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II, 1, 12.
MINDFULNESS (SATI).
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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 ; [38] 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
Kakkavattissa bhandâgâriko, no doubt with allusion to the gahapati-ratanam, one of the seven treasures of the mythical King of Glory (see my' Buddhist Suttas,' p. 257). It is particularly interesting to me to find here the use of the word treasurer' instead of householder;' for it was in that exact sense that I had understood the word gahapati in that connection, at a time when, in the then state of Páli scholarship, it seemed very bold to do so.
· Literally "horses. The whole list is again a manifest allusion to the corresponding one in the Sutta of the Great King of
Glory.
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