Tipitaka » Sutta
Pitaka » Anguttara Nikaya » Context
of this sutta
- Anguttara Nikaya V.76
- Yodhajiva Sutta
- The Warrior (2)
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
Translator's note: See the note to the preceding discourse.
"Monks, there are these five types of warriors who can be found existing in the
world. Which five?
"There is the case of a warrior who -- taking his sword & shield, strapping on
his bow & quiver -- goes down into the thick of battle. There in the battle he strives
& makes effort. But while he is striving & making an effort, his opponents strike
him down and finish him off. Some warriors are like this. This is the first type of
warrior who can be found existing in the world.
"Then there is the warrior who -- taking his sword & shield, strapping on his
bow & quiver -- goes down into the thick of battle. There in the battle he strives
& makes effort. But while he is striving & making an effort, his opponents wound
him. He gets carried out and taken to his relatives. But while he is being taken to his
relatives, before he has reached them he dies along the way. Some warriors are like this.
This is the second type of warrior who can be found existing in the world.
"Then there is the warrior who -- taking his sword & shield, strapping on his
bow & quiver -- goes down into the thick of battle. There in the battle he strives
& makes effort. But while he is striving & making an effort, his opponents wound
him. He gets carried out and taken to his relatives, who nurse him and care for him, but
he dies of that injury. Some warriors are like this. This is the third type of warrior who
can be found existing in the world.
"Then there is the warrior who -- taking his sword & shield, strapping on his
bow & quiver -- goes down into the thick of battle. There in the battle he strives
& makes effort. But while he is striving & making an effort, his opponents wound
him. He gets carried out and taken to his relatives. His relatives nurse him and care for
him, and he recovers from his injury. Some warriors are like this. This is the fourth type
of warrior who can be found existing in the world.
"Then there is the warrior who -- taking his sword & shield, strapping on his
bow & quiver -- goes down into the thick of battle. On winning the battle, victorious
in battle, he comes out at the very head of the battle. Some warriors are like this. This
is the fifth type of warrior who can be found existing in the world.
"These are the five types of warriors who can be found existing in the world.
"In the same way, monks, there are these five warrior-like individuals who can be
found existing among the monks. Which five?
[1] "There is the case of the monk who dwells in dependence on a certain village
or town. Early in the morning, having put on his robes and carrying his bowl & outer
robe, he goes into the village or town for alms -- with his body, speech, & mind
unprotected, with mindfulness unestablished, with his sense faculties unguarded. There he
sees a woman improperly dressed or half-naked. As he sees her improperly dressed or
half-naked, lust ravages his mind. With his mind ravaged by lust, he -- without renouncing
the training, without declaring his weakness -- engages in sexual intercourse. This
individual, I tell you, is like the warrior who -- taking his sword & shield,
strapping on his bow & quiver -- goes down into the thick of battle. There in the
battle he strives & makes effort. But while he is striving & making an effort, his
opponents strike him down and finish him off. Some individuals are like this. This is the
first type of warrior-like individual who can be found existing among the monks.
[2] "Then there is the case of the monk who dwells in dependence on a certain
village or town. Early in the morning, having put on his robes and carrying his bowl &
outer robe, he goes into the village or town for alms -- with his body, speech, & mind
unprotected, with mindfulness unestablished, with his sense faculties unguarded. There he
sees a woman improperly dressed or half-naked. As he sees her improperly dressed or
half-naked, lust ravages his mind. With his mind ravaged by lust, he burns in body &
mind. The thought occurs to him: 'What if I were to go to the monastery and tell the
monks: "Friends, I am assailed by lust, overcome by lust. I can't continue in the
holy life. Declaring my weakness in the training, renouncing the training, I will return
to the lower life."' He heads toward the monastery, but before he arrives there,
along the way, he declares his weakness in the training, renounces the training, and
returns to the lower life. This individual, I tell you, is like the warrior who -- taking
his sword & shield, strapping on his bow & quiver -- goes down into the thick of
battle. There in the battle he strives & makes effort. But while he is striving &
making an effort, his opponents wound him. He gets carried out and taken to his relatives.
But while he is being taken to his relatives, before he has reached them he dies along the
way. Some individuals are like this. This is the second type of warrior-like individual
who can be found existing among the monks.
[3] "Then there is the case of the monk who dwells in dependence on a certain
village or town. Early in the morning, having put on his robes and carrying his bowl &
outer robe, he goes into the village or town for alms -- with his body, speech, & mind
unprotected, with mindfulness unestablished, with his sense faculties unguarded. There he
sees a woman improperly dressed or half-naked. As he sees her improperly dressed or
half-naked, lust ravages his mind. With his mind ravaged by lust, he burns in body &
mind. The thought occurs to him: 'What if I were to go to the monastery and tell the
monks: "Friends, I am assailed by lust, overcome by lust. I can't continue in the
holy life. Declaring my weakness in the training, renouncing the training, I will return
to the lower life."' Going to the monastery, he tells the monks, 'Friends, I am
assailed by lust, overcome by lust. I can't continue in the holy life. Declaring my
weakness in the training, renouncing the training, I will return to the lower life.'
"Then his companions in the holy life admonish & instruct him, 'Friend, the
Blessed One has said that sensual pleasures are of little satisfaction, of much stress,
much despair, & greater drawbacks. The Blessed One has compared sensual pleasures to a
chain of bones -- of much stress, much despair, & greater
drawbacks. He has compared sensual pleasures to a lump of flesh...a grass torch...a pit of
glowing embers...a dream...borrowed goods...the fruits of a tree...a
slaughterhouse...spears & swords...a poisonous snake -- of much stress, much despair,
& greater drawbacks. Find delight, friend, in the holy life. Don't declare your
weakness in the training, renounce the training, or return to the lower life.'
"Thus admonished & instructed by his companions in the holy life, he says,
'Even though the Blessed One has said that sensual pleasures are of little satisfaction,
of much stress, much despair, & greater drawbacks, still I can't continue in the holy
life. Declaring my weakness in the training, renouncing the training, I will return to the
lower life.' So he declares his weakness in the training, renounces the training, and
returns to the lower life. This individual, I tell you, is like the warrior who -- taking
his sword & shield, strapping on his bow & quiver -- goes down into the thick of
battle. There in the battle he strives & makes effort. But while he is striving &
making an effort, his opponents wound him. He gets carried out and taken to his relatives,
who nurse him and care for him, but he dies of that injury. Some individuals are like
this. This is the third type of warrior-like individual who can be found existing among
the monks.
[4] "Then there is the case of the monk who dwells in dependence on a certain
village or town. Early in the morning, having put on his robes and carrying his bowl &
outer robe, he goes into the village or town for alms -- with his body, speech, & mind
unprotected, with mindfulness unestablished, with his sense faculties unguarded. There he
sees a woman improperly dressed or half-naked. As he sees her improperly dressed or
half-naked, lust ravages his mind. With his mind ravaged by lust, he burns in body &
mind. The thought occurs to him: 'What if I were to go to the monastery and tell the
monks: "Friends, I am assailed by lust, overcome by lust. I can't continue in the
holy life. Declaring my weakness in the training, renouncing the training, I will return
to the lower life."' Going to the monastery, he tells the monks, 'Friends, I am
assailed by lust, overcome by lust. I can't continue in the holy life. Declaring my
weakness in the training, renouncing the training, I will return to the lower life.'
"Then his companions in the holy life admonish & instruct him, 'Friend, the
Blessed One has said that sensual pleasures are of little satisfaction, of much stress,
much despair, & greater drawbacks. The Blessed One has compared sensual pleasures to a
chain of bones -- of much stress, much despair, & greater drawbacks. He has compared
sensual pleasures to a lump of flesh...a grass torch...a pit of glowing embers...a
dream...borrowed goods...the fruits of a tree...a slaughterhouse...spears & swords...a
poisonous snake -- of much stress, much despair, & greater drawbacks. Find delight,
friend, in the holy life. Don't declare your weakness in the training, renounce the
training, or return to the lower life.'
"Thus admonished & instructed by his companions in the holy life, he responds,
'I will strive, friends. I will remember. I will find delight in the holy life. I won't
yet declare my weakness in the training, renounce the training, or return to the lower
life.' This individual, I tell you, is like the warrior who -- taking his sword &
shield, strapping on his bow & quiver -- goes down into the thick of battle. There in
the battle he strives & makes effort. But while he is striving & making an effort,
his opponents wound him. He gets carried out and taken to his relatives, who nurse him and
care for him, and he recovers from his injury. Some individuals are like this. This is the
fourth type of warrior-like individual who can be found existing among the monks.
[5] "Then there is the case of the monk who dwells in dependence on a certain
village or town. Early in the morning, having put on his robes and carrying his bowl &
outer robe, he goes into the village or town for alms -- with his body, speech, & mind
protected, with mindfulness established, with his sense faculties guarded. On seeing a
form with the eye, does not grasp at any theme or particulars by which -- if he were to
dwell without restraint over the faculty of the eye -- evil, unskillful qualities such as
greed or distress might assail him. He practices with restraint. He guards the faculty of
the eye. He achieves restraint with regard to the faculty of the eye.
"On hearing a sound with the ear...
"On smelling an aroma with the nose...
"On tasting a flavor with the tongue...
"On touching a tactile sensation with the body...
"On cognizing an idea with the intellect, he does not grasp at any theme or
particulars by which -- if he were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the
intellect -- evil, unskillful qualities such as greed or distress might assail him. He
practices with restraint. He guards the faculty of the intellect. He achieves restraint
with regard to the faculty of the intellect.
"Returning from his almsround, after his meal, he resorts to a
secluded dwelling place: the wilderness, the foot of a tree, a mountain, a glen, a
hillside cave, a charnel ground, a forest grove, the open air, a haystack. Having gone to
the wilderness, the foot of a tree, or an empty building, he sits down, crosses his legs,
holds his body erect, and brings mindfulness to the fore.
"Abandoning covetousness with regard to the world, he dwells with an awareness
devoid of covetousness. He cleanses his mind of covetousness. Abandoning ill will &
anger, he dwells with an awareness devoid of ill will, sympathetic with the welfare of all
living beings. He cleanses his mind of ill will & anger. Abandoning sloth &
drowsiness, he dwells with an awareness devoid of sloth & drowsiness, mindful, alert,
percipient of light. He cleanses his mind of sloth & drowsiness. Abandoning
restlessness & anxiety, he dwells undisturbed, his mind inwardly stilled. He cleanses
his mind of restlessness & anxiety. Abandoning uncertainty, he dwells having crossed
over uncertainty, with no perplexity with regard to skillful mental qualities. He cleanses
his mind of uncertainty.
"Having abandoned these five hindrances, corruptions of awareness that weaken
discernment, then -- quite withdrawn from sensual pleasures, withdrawn from unskillful
(mental) qualities -- he enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure
born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. With the stilling
of directed thought & evaluation, he enters & remains in the second jhana: rapture
& pleasure born of concentration, unification of awareness free from directed thought
& evaluation -- internal assurance. With the fading of rapture, he remains in
equanimity, mindful & fully aware, and physically sensitive of pleasure. He enters
& remains in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous &
mindful, he has a pleasurable abiding.' With the abandoning of pleasure & pain -- as
with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress -- he enters & remains in the
fourth jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain.
"With his mind thus concentrated, purified, & bright, unblemished, free from
defects, pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to imperturbability, he directs and
inclines it to the knowledge of the ending of the mental fermentations. He discerns, as it
is actually present, that 'This is stress...This is the origination of stress...This is
the cessation of stress...This is the way leading to the cessation of stress...These are
mental fermentations...This is the origination of fermentations...This is the cessation of
fermentations...This is the way leading to the cessation of fermentations.' His heart,
thus knowing, thus seeing, is released from the fermentation of sensuality, the
fermentation of becoming, the fermentation of ignorance. With release, there is the
knowledge, 'Released.' He discerns that 'Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task
done. There is nothing further for this world.'
"This individual, I tell you, is like the warrior who -- taking his sword &
shield, strapping on his bow & quiver -- goes down into the thick of battle. On
winning the battle, victorious in battle, he comes out at the very head of the battle.
Some individuals are like this. This is the fifth type of warrior-like individual who can
be found existing among the monks.
"These are these five warrior-like individuals who can be found existing among the
monks."