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- Samyutta Nikaya XX.5
- Satti Sutta
- The Spear
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
Staying at Savatthi. "Monks, suppose there were a sharp-bladed spear, and a man
were to come along saying, 'With my hand or fist I will bend back this sharp-bladed spear,
fold it in two, and roll it up.' What do you think? Would that man be able with his hand
or fist to bend back that sharp-bladed spear, fold it in two, and roll it up?"
"No, lord. Why is that? Because a sharp-bladed spear isn't easy to bend back, fold
in two, or roll up. The man would simply reap his share of trouble & vexation."
"In the same way, monks, when a monk's release of awareness through good-will is
cultivated, developed, pursued, given a means of transport, given a grounding, steadied,
consolidated, & well-undertaken, any non-human being who would think of possessing
that monk's mind would simply reap his share of trouble & vexation.
"Thus you should train yourselves: 'Our release of awareness through good-will
will be cultivated, developed, pursued, given a means of transport, given a grounding,
steadied, consolidated, & well-undertaken. That's how you should train
yourselves."
See also: AN XI.16.