Ja 156 The Story about Prince Alīnacitta
(Alīnacittajātaka)
In the present a monk goes to the forest and strives, but fails to attain. When brought to the Buddha he is reproved and told about a previous life as an elephant, in which his loyalty to king Kosala had saved the kingdom from conquest, and won it for prince Alīnacitta.
1. Alīnacittaṁ nissāya pahaṭṭhā mahatī camū,
Kosalaṁ senāsantuṭṭhaṁ, jīvaggāhaṁ agāhayi.
Great forces, who were pleased, relying on prince Alīnacitta, captured king Kosala alive, who was displeased with his army.
2. Evaṁ nissayasampanno bhikkhu, āraddhavīriyo,
Bhāvayaṁ kusalaṁ dhammaṁ, yogakkhemassa pattiyā,
Pāpuṇe anupubbena, sabbasaṁyojanakkhayan-ti.
So, being endowed with support the monk, with effort established, by cultivating wholesome thoughts, in order to attain safety, gradually arrives at the destruction of all of the fetters.
In this connection, relying on prince Alīnacitta means relying on prince Alīnacitta.
Great forces, who were pleased, the great army thought happily: “Our royal lineage is seen.”
Kosala, displeased by his army, being displeased with the reign of the army of the Kosala kings, he came desiring another’s kingdom.
Captured … alive means the army, without killing him, took the king with his elephant, capturing him alive.
So, being endowed with support means like that army, so another son of good family, endowed with support, received the support of a good friend, the Buddha, or a Buddha’s disciple.
The monk, this is a designation for one who is purified.
With effort established means taking up effort, being endowed with effort free from the four faults.
By cultivating wholesome thoughts means cultivating blameless wholesome (thoughts), cultivating what is reckoned as the thirty-seven things of the side of Awakening. The four ways of attending to mindfulness, the four right endeavours, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five strengths, the seven factors of awakening, the noble eightfold path, making thirty-seven in all.
In order to attain safety means for safety from the four yokes, Another name for the āsavas, pollutants: sense-desire, continuation, wrong views and ignorance. in order to attain Nibbāna, cultivating that thought.
Gradually arrives at the destruction of all of the fetters, so beginning with that insight, cultivating this wholesome thought, being endowed with decisive support from spiritual friends, the monk gradually attaining insight knowledges and path and fruits from the lower ones on up, in the end destroying the ten fetters, when that arises, he attains Arahatta, which is reckoned as the destruction of all the fetters. Or, because of coming to Nibbāna, which is the destruction of all the fetters. Therefore when there is the destruction of all the fetters gradually he attains what is reckoned as Nibbāna, the destruction of all fetters, this is the meaning.