“Bhikkhus, possessing three factors, a warrior is worthy of a king, an accessory of a king, and reckoned a factor of kingship. What three? Here, a warrior is a long distance shooter, a sharp-shooter, and one who splits a great body. Possessing these three factors a warrior is worthy of a king, an accessory of a king, and reckoned a factor of kingship. So too, possessing three factors, a bhikkhu is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. What three? Here a bhikkhu is a long distance shooter, a sharp-shooter, and one who splits a great body.

“And how is a bhikkhu a long distance shooter? Here, any kind of form whatsoever—whether past, future or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near—a bhikkhu sees all form as it really is with correct wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not myself.’ Any kind of feeling whatsoever—whether past, future or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near—a bhikkhu sees all feeling as it really is with correct wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not myself. ‘ Any kind of perception whatsoever—whether past, future or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near—a bhikkhu sees all perception as it really is with correct wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not myself. ‘ Any kind of volitional action whatsoever—whether past, future or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near—a bhikkhu sees all volitional action as it really is with correct wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not myself. ‘ Any kind of consciousness whatsoever—whether past, future or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near—a bhikkhu sees all consciousness as it really is with correct wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not myself. ‘ It is in this way that a bhikkhu is a long distance shooter.

“And how is a bhikkhu a sharp-shooter? Here a bhikkhu understands as it really is: ‘This is suffering.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the cessation of suffering. He understands as it really is: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.’ It is in this way that a bhikkhu is a sharp-shooter.

“And how is a bhikkhu one who splits a great body? Here, the bhikkhu splits the great mass of ignorance. It is in this way that a bhikkhu is one who splits a great body.

“Possessing these three qualities, a bhikkhu is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world.”

from the Aṅguttara Nikāya – The Book of Threes – Sutta 133
“The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha”

© Bhikkhu Bodhi, The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha (Wisdom Publications, 2012)

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