The king said: ‘What, Nāgasena, is the characteristic mark of mindfulness ?’
‘Repetition, O king, and keeping up.’
‘And how is repetition the mark of mindfulness?’
‘As mindfulness, O king, springs up in his heart he repeats over the good and evil, right and wrong, slight and important, dark and light qualities, and those that resemble them, saying to himself: “These are the four modes of keeping oneself ready and mindful, these the four modes of spiritual effort, these the four bases of extraordinary powers, these the five organs of the moral sense, these the five mental powers, these the seven bases of Arahatship, these the eight divisions of the Excellent Way, this is serenity and this insight, this is wisdom and this emancipation.” Thus does the recluse follow after those qualities that are desirable, and not after those that are not; thus does he cultivate those which ought to be practised, and not those which ought not. That is how repetition is the mark of mindfulness.’
‘Give me an illustration.’
‘It is like the treasurer of the imperial sovran, who reminds his royal master early and late of his glory, saying: “So many are thy war elephants, O king, and so many thy cavalry, thy war chariots and thy bowmen, so much the quantity of thy money, and gold, and wealth, may your Majesty keep yourself in mind thereof.’
‘And how, Sir, is keeping up a mark of mindfulness?’
‘As mindfulness springs up in his heart, O king, he searches out the categories of good qualities and their opposites, saying to himself: “Such and such qualities are good, and such bad; such and such qualities helpful, and such the reverse.” Thus does the recluse make what is evil in himself to disappear, and keeps up what is good. That is how keeping up is the mark of mindfulness.’
‘Give me an illustration.’
‘It is like the confidential adviser of that imperial sovran who instructs him in good and evil, saying: “These things are bad for the king and these good, these helpful and these the reverse.” And thus the king makes the evil in himself die out, and keeps up the good.’
‘Well put, Nāgasena!’