5.
The Discourse on Entering Royal Inner Quarters
45.
"Monks, there are these ten dangers in entering royal inner quarters.
What are the ten?
Here, monks, a king is seated together with the chief queen.
There a monk enters.
Either the chief queen, having seen the monk, manifests a smile, or the monk, having seen the chief queen, manifests a smile.
There the king thinks thus -
'Surely these have done it or will do it!'
This, monks, is the first danger in entering royal inner quarters.
"Furthermore, monks, a king, having much to do, having many duties, having gone to a certain woman, does not remember - 'She conceives an embryo by him.' There the king thinks thus - 'No one else indeed enters here, except for one gone forth. Could this be the deed of one gone forth?' This, monks, is the second danger in entering royal inner quarters.
"Furthermore, monks, a certain jewel disappears in the king's inner palace. There the king thinks thus - 'No one else indeed enters here, except for one gone forth. Could this be the deed of one gone forth?' This, monks, is the third danger in entering royal inner quarters.
"Furthermore, monks, in the king's inner palace, internal secret counsels go outside to confusion. There the king thinks thus - 'No one else indeed enters here, except for one gone forth. Could this be the deed of one gone forth?' This, monks, is the fourth danger in entering royal inner quarters.
"Furthermore, monks, in the king's inner palace, either a father desires the son or a son desires the father. They think thus - 'No one else indeed enters here, except for one gone forth. Could this be the deed of one gone forth?' This, monks, is the fifth danger in entering royal inner quarters.
"Furthermore, monks, a king places one of low standing in a high position. Those to whom that is disagreeable, they think thus - 'The king is indeed in company with one gone forth. Could this be the deed of one gone forth?' This, monks, is the sixth danger in entering royal inner quarters.
"Furthermore, monks, a king places one of high standing in a low position. Those to whom that is disagreeable, they think thus - 'The king is indeed in company with one gone forth. Could this be the deed of one gone forth?' This, monks, is the seventh danger in entering royal inner quarters.
"Furthermore, monks, a king sends out the army at an improper time. Those to whom that is disagreeable, they think thus - 'The king is indeed in company with one gone forth. Could this be the deed of one gone forth?' This, monks, is the eighth danger in entering royal inner quarters.
"Furthermore, monks, a king having sent out the army at the proper time, makes it turn back from midway on the road. Those to whom that is disagreeable, they think thus - 'The king is indeed in company with one gone forth. Could this be the deed of one gone forth?' This, monks, is the ninth danger in entering royal inner quarters.
"Furthermore, monks, a king's inner palace is crowded with elephants, crowded with horses, crowded with chariots, with enticing forms, sounds, odours, flavours, and tangible objects, which are not suitable for one gone forth. This, monks, is the tenth danger in entering royal inner quarters. These, monks, are the ten dangers in entering royal inner quarters." The fifth.