
who lives dependent on some village or town.
While it is yet early,
he robes himself and with bowl and cloak
enters the village or town for alms,
with his body, speech and mind restrained,
with mindfulness set up,
with his faculties under control:
and on seeing some form with his eye,
he is not entranced with its appearance
nor with any detail of it;
since by abiding uncontrolled
in the sense of sight,
covetousness,
dejection,
wicked and evil states
would flow in over him,
he sets himself to control the sense of sight;
he restrains the sense of sight
and wins mastery over it;
so too, on hearing some sound with his ear,
he is not entranced with its appearance
nor with any detail of it;
since by abiding uncontrolled
in the sense of hearing,
covetousness,
dejection,
wicked and evil states
would flow in over him,
he sets himself to control the sense of hearing;
he restrains the sense of hearing
and wins mastery over it;
on smelling some scent with his nose,
he is not entranced with its appearance
nor with any detail of it;
since by abiding uncontrolled
in the sense of smell,
covetousness,
dejection,
wicked and evil states
would flow in over him,
he sets himself to control the sense of smell;
he restrains the sense of smell
and wins mastery over it;
on tasting some savour with his tongue,
he is not entranced with its appearance
nor with any detail of it;
since by abiding uncontrolled
in the sense of taste,
covetousness,
dejection,
wicked and evil states
would flow in over him,
he sets himself to control the sense of taste;
he restrains the sense of taste
and wins mastery over it;
on touching some touch with his body,
he is not entranced with its appearance
nor with any detail of it;
since by abiding uncontrolled
in the sense of touch,
covetousness,
dejection,
wicked and evil states
would flow in over him,
he sets himself to control the sense of touch;
he restrains the sense of touch
and wins mastery over it;
and in respect of ideas that pass through his mind;,
he is not entranced with their appearance
nor with any detail of them;
since by abiding uncontrolled
in the sense of mind,
covetousness,
dejection,
wicked and evil states
would flow in over him,
he sets himself to control the sense of mind;
he restrains the sense of mind
and wins mastery over it[16]
And on his return from alms-gathering, when his meal is over, he goes off to some secluded spot:
forest,
tree-root,
mountain,
glen,
rock-cave,
cemetery,
wooded upland,
open space
or heap of straw;
and come to forest,
tree-root
or empty hut,
he sits cross-legged,
with body erect,
setting mindfulness in front of him.
Putting away all hankering,
he abides with heart free therefrom;
he cleanses his mind of hankering;
patting away ill-will and hatred,
he abides with heart free therefrom;
kindly and compassionate to all creatures,
he cleanses his mind of ill-will and hatred:
putting away sloth and torpor,
he abides free therefrom;
conscious of light,
mindful and self-possessed,
he cleanses his mind of sloth and torpor:
putting away flurry and worry,
he abides poised;
with heart serene within,
he cleanses his mind of flurry and worry:
putting away doubt,
be abides with doubt passed by;
no more he questions "Why?"
of right things;
he cleanses his mind of doubt.
Putting away these five hindrances,
when the mind's corruptions are weakened by insight,
aloof from sensuous appetites
enters and abides in the first musing,
wherein applied and sustained thought works,
which is born of solitude
and is full of joy and ease;
suppressing applied and sustained thought,
he enters and abides in the second musing,
which is self-evolved,
born of concentration,
full of zest and ease,
free from applied and sustained thought,
and there the mind becomes calm and one-pointed;
free from the fervour of zest,
mindful and self-possessed,
he enters and abides in the third musing,
and experiences in his being
that ease whereof the Ariyans declare:
'He that is tranquil and mindful dwells at ease;
putting away ease
and by putting away ill,
by the passing away of happiness and misery
he was wont to feel,
he enters and abides in the fourth musing,
which is utter purity of mindfulness,
which comes of disinterestedness
and is free of ease and ill.
With the heart thus serene,
purified,
cleansed,
spotless,
devoid of defilement,
supple,
ready to act,
firm and imperturbable,
he bends the mind to know
the destruction of the cankers.
As it really is, he understands:
This is Ill —
as it really is, he understands:
This is the origin of Ill —
as it really is, he understands:
This is the ending of Ill —
as it really is, he understands:
This is the way leading to the ending of Ill.
As it really is, he understands the thought;
These are the cankers —
This the origin of the cankers —
This the ending of the cankers —
This the way leading to the ending of the cankers.
Knowing this,
seeing this,
his heart is free from the canker of lust,
free from the canker of becomings,
free from the canker of ignorance,
and in the freedom
comes the knowledge of that freedom,
and he knows:
Birth is destroyed;
lived is the godly life;
done is what had to be done;
there is no more of this state.
[81] Monks, just as the warrior,
grasping his sword and shield,
binding on his bow and quiver,
goes down into the thick of the fight;
victorious in battle,
winning the fight,
he continues at the head of the battle;
like that, monks, I say,
is this person.
Monks, there is here this sort of person.
This, monks, is the fifth kind of person,
like a warrior,
found among monks.
Monks, these are the five kinds of persons
like warriors,
are found in the world.'
[1] This is stock; Cf. Vin. ii, 102; M. i, 68; ii, 99.
[2] This recurs at S. iv, 308; our text with S. reads pariyādentī, Comy. pariyādentī ti, pariyādiyanti, S.e. pariyādiyanti.
[3] Upalikkhanti, to scotch.
[4] Comy. they come with his own bed (stretcher).
[5] For the whole of this para, see S. ii, 231, 271; Cf. also iv, 122; below VI, § 60.
[6] Our text reads rāgapariyuṭṭhito, but S.e. and Comy. with v.l. rāgāyito, which I suppose is simply the pp. of the denominative of rāga., P.E.D. omits; Comy. explains: rāgena ratio.
[7] These ten similes recur at M. i, 130; Vin. ii, 25; J. v, 210; Thig. 487-91. Seven are explained in full at M. i, 364 ff. In trsl. I have expanded a little. It is curious Comy. does not refer to Majjhima.
[8] Cf. Dhp. 186; J. ii, 313; iv, 118; Vism. 124.
[9] Text -saṇkhala, but Comy. and S.e. kaṇkala, with v.l.
[10] Comy. Bahu-sādhāranaṭṭhena, Cf. Mil. 280.
[11] Sn. 396; J. iv, 118; A. iv, 224; v. 175; Cf. S. iv, 188.
Sonnets
CXXIX
The expense of spirit in a waste of shame
Is lust in action; and till action, lust
Is perjured, murderous, bloody, full of blame,
Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust;
Enjoy'd no sooner but despised straight;
Past reason hunted; and no sooner had,
Past reason hated, as a swallowed bait,
On purpose laid to make the taker mad:
Mad in pursuit, and in possession so;
Had, having, and in quest to have, extreme;
A bliss in proof, and proved, a very woe;
Before, a joy proposed; behind, a dream.
All this the world well knows; yet none knows well
To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.
— The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, The Cambridge Editin Text, as edited by William Aldis Wright
— p.p.
[12] Cf. Shakespeare's Sonnet 129.
[13] Asi-sūnā. Comy. adhikuṭṭanaṭṭhena.
[14] S. i, 128; Thig. 58;[but ?] Vism. 341.
[15] Comy. and S.e. with v.l. read dhārayissami.
[16] This is a stock passage; see D. i, 70; M. i, 269; A. ii, 39; DhS. trsl. 351.
