11.
The Discourse on the Great Bandit
51.
"Monks, a great thief possessed of three factors breaks into houses, carries off plunder, commits robbery, and stands in ambush on the highway.
With which three?
Here, monks, a great thief is dependent on unevenness, dependent on thickets, and dependent on the powerful.
And how, monks, is a great thief dependent on unevenness?
Here, monks, a great thief is dependent on a river fastness or a mountain precipice.
Thus, monks, a great thief is dependent on unevenness.
"And how, monks, is a great thief dependent on thickets? Here, monks, a great thief is dependent on a thicket of grass, or a thicket of trees, or a dense growth, or a great jungle thicket. Thus, monks, a great thief is dependent on thickets.
"And how, monks, is a great thief dependent on the powerful? Here, monks, a great thief is dependent on kings or the king's chief ministers. He thinks thus: 'If anyone says anything about me, these kings or chief ministers of mine will speak in my defence, pleading my case.' If anyone says anything about him, those kings or chief ministers speak in his defence, pleading his case. Thus, monks, a great thief is dependent on the powerful. These, monks, are the three factors possessed of which a great thief breaks into houses, carries off plunder, commits robbery, and stands in ambush on the highway.
"So too, monks, an evil monk possessed of three factors maintains himself injured and damaged, is blameable and censurable by the wise, and generates much demerit. With which three? Here, monks, an evil monk is dependent on unevenness, dependent on thickets, and dependent on the powerful.
"And how, monks, is an evil monk dependent on unevenness? Here, monks, an evil monk is possessed of unrighteous bodily action, possessed of unrighteous verbal action, possessed of unrighteous mental action. Thus, monks, an evil monk is dependent on unevenness.
"And how, monks, is an evil monk dependent on thickets? Here, monks, an evil monk holds wrong views and is possessed of an extreme view. Thus, monks, an evil monk is dependent on thickets.
"And how, monks, is an evil monk dependent on the powerful? Here, monks, an evil monk is dependent on kings or the king's chief ministers. He thinks thus: 'If anyone says anything about me, these kings or chief ministers of mine will speak in my defence, pleading my case.' If anyone says anything about him, those kings or chief ministers speak in his defence, pleading his case. Thus, monks, an evil monk is dependent on the powerful. Monks, an evil monk possessed of these three qualities maintains himself injured and damaged, is blameable and censurable by the wise, and generates much demerit." The eleventh.