AN 7.67. The Simile of the Fort

“Mendicants, when a king’s frontier fort is well equipped with seven things and obtains four supplies as it pleases, without trouble or difficulty, then it is said to be a king’s frontier fort which can not be overcome by foreign foes or enemies.

And what are the seven things it is well equipped with?

(1) Then the pillar of a king’s frontier fort is deeply embedded, well-erected, immovable, and unshakeable. That is the first thing a king’s frontier fort is well equipped with in order to protect its inhabitants and ward off foreigners

(2) Further, the moat of a king’s frontier fort is very deep and wide. That is the second thing a king’s frontier fort is well equipped with in order to protect its inhabitants and ward off foreigners.

(3) Further, the patrol path of a king’s frontier fort is very high and wide. That is the third thing a king’s frontier fort is well equipped with in order to protect its inhabitants and ward off foreigners.

(4) Further, a king’s frontier fort has many weapons stored up, both projectiles and hand weapons. That is the fourth thing a king’s frontier fort is well equipped with in order to protect its inhabitants and ward off foreigners.

(5) Further, many forces reside in a king’s frontier fort, like elephant riders, horsemen, charioteers, archers, bannermen, marshals, food suppliers, skirmishers, royal officers, chargers, great warriors, heroes, heavy infantry, and bondsmen. That is the fifth thing a king’s frontier fort is well equipped with in order to protect its inhabitants and ward off foreigners.

(6) Further, the gatekeeper of a king’s frontier fort is smart, experienced, and clever. That is the sixth thing a king’s frontier fort is well equipped with in order to protect its inhabitants and ward off foreigners.

(7) Further, the wall of a king’s frontier fort is high and wide and has a coat of plaster. That is the seventh thing a king’s frontier fort is well equipped with in order to protect its inhabitants and ward off foreigners.

Those are the seven things it is well equipped with.

And what are the four supplies it obtains as it pleases, without trouble or difficulty?

(1) Then a king’s frontier fort has much grass, wood, and water stored for the delight, relief, and comfort of its inhabitants, and in order to ward off foreigners.

(2) Further, a king’s frontier fort has much rice and barley stored up for the delight, relief, and comfort of its inhabitants, and in order to ward off foreigners.

(3) Further, a king’s frontier fort has many other edibles stored up for the delight, relief, and comfort of its inhabitants, and in order to ward off foreigners, like sesame, mung, and beans.

(4) Further, a king’s frontier fort has many medicaments stored up for the delight, relief, and comfort of its inhabitants, and in order to ward off foreigners, like ghee, curds, oil, honey, sugar, and salt.

Those are the four supplies it obtains as it pleases, without trouble or difficulty.

Mendicants, when a king’s frontier fort is well equipped with those seven things and obtains those four supplies as it pleases, without trouble or difficulty, then it is said to be a king’s frontier fort which can not be overcome by foreign foes or enemies. Likewise, when noble disciples possess seven good qualities and obtain as they please, without trouble or difficulty, the four jhanas—elevated states of mind and blissful abidings in this very life—then they are said to be noble disciples who can not be overcome by Death, who can not be overcome by the Evil One. What are those seven qualities that they possess?

(1) Just like the pillar of a king’s frontier fort is deeply embedded, well-erected, immovable, and unshakeable in order to protect its inhabitants and ward off foreigners, noble disciples have faith. They have faith in the Truthfinder’s awakening; that the Buddha is enlightened, fully awake, perfect in knowledge and conduct, happy, the knower of the world; that he is awake, the best trainer of trainable people, the teacher of humans and gods. With faith as their pillar, noble disciples abandon what is unwholesome and blamable, develop what is wholesome and blameless, and protect their purity. That is the first good quality they possess.

(2) Just like the moat of a king’s frontier fort is very deep and wide in order to protect its inhabitants and ward off foreigners, noble disciples have a sense of shame. They are ashamed of physical, verbal, and mental misconduct, and they are ashamed of acquiring bad, unwholesome qualities. With a sense of shame as their moat, noble disciples abandon what is unwholesome and blamable, develop what is wholesome and blameless, and protect their purity. That is the second good quality they possess.

(3) Just like the patrol path of a king’s frontier fort is very high and wide in order to protect its inhabitants and ward off foreigners, noble disciples have fear of wrongdoing. They are afraid of physical, verbal, and mental misconduct, and they are afraid of acquiring bad, unwholesome qualities. With fear of wrongdoing as their patrol path, noble disciples abandon what is unwholesome and blamable, develop what is wholesome and blameless, and protect their purity. That is the third good quality they possess.

(4) Just like a king’s frontier fort has many weapons stored up in order to protect its inhabitants and ward off foreigners, both projectiles and hand weapons, noble disciples have learned much. They kept what they learned in mind and stored it inside. They learned many of those teachings that are good in the beginning, middle, and end, which have real meaning and right phrasing, laying down a wholly complete and pure holy life. Those they also held in mind, recited verbally, investigated, and penetrated well with view. With learning as their weapons, noble disciples abandon what is unwholesome and blamable, develop what is wholesome and blameless, and protect their purity. That is the fourth good quality they possess.

(5) Just like many forces reside in a king’s frontier fort in order to protect its inhabitants and ward off foreigners—like elephant riders, horsemen, charioteers, archers, bannermen, marshals, food suppliers, skirmishers, royal officers, chargers, great warriors, heroes, heavy infantry, and bondsmen—noble disciples live with their energy aroused for the abandoning of unwholesome qualities and the acquiring of wholesome qualities, being steadfast, steadily persevering, not avoiding their duty to develop wholesome qualities. With energy as their force, noble disciples abandon what is unwholesome and blamable, develop what is wholesome and blameless, and protect their purity. That is the fifth good quality they possess.

(6) Just like the gatekeeper of a king’s frontier fort is smart, experienced, and clever in order to protect its inhabitants and ward off foreigners, noble disciples are non-‍forgetful, with the highest protectiveness and non-‍forgetfulness, able to remember and recall things said or done long ago. With non-‍forgetfulness as their gatekeeper, noble disciples abandon what is unwholesome and blamable, develop what is wholesome and blameless, and protect their purity. That is the sixth good quality they possess.

(7) Just like the wall of a king’s frontier fort is high and wide and has a coat of plaster in order to protect its inhabitants and ward off foreigners, noble disciples have understanding. They possesses noble and penetrative understanding of how things arise and pass away, which leads to the complete ending of suffering. With understanding as their coat of plaster, noble disciples abandon what is unwholesome and blamable, develop what is wholesome and blameless, and protect their purity. That is the seventh good quality they possess.

Those are the seven good qualities they possess.

And what are the four jhanas—elevated states of mind and blissful abidings in this very life—which they obtain as they please, without trouble or difficulty?

(1) Just like a king’s frontier fort has much grass, wood, and water stored up for the delight, relief, and comfort of its inhabitants, and in order to ward off foreigners, noble disciples—for their own delight, relief, and comfort, and in order to reach extinguishment—when they get fully separated from sensual objects and separated from unwholesome states of mind, attain the first jhana, where there is delight and bliss caused by the separation, to which the mind moves and holds on.

(2) Just like a king’s frontier fort has much rice and barley stored up for the delight, relief, and comfort of its inhabitants, and in order to ward off foreigners, noble disciples—for their own delight, relief, and comfort, and in order to reach extinguishment—when the moving and holding subside, attain the second jhana, where the mind is confident within and at one, not moving or holding on, so there is just delight and bliss caused by the unification.

(3) Just like a king’s frontier fort has many other edibles stored up for the delight, relief, and comfort of its inhabitants, and in order to ward off foreigners, noble disciples—for their own delight, relief, and comfort, and in order to reach extinguishment—when the delight fades away too, attain the third jhana, where even-minded, mindful, and aware, they personally experience just bliss, described by the noble ones as blissful abiding, even-minded and mindful.

(4) Just like a king’s frontier fort has many medicaments stored up for the delight, relief, and comfort of its inhabitants, and in order to ward off foreigners, noble disciples—for their own delight, relief, and comfort, and in order to reach extinguishment—when the bliss is abandoned, attain the fourth jhana—the purification of mindfulness and even-mindedness—where, since pain was abandoned, and earlier happiness and unhappiness ended too, there is just a neutral sensation.

Those are the four jhanas—elevated states of mind and blissful abidings in this very life—which they obtain as they please, without trouble or difficulty.

Mendicants, when noble disciples possess these seven good qualities and obtain as they please, without trouble or difficulty, these four jhanas, then they are said to be noble disciples who can not be overcome by Death, who can not be overcome by the Evil One.”