Reading guide
A monarch's own king
The Buddha states that even a wheel-turning monarch, however just and principled, doesn't wield power without having his own king. A mendicant asks who that could possibly be, and the Buddha answers directly: ‘It is principle’ (dhamma).
Protection in concentric circles
The just king is described providing protection relying on principle first for his own household, then in expanding circles: aristocrats and vassals, troops, brahmins and householders, the people of town and country, ascetics and brahmins, and finally even beasts and birds — only once this whole structure of protection is established does he ‘wield power only in a principled manner’.
The same structure, mapped onto the Buddha
The Buddha describes himself, in the same terms, providing ‘just protection and security’ for the fourfold assembly — monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen — through explicit instruction on what bodily, verbal, and mental conduct, what livelihood, and even what village or town, should or shouldn't be cultivated.
Protection as instruction, not force
Where the monarch's protection is largely physical — security, defense — the Buddha's ‘protection’ for his own assembly consists entirely of explicit ethical and practical guidance, restated identically for each of the four groups in turn.
What comes next
AN 5.134 shifts to a different question: what makes an anointed king, or a mendicant, feel genuinely at home no matter what region they find themselves in.
Key terms
The text
Who is the monarch's own king?
§1“Mendicants, even a wheel-turning monarch, a just and principled king, does not wield power without having their own king.” When he said this, one of the mendicants asked the Buddha, “But who is the king of the wheel-turning monarch, the just and principled king?” “It is principle, monk,” said the Buddha.
The monarch's concentric protection
§2“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. 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. When he has done this, he wields power only in a principled manner. And this power cannot be undermined by any human enemy.
The Buddha's protection of the fourfold assembly
§3In 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. ‘This kind of bodily action should be cultivated. This kind of bodily action should not be cultivated. This kind of verbal action should be cultivated. This kind of verbal action should not be cultivated. This kind of mental action should be cultivated. This kind of mental action should not be cultivated. This kind of livelihood should be cultivated. This kind of livelihood should not be cultivated. This kind of village or town should be cultivated. This kind of village or town should not be cultivated.’ 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. ‘This kind of bodily action should be cultivated. This kind of bodily action should not be cultivated. This kind of verbal action should be cultivated. This kind of verbal action should not be cultivated. This kind of mental action should be cultivated. This kind of mental action should not be cultivated. This kind of livelihood should be cultivated. This kind of livelihood should not be cultivated. This kind of village or town should be cultivated. This kind of village or town should not be cultivated.’ 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. And that wheel cannot be rolled back by any ascetic or brahmin or god or Māra or divinity or by anyone in the world.”
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