Entering a Royal Compound (AN10.45)

Numbered Discourses 10.45

5. Abuse

Entering a Royal Compound

“Mendicants, there are ten drawbacks to entering a royal compound.

What ten?

Firstly, a king is sitting with his chief queen

when a monk enters.

When the queen sees the monk she smiles, or when the monk sees the queen he smiles.

So the king thinks:

‘They’ve done it for sure, or they will do it.’

This is the first drawback of entering a royal compound.

Furthermore, a king has many duties, and much to do. He has sex with one of the women but doesn’t remember.

She gets pregnant from that.

So the king thinks:

‘No-one else has entered here, except that monk.

Could this be the monk’s doing?’

This is the second drawback of entering a royal compound.

Furthermore, a gem is lost somewhere in the royal compound.

So the king thinks:

‘No-one else has entered here, except that monk.

Could this be the monk’s doing?’

This is the third drawback of entering a royal compound.

Furthermore, secret deliberations in the royal compound are leaked outside.

So the king thinks:

‘No-one else has entered here, except that monk.

Could this be the monk’s doing?’

This is the fourth drawback of entering a royal compound.

Furthermore, in a royal compound, a father longs for their son, or a son longs for his father.

They think:

‘No-one else has entered here, except that monk.

Could this be the monk’s doing?’

This is the fifth drawback of entering a royal compound.

Furthermore, the king promotes someone to a higher position.

Those who are upset by this think:

‘The king is close to that monk.

Could this be the monk’s doing?’

This is the sixth drawback of entering a royal compound.

Furthermore, the king demotes someone to a lower position.

Those who are upset by this think:

‘The king is close to that monk.

Could this be the monk’s doing?’

This is the seventh drawback of entering a royal compound.

Furthermore, the king dispatches the army at the wrong time.

Those who are upset by this think:

‘The king is close to that monk.

Could this be the monk’s doing?’

This is the eighth drawback of entering a royal compound.

Furthermore, the king dispatches the army at the right time, but orders it to turn back while still on the road.

Those who are upset by this think:

‘The king is close to that monk.

Could this be the monk’s doing?’

This is the ninth drawback of entering a royal compound.

Furthermore, in the royal compound there is a trampling of elephants, horses, and chariots, as well as arousing sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches that do not befit a monk.

This is the tenth drawback of entering a royal compound.

These are the ten drawbacks of entering a royal compound.”