3.
The Discourse on the King of the Teaching
133.
"Even that king, monks, who is a wheel-turning monarch, a righteous king of righteousness, he too does not turn the wheel without a ruler."
When this was said, a certain monk said this to the Blessed One -
"But who, venerable sir, is the ruler of the wheel-turning monarch, the righteous king of righteousness?"
"The Teaching, monk" - the Blessed One said.
"Here, monk, a wheel-turning monarch, a righteous king of righteousness, relying on the Teaching alone, honouring the Teaching, respecting the Teaching, paying homage to the Teaching, having the Teaching as his banner, having the Teaching as his standard, having the Teaching as authority, arranges righteous protection, shelter and safeguarding for the people within.
"Furthermore, monk, a wheel-turning monarch, a righteous king of righteousness, relying on the Teaching alone, honouring the Teaching, respecting the Teaching, paying homage to the Teaching, having the Teaching as his banner, having the Teaching as his standard, having the Teaching as authority, arranges righteous protection, shelter and safeguarding for the warrior nobles, for the dependents, etc. for the army, for the brahmins and householders, for the townspeople and country folk, for the ascetics and brahmins, for the beasts and birds. That wheel-turning monarch, monk, who is a righteous king of righteousness, relying on the Teaching alone, honouring the Teaching, respecting the Teaching, paying homage to the Teaching, having the Teaching as his banner, having the Teaching as his standard, having the Teaching as authority, having arranged righteous protection, shelter and safeguarding for the people within, having arranged righteous protection, shelter and safeguarding for the warrior nobles, for the dependents, for the army, for the brahmins and householders, for the townspeople and country folk, for the ascetics and brahmins, for the beasts and birds, turns the wheel by the Teaching alone; that wheel cannot be turned back by any human being who is an adversary with hostile intent.
"So too, monk, the Truth-finder, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the righteous king of righteousness, relying on the Teaching alone, honouring the Teaching, respecting the Teaching, paying homage to the Teaching, having the Teaching as his banner, having the Teaching as his standard, having the Teaching as authority, arranges righteous protection, shelter and safeguarding for the monks - 'Such bodily action should be cultivated, such bodily action should not be cultivated; such verbal action should be cultivated, such verbal action should not be cultivated; such mental action should be cultivated, such mental action should not be cultivated; such livelihood should be cultivated, such livelihood should not be cultivated; such village and market town should be frequented, such village and market town should not be frequented.'
"Furthermore, monk, the Truth-finder, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the righteous king of righteousness, relying on the Teaching alone, honouring the Teaching, respecting the Teaching, paying homage to the Teaching, having the Teaching as his banner, having the Teaching as his standard, having the Teaching as authority, arranges righteous protection, shelter and safeguarding for the nuns, etc. for the male lay followers, etc. for the female lay followers - 'Such bodily action should be cultivated, such bodily action should not be cultivated; such verbal action should be cultivated, such verbal action should not be cultivated; such mental action should be cultivated, such mental action should not be cultivated; such livelihood should be cultivated, such livelihood should not be cultivated; such village and market town should be frequented, such village and market town should not be frequented.'
"That Truth-finder, monk, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the righteous king of righteousness, relying on the Teaching alone, honouring the Teaching, respecting the Teaching, paying homage to the Teaching, having the Teaching as his banner, having the Teaching as his standard, having the Teaching as authority, having arranged righteous protection, shelter and safeguarding for the monks, having arranged righteous protection, shelter and safeguarding for the nuns, having arranged righteous protection, shelter and safeguarding for the male lay followers, having arranged righteous protection, shelter and safeguarding for the female lay followers, sets in motion the unsurpassed wheel of the Teaching by the Teaching alone; that wheel cannot be turned back by any ascetic or brahmin or god or Māra or Brahmā or anyone in the world." The third.