5.
The First Discourse on Aspiration
135.
"Monks, the eldest son of a head-anointed king of the ruling caste, possessed of five factors, aspires to kingship.
Which five?
Here, monks, the eldest son of a head-anointed king of the ruling caste, is well-born on both sides, on his mother's side and on his father's side, of pure descent up to the seventh generation of ancestors, unassailed and irreproachable with respect to birth;
he is handsome, good-looking, pleasing, endowed with the highest beauty of complexion;
he is dear and agreeable to his mother and father;
he is dear and agreeable to the townspeople and country-folk;
whatever are those branches of knowledge for head-anointed kings of the ruling caste, whether in elephants, or in horses, or in chariots, or in bows, or in swords, therein he is trained and complete.
He thinks thus - 'I indeed am well-born on both sides, on my mother's side and on my father's side, of pure descent up to the seventh generation of ancestors, unassailed and irreproachable with respect to birth. Why should I not aspire to kingship! I indeed am handsome, good-looking, pleasing, endowed with the highest beauty of complexion. Why should I not aspire to kingship! I indeed am dear and agreeable to my mother and father. Why should I not aspire to kingship! I indeed am dear and agreeable to the townspeople and country-folk. Why should I not aspire to kingship! I indeed, whatever are those branches of knowledge for head-anointed kings of the ruling caste, whether in elephants, or in horses, or in chariots, or in bows, or in swords, therein am trained and complete. Why should I not aspire to kingship!' Monks, the eldest son of a head-anointed king of the ruling caste, possessed of these five factors, aspires to kingship.
"So too, monks, a monk possessed of five qualities aspires to the elimination of mental corruptions. Which five? Here, monks, a monk has faith, he believes in the enlightenment of the Truth-finder - 'Thus indeed is the Blessed One: the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, the Fortunate One, knower of the world, unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, Teacher of gods and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.' He is free from illness, free from disease, endowed with digestion that is even, neither too cold nor too hot, middling, capable of striving; he is not fraudulent and not deceitful, one who reveals himself as he really is to the Teacher, to the wise, or to his fellows in the holy life; He dwells putting forth strenuous energy for the abandoning of unwholesome mental states and for the acquisition of wholesome mental states, steadfast, of firm effort, not shirking the responsibility regarding wholesome mental states. he is wise, endowed with wisdom that discerns rise and fall, noble, penetrative, leading rightly to the complete elimination of suffering.
He thinks thus - 'I indeed have faith, I believe in the enlightenment of the Truth-finder - 'Thus indeed is the Blessed One: the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One... etc. Teacher of gods and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.' 'Why should I not aspire to the elimination of mental corruptions! I indeed am free from illness, free from disease, endowed with digestion that is even, neither too cold nor too hot, middling, capable of striving. Why should I not aspire to the elimination of mental corruptions! I indeed am not fraudulent and not deceitful, one who reveals himself as he really is to the Teacher, to the wise, or to his fellows in the holy life. Why should I not aspire to the elimination of mental corruptions! I indeed dwell putting forth strenuous energy for the abandoning of unwholesome mental states and for the acquisition of wholesome mental states, steadfast, of firm effort, not shirking the responsibility regarding wholesome mental states. Why should I not aspire to the elimination of mental corruptions! I indeed am wise, endowed with wisdom that discerns rise and fall, noble, penetrative, leading rightly to the complete elimination of suffering. Why should I not aspire to the elimination of mental corruptions!' Monks, a monk possessed of these five qualities aspires to the elimination of mental corruptions." The fifth.