The Pilot

‘Venerable Nāgasena, those three qualities of the pilot which you say he ought to take, which are they?’
‘Just, O king, as the pilot, day and night, with continuous and unceasing zeal and effort, navigates his ship; just so, O king, does the strenuous Bhikshu, earnest in effort, when regulating his mind, continue night and day unceasingly zealous and earnest in regulating his mind by careful thought. This, O king, is the one quality of the pilot he ought to have. For it was said, O king, by the Blessed One, the god over all gods, in the Dhammapada (the Collection of scripture verses):

“Be full of zeal, watch over your own thoughts;
Raise yourselves up out of the slough of endless births,
As the strong elephant engulphed in depths of mud.”

‘And again, O king, as the pilot knows all that is in the sea, whether good or bad; just so, O king, should the strenuous Bhikshu, earnest in effort, know good from evil, and what is an offence from what is not, and what is mean from what is exalted, and what is dark from what is light. This, O king, is the second quality of the pilot he ought to have.
‘And again, O king, as the pilot puts a seal on the steering apparatus lest any one should touch it; so, O king, should the strenuous Bhikshu, earnest in effort, put the seal of self-control on his heart, lest any evil or wrong thoughts should arise within it. This is the third quality of the pilot he ought to have. For it was said, O king, by the Blessed One, the god over all gods, in the most excellent Saṃyutta Nikāya:
“Think, O Bhikshus, no evil or wrong thoughts, such as thoughts of lust, or of malice, or of delusion.”’