5.
The First Discourse on a Warrior
75.
"Monks, there are these five warriors existing and found in the world.
Which five?
Here, monks, a certain warrior, having seen just the cloud of dust, sinks down, loses heart, does not stand firm, is not able to enter the battle.
Such too, monks, is a certain warrior here.
This, monks, is the first warrior existing and found in the world.
"Furthermore, monks, here a certain warrior overcomes the cloud of dust; and yet, having seen just the top of the standard, he sinks down, loses heart, does not stand firm, is not able to enter the battle. Such too, monks, is a certain warrior here. This, monks, is the second warrior existing and found in the world.
"Furthermore, monks, here a certain warrior overcomes the cloud of dust, overcomes the top of the standard; and yet, having heard just the tumult, he sinks down, loses heart, does not stand firm, is not able to enter the battle. Such too, monks, is a certain warrior here. This, monks, is the third warrior existing and found in the world.
"Furthermore, monks, here a certain warrior overcomes the cloud of dust, overcomes the top of the standard, overcomes the tumult; and yet in the striking he is struck and is repelled. Such too, monks, is a certain warrior here. This, monks, is the fourth warrior existing and found in the world.
"Furthermore, monks, here a certain warrior overcomes the cloud of dust, overcomes the top of the standard, overcomes the tumult, overcomes the striking. He triumphed in battle, emerged victorious and settled at the head of the battlefield. Such too, monks, is a certain warrior here. This, monks, is the fifth warrior existing and found in the world. These, monks, are the five warriors existing and found in the world.
"So too, monks, there are these five persons comparable to warriors existing and found among monks. Which five? Here, monks, a monk, having seen just the cloud of dust, sinks down, loses heart, does not stand firm, is not able to maintain the holy life. Having declared weakness in the training, having rejected the training, he returns to the lower life. What is his cloud of dust? Here, monks, a monk hears - 'In such and such a village or town there is a woman or girl who is lovely, beautiful, pleasing, endowed with the highest beauty of complexion.' He, having heard that, sinks down, loses heart, does not stand firm, is not able to maintain the holy life. Having declared weakness in the training, having rejected the training, he returns to the lower life. This is his cloud of dust.
"Just as, monks, that warrior, having seen merely the cloud of dust, sinks down, becomes dejected, does not stand firm, is unable to enter the battle; I say this person is similar to that, monks. Such too, monks, is a certain person here. This, monks, is the first person similar to a warrior existing and found among monks.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk overcomes the cloud of dust; but having seen merely the top of the standard, he sinks down, becomes dejected, does not stand firm, is unable to maintain the holy life. Having declared weakness in the training, having rejected the training, he returns to the lower life. What is his top of the standard? Here, monks, a monk does not indeed hear - 'In such and such a village or town there is a woman or girl who is lovely, beautiful, pleasing, endowed with the highest beauty of complexion'; but he himself sees a woman or girl who is lovely, beautiful, pleasing, endowed with the highest beauty of complexion. Having seen her, he sinks down, becomes dejected, does not stand firm, is unable to maintain the holy life. Having declared weakness in the training, having rejected the training, he returns to the lower life. This is his top of the standard.
"Just as, monks, that warrior overcomes the cloud of dust; but having seen merely the top of the standard, he sinks down, becomes dejected, does not stand firm, is unable to enter the battle; I say this person is similar to that, monks. Such too, monks, is a certain person here. This, monks, is the second person similar to a warrior existing and found among monks.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk overcomes the cloud of dust, overcomes the top of the standard; but having heard merely the tumult, he sinks down, becomes dejected, does not stand firm, is unable to maintain the holy life. Having declared weakness in the training, having rejected the training, he returns to the lower life. What is his tumult? Here, monks, a woman, having approached a monk who has gone to the forest or gone to the root of a tree or gone to an empty house, laughs at him, talks to him, laughs aloud, mocks him. He, being laughed at, being talked to, being laughed at aloud, being mocked by a woman, sinks down, becomes dejected, does not stand firm, is unable to maintain the holy life. Having declared weakness in the training, having rejected the training, he returns to the lower life. This is his tumult.
"Just as, monks, that warrior overcomes the cloud of dust, overcomes the top of the standard; but having heard merely the tumult, he sinks down, becomes dejected, does not stand firm, is unable to enter the battle; I say this person is similar to that, monks. Such too, monks, is a certain person here. This, monks, is the third person similar to a warrior existing and found among monks.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk overcomes the dust-cloud, overcomes the banner-top, overcomes the tumult; and yet in the striking he is struck and is repelled. What is his battle? Here, monks, a woman, having approached a monk who has gone to the forest, or gone to the root of a tree, or gone to an empty house, sits down on him, lies down on him, overpowers him. He, being sat upon by the woman, being lain upon, being overpowered, without rejecting the training, without declaring his weakness, engages in sexual intercourse. This is his battle.
"Just as that warrior, monks, overcomes the dust-cloud, overcomes the banner-top, overcomes the tumult, and yet in the battle he is struck and is repelled; I say this person is similar to that, monks. Such too, monks, is a certain person here. This, monks, is the fourth person similar to a warrior, existing and found among monks.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk overcomes the dust-cloud, overcomes the banner-top, overcomes the tumult, overcomes the battle; triumphed in battle, emerged victorious and settled at the head of the battlefield. What is his victory in battle? Here, monks, a woman, having approached a monk who has gone to the forest, or gone to the root of a tree, or gone to an empty house, sits down on him, lies down on him, overpowers him. He, being sat upon by the woman, being lain upon, being overpowered, having disentangled himself, having freed himself, departs wherever he wishes. He resorts to a secluded lodging - a forest, the root of a tree, a mountain, a grotto, a mountain cave, a cemetery, a deep forest, an open space, a heap of straw.
"He, having gone to the forest, or having gone to the root of a tree, or having gone to an empty house, sits down, folding his legs crosswise, directing his body upright, having established mindfulness in front of him. He, having abandoned covetousness in the world, dwells with a mind free from covetousness; he purifies the mind of covetousness; having abandoned anger and malice, he dwells with a mind free from ill-will, compassionate for the welfare of all living beings; he purifies the mind of anger and malice; having abandoned sloth and torpor, he dwells free from sloth and torpor, perceiving light, mindful and fully aware; he purifies the mind of sloth and torpor; having abandoned restlessness and remorse, he dwells unagitated, with a mind internally calmed; he purifies the mind of restlessness and remorse; having abandoned sceptical doubt, he dwells as one who has crossed over doubt, without uncertainty regarding wholesome mental states; he purifies the mind of sceptical doubt. He, having abandoned these five mental hindrances, impurities of the mind that weaken wisdom, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, etc. with the fading away of rapture, he dwells equanimous, mindful and fully aware, and experiences happiness with the body - that which the noble ones declare: 'One who is equanimous and mindful, one who dwells in happiness' - he enters and dwells in the third meditative absorption. With the abandoning of pleasure and with the abandoning of pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and displeasure, he enters and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption, which has neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity.
"When the mind is thus concentrated, pure, bright, without blemish, free from impurities, supple, wieldy, stable, and having attained imperturbability, he directs and inclines the mind towards the knowledge of the elimination of mental corruptions. He understands as it really is: 'This is suffering'; he understands as it really is: 'This is the origin of suffering'; he understands as it really is: 'This is the cessation of suffering'; he understands as it really is: 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering'; he understands as it really is: 'These are the mental corruptions'; he understands as it really is: 'This is the origin of mental corruptions'; he understands as it really is: 'This is the cessation of mental corruptions'; he understands as it really is: 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of mental corruptions.' For one knowing thus, seeing thus, the mind becomes liberated from the mental corruption of sensuality, the mind becomes liberated from the mental corruption of existence, the mind becomes liberated from the mental corruption of ignorance. When liberated, there is the knowledge: 'Liberated.' He understands: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being.' This is his victory in battle.
"Just as that warrior, monks, overcomes the dust cloud, overcomes the banner-top, overcomes the tumult, overcomes the striking, and triumphed in battle, emerged victorious and settled at the head of the battlefield; I say this person is similar to that, monks. Such too, monks, is a certain person here. This, monks, is the fifth person similar to a warrior existing and found among monks. These, monks, are the five persons similar to warriors existing and found among monks." The fifth.