an.7.67 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

The Fortress

“Monks, when a royal frontier fortress is well provided with the seven requisites of a fortress, and can obtain at will—without difficulty, without trouble—the four types of food, then it is said to be a royal frontier fortress that can’t be undone by external foes or duplicitous allies.

“And with which seven requisites of a fortress is it well provided?

“There is the case where a royal frontier fortress has a foundation post—deeply rooted, well embedded, immovable, & unshakable. With this first requisite of a fortress it is well provided for the protection of those within and to ward off those without.

“Furthermore, the royal frontier fortress has a moat, both deep & wide. With this second requisite of a fortress it is well provided for the protection of those within and to ward off those without.

“Furthermore, the royal frontier fortress has an encircling road, both high & wide. With this third requisite of a fortress it is well provided for the protection of those within and to ward off those without.

“Furthermore, in the royal frontier fortress many weapons are stored, both arrows & things to be hurled. With this fourth requisite of a fortress it is well provided for the protection of those within and to ward off those without.

“Furthermore, the royal frontier fortress has a large army stationed within—elephant soldiers, cavalry, charioteers, bowmen, standard-bearers, billeting officers, soldiers of the supply corps, noted princes, commando heroes, infantry, & slaves. With this fifth requisite of a fortress it is well provided for the protection of those within and to ward off those without.

“Furthermore, the royal frontier fortress has a gate-keeper—wise, experienced, intelligent—to keep out those he doesn’t know and to let in those he does. With this sixth requisite of a fortress it is well provided for the protection of those within and to ward off those without.

“Furthermore, the royal frontier fortress has ramparts: high & thick & completely covered with plaster. With this seventh requisite of a fortress it is well provided for the protection of those within and to ward off those without.

“These are the seven requisites of a fortress with which it is well provided.

“And which are the four types of food that it can obtain at will, without difficulty, without trouble?

“There is the case where the royal frontier fortress has large stores of grass, timber & water for the delight, convenience, & comfort of those within, and to ward off those without. Furthermore, it has large stores of rice & barley for the delight, convenience, & comfort of those within, and to ward off those without. Furthermore, it has large stores of sesame, green gram, & other beans for the delight, convenience, & comfort of those within, and to ward off those without. Furthermore, it has large stores of tonics—ghee, fresh butter, oil, honey, molasses, & salt—for the delight, convenience, & comfort of those within, and to ward off those without. These are the four types of food it can obtain at will, without difficulty, without trouble.

“When a royal frontier fortress is well provided with these seven requisites of a fortress, and can obtain at will—without difficulty, without trouble—these four types of food, then it is said to be a royal frontier fortress that can’t be undone by external foes or duplicitous allies.

“In the same way, monks, when a disciple of the noble ones is endowed with seven true qualities (saddhamma) and can obtain at will—without difficulty, without trouble—the four jhanas, heightened mental states that provide a pleasant abiding in the here-&-now, he is said to be a disciple of the noble ones who can’t be undone by Mara, can’t be undone by the Evil One.

“Now, with which seven true qualities is he endowed?

“Just as the royal frontier fortress has a foundation post—deeply rooted, well embedded, immovable, & unshakable—for the protection of those within and to ward off those without; in the same way a disciple of the noble ones has conviction, is convinced of the Tathagata’s Awakening: ‘Indeed, the Blessed One is worthy and rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge & conduct, well-gone, a knower of the cosmos, an unexcelled trainer of those persons ready to be tamed, teacher of human & divine beings, awakened, blessed.’ With conviction as his foundation post, the disciple of the noble ones abandons what is unskillful, develops what is skillful, abandons what is blameworthy, develops what is blameless, and looks after himself with purity. With this first true quality is he endowed.

“Just as the royal frontier fortress has a moat, both deep & wide, for the protection of those within and to ward off those without; in the same way, the disciple of the noble ones has a sense of shame. He feels shame at [the thought of engaging in] bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental misconduct. He feels shame at falling into evil, unskillful actions. With shame as his moat, the disciple of the noble ones abandons what is unskillful, develops what is skillful, abandons what is blameworthy, develops what is blameless, and looks after himself with purity. With this second true quality is he endowed.

“Just as the royal frontier fortress has an encircling road, both high & wide, for the protection of those within and to ward off those without; in the same way, the disciple of the noble ones has a sense of concern. He feels concern for [the suffering that results from] bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental misconduct. He feels concern at falling into evil, unskillful actions. With concern as his encircling road, the disciple of the noble ones abandons what is unskillful, develops what is skillful, abandons what is blameworthy, develops what is blameless, and looks after himself with purity. With this third true quality is he endowed.

“Just as the royal frontier fortress has many weapons stored, both arrows & things to be hurled, for the protection of those within and to ward off those without; in the same way, the disciple of the noble ones has heard much, has retained what he has heard, has stored what he has heard. Whatever teachings are admirable in the beginning, admirable in the middle, admirable in the end, that—in their meaning & expression—proclaim the holy life that is entirely complete & pure: those he has listened to often, retained, discussed, accumulated, examined with his mind, and well-penetrated in terms of his views. With learning as his weapons, the disciple of the noble ones abandons what is unskillful, develops what is skillful, abandons what is blameworthy, develops what is blameless, and looks after himself with purity. With this fourth true quality is he endowed.

“Just as the royal frontier fortress has a large army stationed within—elephant soldiers, cavalry, charioteers, bowmen, standard-bearers, billeting officers, soldiers of the supply corps, noted princes, commando heroes, infantry, & slaves—for the protection of those within and to ward off those without; in the same way a disciple of the noble ones keeps his persistence aroused for abandoning unskillful mental qualities and taking on skillful mental qualities, is steadfast, solid in his effort, not shirking his duties with regard to skillful mental qualities. With persistence as his army, the disciple of the noble ones abandons what is unskillful, develops what is skillful, abandons what is blameworthy, develops what is blameless, and looks after himself with purity. With this fifth true quality is he endowed.

“Just as the royal frontier fortress has a gate-keeper—wise, experienced, intelligent—to keep out those he doesn’t know and to let in those he does, for the protection of those within and to ward off those without; in the same way a disciple of the noble ones is mindful, highly meticulous, remembering & able to call to mind even things that were done & said long ago. With mindfulness as his gate-keeper, the disciple of the noble ones abandons what is unskillful, develops what is skillful, abandons what is blameworthy, develops what is blameless, and looks after himself with purity. With this sixth true quality is he endowed.

“Just as the royal frontier fortress has ramparts—high & thick & completely covered with plaster—for the protection of those within and to ward off those without; in the same way a disciple of the noble ones is discerning, endowed with discernment of arising and passing away—noble, penetrating, leading to the right ending of stress. With discernment as his covering of plaster, the disciple of the noble ones abandons what is unskillful, develops what is skillful, abandons what is blameworthy, develops what is blameless, and looks after himself with purity. With this seventh true quality is he endowed.

“These are the seven true qualities with which he is endowed.

“And which are the four jhanas—heightened mental states that provide a pleasant abiding in the here-&-now—that he can obtain at will, without difficulty, without trouble?

Just as a royal frontier fortress has large stores of grass, timber & water for the delight, convenience, & comfort of those within, and to ward off those without; in the same way the disciple of the noble ones, quite withdrawn from sensual pleasures, withdrawn from unskillful qualities, enters & remains in the first jhana—rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation—for his own delight, convenience, & comfort, and to alight on Unbinding.

Just as a royal frontier fortress has large stores of rice & barley for the delight, convenience, & comfort of those within, and to ward off those without; in the same way the disciple of the noble ones, with the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, enters & remains in the second jhana—rapture & pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation—internal assurance—for his own delight, convenience, & comfort, and to alight on Unbinding.

Just as a royal frontier fortress has large stores of sesame, green gram, & other beans for the delight, convenience, & comfort of those within, and to ward off those without; in the same way the disciple of the noble ones, with the fading of rapture, he remains equanimous, mindful, & alert, and senses pleasure with the body. He enters & remains in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, ‘Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding,’ for his own delight, convenience, & comfort, and to alight on Unbinding.

Just as a royal frontier fortress has large stores of tonics—ghee, fresh butter, oil, honey, molasses, & salt—for the delight, convenience, & comfort of those within, and to ward off those without; in the same way the disciple of the noble ones, with the abandoning of pleasure & stress, as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress, enters & remains in the fourth jhana—purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither-pleasure-nor-pain—for his own delight, convenience, & comfort, and to alight on Unbinding.

“These are the four jhanas—heightened mental states that provide a pleasant abiding in the here-&-now—that he can obtain at will, without difficulty, without trouble.

“When a disciple of the noble ones is endowed with these seven true qualities and can obtain at will—without difficulty, without trouble—these four jhanas, heightened mental states that provide a pleasant abiding in the here-&-now, he is said to be a disciple of the noble ones who can’t be undone by Mara, can’t be undone by the Evil One.”

- Translator: Thanissaro Bhikkhu

- Editor: Gabriel Laera

The Simile of the Citadel

“Mendicants, when a king’s frontier citadel is well provided with seven essentials and gets four kinds of sustenance when needed, without trouble or difficulty,
it is then called a king’s frontier citadel that cannot be overrun by external foes and enemies.
With what seven essentials is a citadel well provided?
Firstly, a citadel has a pillar with deep foundations, firmly embedded, imperturbable and unshakable.
This is the first essential with which a king’s frontier citadel is well provided, to defend those within and repel those outside.
Furthermore, a citadel has a moat that is deep and wide.
This is the second essential …
Furthermore, a citadel has a patrol path that is high and wide.
This is the third essential …
Furthermore, a citadel has stores of many weapons, both projectile and hand-held.
This is the fourth essential …
Furthermore, many kinds of armed forces reside in a citadel, such as
elephant riders, cavalry, charioteers, archers, bannermen, adjutants, food servers, warrior-chiefs, princes, chargers, great warriors, heroes, leather-clad soldiers, and sons of bondservants.
This is the fifth essential …
Furthermore, a citadel has a gatekeeper who is astute, competent, and intelligent. He keeps strangers out and lets known people in.
This is the sixth essential …
Furthermore, a citadel has a wall that’s high and wide, covered with plaster.
This is the seventh essential with which a king’s frontier citadel is well provided, to defend those within and repel those outside.
With these seven essentials a citadel is well provided.
What are the four kinds of sustenance it gets when needed, without trouble or difficulty?
Firstly, a king’s frontier citadel has much hay, wood, and water stored up for the enjoyment, relief, and comfort of those within and to repel those outside.
Furthermore, a king’s frontier citadel has much rice and barley stored up for those within.
Furthermore, a king’s frontier citadel has much food such as sesame, green gram, and black gram stored up for those within.
Furthermore, a king’s frontier citadel has much medicine—
ghee, butter, oil, honey, molasses, and salt—stored up for the enjoyment, relief, and comfort of those within and to repel those outside.
These are the four kinds of sustenance it gets when needed, without trouble or difficulty.
When a king’s frontier citadel is well provided with seven essentials and gets four kinds of sustenance when needed, without trouble or difficulty,
it is then called a king’s frontier citadel that cannot be overrun by external foes and enemies.
In the same way, when a noble disciple has seven good qualities, and they get the four absorptions—blissful meditations in the present life that belong to the higher mind—when they want, without trouble or difficulty,
they are then called a noble disciple who cannot be overrun by Māra, who cannot be overrun by the Wicked One.
What are the seven good qualities that they have?
Just as a king’s frontier citadel has a pillar with deep foundations, firmly embedded, imperturbable and unshakable, to defend those within and repel those outside,
in the same way a noble disciple has faith in the Realized One’s awakening:
‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’
A noble disciple with faith as their pillar gives up the unskillful and develops the skillful,
they give up the blameworthy and develop the blameless,
and they keep themselves pure.
This is the first good quality they have.
Just as a citadel has a moat that is deep and wide,
in the same way a noble disciple has a conscience. They’re conscientious about bad conduct by way of body, speech, and mind, and conscientious about having any bad, unskillful qualities.
A noble disciple with a conscience as their moat gives up the unskillful and develops the skillful,
they give up the blameworthy and develop the blameless,
and they keep themselves pure.
This is the second good quality they have.
Just as a citadel has a patrol path that is high and wide,
in the same way a noble disciple is prudent. They’re prudent when it comes to bad conduct by way of body, speech, and mind, and prudent when it comes to acquiring any bad, unskillful qualities.
A noble disciple with prudence as their patrol path gives up the unskillful and develops the skillful,
they give up the blameworthy and develop the blameless,
and they keep themselves pure.
This is the third good quality they have.
Just as a citadel has stores of many weapons, both projectile and hand-held,
in the same way a noble disciple is very learned. They remember and keep what they’ve learned. These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. They are very learned in such teachings, remembering them, reciting them, mentally scrutinizing them, and comprehending them theoretically.
A noble disciple with learning as their weapon gives up the unskillful and develops the skillful,
they give up the blameworthy and develop the blameless,
and they keep themselves pure.
This is the fourth good quality they have.
Just as many kinds of armed forces reside in a citadel …

in the same way a noble disciple is energetic. They live with energy roused up for giving up unskillful qualities and embracing skillful qualities. They are strong, staunchly vigorous, not slacking off when it comes to developing skillful qualities.
A noble disciple with energy as their armed forces gives up the unskillful and develops the skillful,
they give up the blameworthy and develop the blameless,
and they keep themselves pure.
This is the fifth good quality they have.
Just as a citadel has a gatekeeper who is astute, competent, and intelligent, who keeps strangers out and lets known people in,
in the same way a noble disciple is mindful. They have utmost mindfulness and alertness, and can remember and recall what was said and done long ago.
A noble disciple with mindfulness as their gatekeeper gives up the unskillful and develops the skillful,
they give up the blameworthy and develop the blameless,
and they keep themselves pure.
This is the sixth good quality they have.
Just as a citadel has a wall that’s high and wide, covered with plaster, to defend those within and repel those outside,
in the same way a noble disciple is wise. They have the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering.
A noble disciple with wisdom as their wall gives up the unskillful and develops the skillful,
they give up the blameworthy and develop the blameless,
and they keep themselves pure.
This is the seventh good quality they have.
These are the seven good qualities that they have.
And what are the four absorptions—blissful meditations in the present life that belong to the higher mind—that they get when they want, without trouble or difficulty?
Just as a king’s frontier citadel has much hay, wood, and water stored up for the enjoyment, relief, and comfort of those within and to repel those outside,
in the same way a noble disciple, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected.
This is for their own enjoyment, relief, and comfort, and for alighting upon extinguishment.
Just as a king’s frontier citadel has much rice and barley stored up,
in the same way, as the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, a noble disciple enters and remains in the second absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of immersion, with internal clarity and confidence, and unified mind, without placing the mind and keeping it connected.
This is for their own enjoyment, relief, and comfort, and for alighting upon extinguishment.
Just as a king’s frontier citadel has much food such as sesame, green gram, and black gram stored up,
in the same way with the fading away of rapture, a noble disciple enters and remains in the third absorption, where they meditate with equanimity, mindful and aware, personally experiencing the bliss of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous and mindful, one meditates in bliss.’
This is for their own enjoyment, relief, and comfort, and for alighting upon extinguishment.
Just as a king’s frontier citadel has much medicine—
ghee, butter, oil, honey, molasses, and salt—stored up for the enjoyment, relief, and comfort of those within and to repel those outside,
in the same way, giving up pleasure and pain, and ending former happiness and sadness, a noble disciple enters and remains in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness.
This is for their own enjoyment, relief, and comfort, and for alighting upon extinguishment.
These are the four absorptions—blissful meditations in the present life that belong to the higher mind—which they get when they want, without trouble or difficulty.
When a noble disciple has seven good qualities, and they get the four absorptions—blissful meditations in the present life that belong to the higher mind—when they want, without trouble or difficulty,
they are then called a noble disciple who cannot be overrun by Māra, who cannot be overrun by the Wicked One.”