Attarakkhitasutta
Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “idha mayhaṁ, bhante, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: ‘kesaṁ nu kho rakkhito attā, kesaṁ arakkhito attā’ti? Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi: ‘ye kho keci kāyena duccaritaṁ caranti, vācāya duccaritaṁ caranti, manasā duccaritaṁ caranti; tesaṁ arakkhito attā. Kiñcāpi te hatthikāyo vā rakkheyya, assakāyo vā rakkheyya, rathakāyo vā rakkheyya, pattikāyo vā rakkheyya; atha kho tesaṁ arakkhito attā. Taṁ kissa hetu? Bāhirā hesā rakkhā, nesā rakkhā ajjhattikā; tasmā tesaṁ arakkhito attā. Ye ca kho keci kāyena sucaritaṁ caranti, vācāya sucaritaṁ caranti, manasā sucaritaṁ caranti; tesaṁ rakkhito attā. Kiñcāpi te neva hatthikāyo rakkheyya, na assakāyo rakkheyya, na rathakāyo rakkheyya, na pattikāyo rakkheyya; atha kho tesaṁ rakkhito attā. Taṁ kissa hetu? Ajjhattikā hesā rakkhā, nesā rakkhā bāhirā; tasmā tesaṁ rakkhito attā’”ti.
Self-Protected
At Sāvatthī. Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha, “Just now, sir, as I was in private retreat this thought came to mind. ‘Who are those who protect themselves? And who are those who don’t protect themselves?’ Then it occurred to me: ‘Those who do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind don’t protect themselves. Even if they’re protected by a company of elephants, cavalry, chariots, or infantry, they still don’t protect themselves. Why is that? Because such protection is exterior, not interior. That’s why they don’t protect themselves. Those who do good things by way of body, speech, and mind do protect themselves. Even if they’re not protected by a company of elephants, cavalry, chariots, or infantry, they still protect themselves. Why is that? Because such protection is interior, not exterior. That’s why they do protect themselves.’”