Hatthaka Sutta

Footnotes

1. They have pulled out the arrows. ‘tesam visallaanam’. The Great Beings it is said have pulled out the arrows. The Great Beings are the four pairs who have attained the four paths and fruits. The arrows they have pulled out is their personal self views. ‘sakkaayadi.t.thi’ When this arrow is pulled out a lot of the unpleasantness disappears then and there and later all unpleasant disappears. Pulling out arrows is the attaining of paths and fruits.

Issattha Sutta

Archery Skills

Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

At Savatthi. As he was sitting to one side, King Pasenadi Kosala said to the Blessed One: "Where, lord, should a gift be given?"

"Wherever the mind feels confidence, great king."

"But a gift given where, lord, bears great fruit?"

"This [question] is one thing, great king -- 'Where should a gift be given?' -- while this -- 'A gift given where bears great fruit?' -- is something else entirely. What is given to a virtuous person -- rather than to an unvirtuous one -- bears great fruit. In that case, great king, I will ask you a counter-question. Answer as you see fit.

"What do you think, great king? There is the case where you have a war at hand, a battle imminent. A noble-warrior youth would come along -- untrained, unpracticed, undisciplined, undrilled, fearful, terrified, cowardly, quick to flee. Would you take him on? Would you have any use for a man like that?"

"No, lord, I wouldn't take him on. I wouldn't have any use for a man like that."

"Then a brahman youth... a merchant youth... a laborer youth would come along -- untrained, unpracticed, undisciplined, undrilled, fearful, terrified, cowardly, quick to flee. Would you take him on? Would you have any use for a man like that?"

"No, lord, I wouldn't take him on. I wouldn't have any use for a man like that."

"Now, what do you think, great king? There is the case where you have a war at hand, a battle imminent. A noble-warrior youth would come along -- trained, practiced, disciplined, drilled, fearless, unterrified, not cowardly, not quick to flee. Would you take him on? Would you have any use for a man like that?"

"Yes, lord, I would take him on. I would have use for a man like that."

"Then a brahman youth... a merchant youth... a laborer youth would come along -- trained, practiced, disciplined, drilled, fearless, unterrified, not cowardly, not quick to flee. Would you take him on? Would you have any use for a man like that?"

"Yes, lord, I would take him on. I would have use for a man like that."

"In the same way, great king. When someone has gone forth from the home life into homelessness -- no matter from what clan -- and he has abandoned five factors and is endowed with five, what is given to him bears great fruit.

"And which five factors has he abandoned? He has abandoned sensual desire... ill will... sloth & drowsiness... restlessness & anxiety... uncertainty. These are the five factors he has abandoned. And with which five factors is he endowed? He is endowed with the aggregate of virtue of one beyond training... the aggregate of concentration of one beyond training... the aggregate of discernment of one beyond training... the aggregate of release of one beyond training... the aggregate of knowledge & vision of release of one beyond training. These are the five factors with which he is endowed.

"What is given to one who has abandoned five factors and is endowed with five factors in this way bears great fruit."

That is what the Blessed One said. Having said that, the One Well-Gone, the Teacher, said further:

 

"As a king intent on battle would hire a youth in whom there are

  archery skills, persistence, & strength, and not, on the basis of birth, a coward; so, too, you should honor a person of noble conduct, wise, in whom are established composure & patience,
even though his birth may be lowly.

Let donors build pleasant hermitages and there invite the learned to stay. Let them make reservoirs in dry forests and walking paths where it's rough Let them, with a clear, calm awareness, give food, drink, snacks, clothing, & lodgings

to those who've become straightforward.

Just as a hundred-peaked, lightning-garlanded, thundering cloud, raining on the fertile earth, fills the plateaus & gullies,

even so a person of conviction & learning, wise, having stored up provisions, satisfies wayfarers with food & drink.
Delighting in distributing alms, 'Give to them!
Give!' he says.
That is his thunder, like a raining cloud's.
That shower of merit, abundant, rains back on the one who gives."

Ittha Sutta

What is Welcome

Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Then Anathapindika the householder went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there the Blessed One said to him: "These five things, householder, are welcome, agreeable, pleasant, and hard to obtain in the world. Which five?

"Long life is welcome, agreeable, pleasant, and hard to obtain in the world.

"Beauty is welcome, agreeable, pleasant, and hard to obtain in the world.

"Happiness is welcome, agreeable, pleasant, and hard to obtain in the world.

"Status is welcome, agreeable, pleasant, and hard to obtain in the world.

"Rebirth in heaven is welcome, agreeable, pleasant, and hard to obtain in the world.

"Now, I tell you, these five things are not to be obtained by reason of prayers or wishes. If they were to be obtained by reason of prayers or wishes, who here would lack them? It's not fitting for the disciple of the noble ones who desires long life to pray for it or to delight in doing so. Instead, the disciple of the noble ones who desires long life should follow the path of practice leading to long life. In so doing, he will attain long life, either human or divine.

"It's not fitting for the disciple of the noble ones who desires beauty to pray for it or to delight in doing so. Instead, the disciple of the noble ones who desires beauty should follow the path of practice leading to beauty. In so doing, he will attain beauty, either human or divine.

"It's not fitting for the disciple of the noble ones who desires happiness to pray for it or to delight in doing so. Instead, the disciple of the noble ones who desires happiness should follow the path of practice leading to happiness. In so doing, he will attain happiness, either human or divine.

"It's not fitting for the disciple of the noble ones who desires status to pray for it or to delight in doing so. Instead, the disciple of the noble ones who desires status should follow the path of practice leading to status. In so doing, he will attain status, either human or divine.

"It's not fitting for the disciple of the noble ones who desires rebirth in heaven to pray for it or to delight in doing so. Instead, the disciple of the noble ones who desires rebirth in heaven should follow the path of practice leading to rebirth in heaven. In so doing, he will attain rebirth in heaven."

Long life, beauty, status, honor,

heaven, high birth:
To those who delight
in aspiring for these things
in great measure, continuously,
the wise praise heedfulness
in making merit.

The wise person, heedful,

acquires a two-fold welfare:
welfare in this life and
welfare in the next.
By breaking through to his welfare
he’s called prudent,
wise.