A Principled KingDhammarājāsutta

“Mendicants, even a wheel-turning monarch, a just and principled king, does not wield power without having their own king.”“Yopi so, bhikkhave, rājā cakkavattī dhammiko dhammarājā, sopi na arājakaṁ cakkaṁ vattetī”ti.

When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha,Evaṁ vutte aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “But who is the king of the wheel-turning monarch, the just and principled king?”“ko pana, bhante, rañño cakkavattissa dhammikassa dhammarañño rājā”ti?

“It is principle, monk,” said the Buddha.“Dhammo, bhikkhū”ti bhagavā avoca.

“Monk, a wheel-turning monarch provides just protection and security for his court, relying only on principle—honoring, respecting, and venerating principle, having principle as his flag, banner, and authority.“Idha, bhikkhu, rājā cakkavattī dhammiko dhammarājā dhammaññeva nissāya dhammaṁ sakkaronto dhammaṁ garuṁ karonto dhammaṁ apacāyamāno dhammaddhajo dhammaketu dhammādhipateyyo dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahati antojanasmiṁ.

He provides just protection and security for his aristocrats, vassals, troops, brahmins and householders, people of town and country, ascetics and brahmins, beasts and birds.Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhu, rājā cakkavattī dhammiko dhammarājā dhammaññeva nissāya dhammaṁ sakkaronto dhammaṁ garuṁ karonto dhammaṁ apacāyamāno dhammaddhajo dhammaketu dhammādhipateyyo dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahati khattiyesu anuyantesu …pe… balakāyasmiṁ brāhmaṇagahapatikesu negamajānapadesu samaṇabrāhmaṇesu migapakkhīsu. When he has done this, he wields power only in a principled manner.Sa kho so, bhikkhu, rājā cakkavattī dhammiko dhammarājā dhammaññeva nissāya dhammaṁ sakkaronto dhammaṁ garuṁ karonto dhammaṁ apacāyamāno dhammaddhajo dhammaketu dhammādhipateyyo dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahitvā antojanasmiṁ dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahitvā khattiyesu anuyantesu balakāyasmiṁ brāhmaṇagahapatikesu negamajānapadesu samaṇabrāhmaṇesu migapakkhīsu dhammeneva cakkaṁ pavatteti; And this power cannot be undermined by any human enemy.taṁ hoti cakkaṁ appaṭivattiyaṁ kenaci manussabhūtena paccatthikena pāṇinā.

In the same way, monk, a Realized One, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha, a just and principled king, provides just protection and security for the monks, relying only on principle—honoring, respecting, and venerating principle, having principle as his flag, banner, and authority.Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhu, tathāgato arahaṁ sammāsambuddho dhammiko dhammarājā dhammaññeva nissāya dhammaṁ sakkaronto dhammaṁ garuṁ karonto dhammaṁ apacāyamāno dhammaddhajo dhammaketu dhammādhipateyyo dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahati bhikkhūsu: ‘This kind of bodily action should be cultivated. This kind of bodily action should not be cultivated.‘evarūpaṁ kāyakammaṁ sevitabbaṁ, evarūpaṁ kāyakammaṁ na sevitabbaṁ; This kind of verbal action should be cultivated. This kind of verbal action should not be cultivated.evarūpaṁ vacīkammaṁ sevitabbaṁ, evarūpaṁ vacīkammaṁ na sevitabbaṁ; This kind of mental action should be cultivated. This kind of mental action should not be cultivated.evarūpaṁ manokammaṁ sevitabbaṁ, evarūpaṁ manokammaṁ na sevitabbaṁ; This kind of livelihood should be cultivated. This kind of livelihood should not be cultivated.evarūpo ājīvo sevitabbo, evarūpo ājīvo na sevitabbo; This kind of village or town should be cultivated. This kind of village or town should not be cultivated.’evarūpo gāmanigamo sevitabbo, evarūpo gāmanigamo na sevitabbo’ti.

In the same way, monk, a Realized One, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha, a just and principled king, provides just protection and security for the nuns … laymen … laywomen, relying only on principle—honoring, respecting, and venerating principle, having principle as his flag, banner, and authority.Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhu, tathāgato arahaṁ sammāsambuddho dhammiko dhammarājā dhammaññeva nissāya dhammaṁ sakkaronto dhammaṁ garuṁ karonto dhammaṁ apacāyamāno dhammaddhajo dhammaketu dhammādhipateyyo dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahati bhikkhunīsu …pe… upāsakesu …pe… upāsikāsu: ‘This kind of bodily action should be cultivated. This kind of bodily action should not be cultivated.‘evarūpaṁ kāyakammaṁ sevitabbaṁ, evarūpaṁ kāyakammaṁ na sevitabbaṁ; This kind of verbal action should be cultivated. This kind of verbal action should not be cultivated.evarūpaṁ vacīkammaṁ sevitabbaṁ, evarūpaṁ vacīkammaṁ na sevitabbaṁ; This kind of mental action should be cultivated. This kind of mental action should not be cultivated.evarūpaṁ manokammaṁ sevitabbaṁ, evarūpaṁ manokammaṁ na sevitabbaṁ; This kind of livelihood should be cultivated. This kind of livelihood should not be cultivated.evarūpo ājīvo sevitabbo, evarūpo ājīvo na sevitabbo; This kind of village or town should be cultivated. This kind of village or town should not be cultivated.’evarūpo gāmanigamo sevitabbo, evarūpo gāmanigamo na sevitabbo’ti.

When a Realized One, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha has provided just protection and security for the monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen, he rolls forth the supreme Wheel of Dhamma only in a principled manner.Sa kho so, bhikkhu, tathāgato arahaṁ sammāsambuddho dhammiko dhammarājā dhammaññeva nissāya dhammaṁ sakkaronto dhammaṁ garuṁ karonto dhammaṁ apacāyamāno dhammaddhajo dhammaketu dhammādhipateyyo dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahitvā bhikkhūsu, dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahitvā bhikkhunīsu, dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahitvā upāsakesu, dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahitvā upāsikāsu dhammeneva anuttaraṁ dhammacakkaṁ pavatteti; And that wheel cannot be rolled back by any ascetic or brahmin or god or Māra or divinity or by anyone in the world.”taṁ hoti cakkaṁ appaṭivattiyaṁ samaṇena vā brāhmaṇena vā devena vā mārena vā brahmunā vā kenaci vā lokasmin”ti.