6.
The Second Discourse on Aspiration
136.
"Monks, the eldest son of a head-anointed king of the ruling caste, possessed of five factors, aspires to viceroyalty.
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 army;
he is wise, accomplished, intelligent, competent to think about matters past, future, and present.
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 viceroyalty! I indeed am handsome, good-looking, pleasing, endowed with the highest beauty of complexion. Why should I not aspire to viceroyalty! I indeed am dear and agreeable to my mother and father. Why should I not aspire to viceroyalty! I indeed am dear and agreeable to the army. Why should I not aspire to viceroyalty! I indeed am wise, accomplished, intelligent, competent to think about matters past, future, and present. Why should I not aspire to viceroyalty!' Monks, the eldest son of a head-anointed king of the ruling caste, possessed of these five factors, aspires to viceroyalty.
"So too, monks, a monk possessed of five qualities aspires to the elimination of mental corruptions. Which five? Here, monks, a monk is virtuous, etc. having accepted the training rules he trains in them; he is very learned, etc. thoroughly penetrated by view; he has a mind well established in the four establishments of mindfulness; 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 am virtuous, I dwell restrained by the restraint of the Pātimokkha, accomplished in good conduct and lawful resort, seeing danger in the slightest faults, having accepted the training rules I train in them. Why should I not aspire to the elimination of mental corruptions! I indeed am very learned, remembering what has been learnt, having great accumulation of learning; whatever teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing, that reveal the holy life that is complete in its entirety and pure - such teachings are very learned by me, retained, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, thoroughly penetrated by view. Why should I not aspire to the elimination of mental corruptions! I indeed have a mind well established in the four establishments of mindfulness. 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 sixth.