2.11. Exertion (T1670B2.11)

The king said, “What is the characteristic mark of exertion?”

“To hold fast to good qualities. To support good qualities is the characteristic mark of exertion.”

Then Nāgasena gave some similes, “It is just like the support given by a post to a wall that is going to collapse, or to a house that is going to fall. This is called exertion.”

Nāgasena continued with other similes, “It is as if a king who sends out his army to fight but finds his army too weak to fulfill his wishes. So the king sends out his reinforcements to help. As a result, the king wins the battle. If a person has bad qualities, he or she is just like the small and weak army. People eliminate all bad qualities by the support of the good qualities, just as the king wins the battle by the help of the reinforcements. With the help of the five good qualities, one destroys the five bad qualities. It is just like the king who sends reinforcements to the weak army. This is called supporting good qualities by exertion.”

Thus Nāgasena quoted from a sutra: “With the help of exertion, people attain the meritorious Path and go beyond the worldly path without falling back again.”

“Excellent, Nāgasena.”

Nāgasena Bhikṣu Sūtra, translated by Venerable Guang Xing. Buddha’s Light Edition English Sutra Translation Series, 2008. This publication is part of translation program of the Woodenfish Project.

The full text, with detailed notes, textual and historical discussion, and comparison between Pali and Chinese texts, is available for download in two separate files, Translation and Notes.

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This SuttaCentral edition was prepared by Bhikkhu Sujato.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.