AN7.67 — Nagaropama Sutta
Disciples, when a king's frontier city is well fortified with seven kinds of fortifications, and it has easy access to the four kinds of food, it is said to be a city that cannot be conquered by external enemies or adversaries. What are the seven kinds of fortifications with which it is well fortified?
Here in the king's frontier city, there is a deep moat, well-dug, immovable, and unshakable. With this first fortification, the king's frontier city is well protected for the security of those within and the repulsion of those outside.
Furthermore in the king's frontier city, there is a wide and deep trench. With this second fortification, the king's frontier city is well protected for the security of those within and the repulsion of those outside.
Furthermore in the king's frontier city, there is a high and wide rampart. With this third fortification, the king's frontier city is well protected for the security of those within and the repulsion of those outside.
Furthermore in the king's frontier city, there is a large stockpile of weapons, including arrows and javelins. With this fourth fortification, the king's frontier city is well protected for the security of those within and the repulsion of those outside.
Furthermore in the king's frontier city, there are many troops residing, such as elephant riders, horse riders, charioteers, archers, soldiers, warriors, and brave fighters. With this fifth fortification, the king's frontier city is well protected for the security of those within and the repulsion of those outside.
Furthermore in the king's frontier city, there is a wise, skilled, and intelligent gatekeeper who prevents the entry of strangers and allows the entry of known persons. With this sixth fortification, the king's frontier city is well protected for the security of those within and the repulsion of those outside.
Furthermore in the king's frontier city, there is a high and wide wall, well-plastered and maintained. With this seventh fortification, the king's frontier city is well protected for the security of those within and the repulsion of those outside.
With these seven fortifications, a city is well protected. What are the four types of sustenance that one obtains at will, without difficulty, and without trouble? Here in the frontier city of a king, there is an abundance of grass, wood, and water stored for the enjoyment and comfort of the inhabitants, and for the repulsion of outsiders.
Furthermore in the frontier city of a king, there is an abundance of rice and barley stored for the enjoyment and comfort of the inhabitants, and for the repulsion of outsiders. Furthermore in the frontier city of a king, there is an abundance of sesame, mung beans, and other grains stored for the enjoyment and comfort of the inhabitants, and for the repulsion of outsiders.
Furthermore in the frontier city of a king, there is an abundance of medicines stored, such as ghee, fresh butter, oil, honey, molasses, and salt, for the enjoyment and comfort of the inhabitants, and for the repulsion of outsiders. One obtains these four types of sustenance at will, without difficulty, and without trouble. When the frontier city of a king is well protected with these seven fortifications, and one obtains these four types of sustenance at will, without difficulty, and without trouble, it is said that the frontier city of a king is invulnerable to external enemies and adversaries.
In the same way when a noble disciple is endowed with seven true qualities and obtains the four jhānas, the meditative absorptions, at will, without difficulty, and without trouble, it is said that the noble disciple is invulnerable to Māra, invulnerable to the evil one. With which seven true qualities is one endowed? Just as in the frontier city of a king, there is a deep, well-founded, immovable, and unshakable pillar for the protection of the inhabitants and the repulsion of outsiders, in the same way a noble disciple is faithful, having faith in the enlightenment of the Tathāgata: Thus indeed, the Blessed One is... a Buddha. A noble disciple, endowed with faith, abandons the unwholesome and cultivates the wholesome; abandons the blameworthy and cultivates the blameless; keeps oneself pure. Thus, one is endowed with the first true quality. Just as in the frontier city of a king, there is a deep and wide moat for the protection of the inhabitants and the repulsion of outsiders...
In the same way a noble disciple is endowed with a sense of shame; he feels shame regarding misconduct of body, speech, and mind, and feels shame at the attainment of evil, unwholesome states. With the protection of shame a noble disciple abandons the unwholesome and cultivates the wholesome; he abandons what is blameworthy and cultivates what is blameless; he maintains himself in purity. He is endowed with this second true teaching. Just as in a frontier city of a king, there is a high and wide encircling wall for the protection of those within and the repulsion of those outside.
In the same way a noble disciple is endowed with a sense of fear; he fears misconduct of body, speech, and mind, and fears the attainment of evil, unwholesome states. With the path of fear a noble disciple abandons the unwholesome and cultivates the wholesome; he abandons what is blameworthy and cultivates what is blameless; he maintains himself in purity. He is endowed with this third true teaching. Just as in a frontier city of a king, there is a great accumulation of weapons, both sharp and blunt, for the protection of those within and the repulsion of those outside.
In the same way a noble disciple is learned... and has penetrated the view well. With the weapon of learning a noble disciple abandons the unwholesome and cultivates the wholesome; he abandons what is blameworthy and cultivates what is blameless; he maintains himself in purity. He is endowed with this fourth true teaching. Just as in a frontier city of a king, there are many troops residing, such as elephant riders, horse riders, charioteers, archers, standard bearers, scouts, food providers, champions, royal sons, attackers, great warriors, brave ones, leather-armored soldiers, and sons of servants, for the protection of those within and the repulsion of those outside.
In the same way a noble disciple dwells with aroused energy for the abandoning of unwholesome states and the attainment of wholesome states, being strong, firm in exertion, and not relinquishing the duty in wholesome states. With the strength of energy a noble disciple abandons the unwholesome and cultivates the wholesome; he abandons what is blameworthy and cultivates what is blameless; he maintains himself in purity. He is endowed with this fifth true teaching. Just as in a frontier city of a king, there is a wise, skilled, intelligent gatekeeper who prevents those unknown from entering and allows those known to enter, for the protection of those within and the repulsion of those outside.
Just as a noble disciple is mindful, endowed with supreme mindfulness and discernment, able to remember and recall what was done and said long ago. The noble disciple acts as a guardian of mindfulness, abandoning unwholesome states and cultivating wholesome states; abandoning blameworthy states and cultivating blameless states; maintaining purity of self. Thus, he is endowed with this sixth true teaching.
Just as in a frontier city of a king, there is a high and wide wall, well-plastered and maintained for the protection of those inside and the repulsion of those outside. In the same way a noble disciple is wise, endowed with wisdom that leads to the arising and cessation of suffering, penetrating and noble, leading to the complete destruction of suffering. Endowed with wisdom, the noble disciple abandons unwholesome states and cultivates wholesome states; abandons blameworthy states and cultivates blameless states; maintains purity of self. Thus, he is endowed with this seventh true teaching.
He is endowed with these seven true teachings. He easily, without difficulty or trouble, attains the four jhānas, the higher mental states, which are the pleasant abidings in the present life.
Just as in a frontier city of a king, there is a great accumulation of grass, wood, and water for the enjoyment, non-distress, and comfortable living of those inside, and for the repulsion of those outside. In the same way a noble disciple, secluded from sensual pleasures, enters and dwells in the first jhāna, experiencing joy and ease, without distress, for the attainment of Nibbāna.
Just as in a frontier city of a king, there is a great accumulation of rice and barley for the enjoyment, non-distress, and comfortable living of those inside, and for the repulsion of those outside. In the same way a noble disciple, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, enters and dwells in the second jhāna, experiencing joy and ease, without distress, for the attainment of Nibbāna.
Just as in a frontier city of a king, there is a great accumulation of sesame, mung beans, and other grains for the enjoyment, non-distress, and comfortable living of those inside, and for the repulsion of those outside. In the same way a noble disciple, with the fading away of rapture, enters and dwells in the third jhāna, experiencing equanimity and mindfulness, without distress, for the attainment of Nibbāna.
Just as in a frontier city of a king, there is a great accumulation of medicines, such as ghee, fresh butter, oil, honey, molasses, and salt, for the enjoyment, non-distress, and comfortable living of those inside, and for the repulsion of those outside.
Thus a noble disciple, having abandoned pleasure and pain, and with the prior cessation of joy and sorrow, enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna, which is beyond pleasure and pain, and is purified by equanimity and mindfulness. This state is for his own delight, without distress, for comfortable abiding, and for approaching Nibbāna. He becomes one who easily attains these four jhānas, which are higher states of consciousness and provide a pleasant abiding in the present life, without difficulty or trouble. When a noble disciple is endowed with these seven true qualities and easily attains these four jhānas, which are higher states of consciousness and provide a pleasant abiding in the present life, without difficulty or trouble, he is called a noble disciple who is beyond the reach of Māra, beyond the reach of the evil one. This is the third.