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Hearing a sound with the ear… smelling a smell with the nose… tasting a taste with the tongue… touching a tangible with the body… cognizing a mental phenomenon with the mind, he does not grasp at the general appearance, nor at the details. For if he were to dwell with the mind-faculty unrestrained, evil unwholesome states of covetousness and distress would flow in upon him. He practices for its restraint, he guards the mind-faculty, he enters into restraint of the mind-faculty. Endowed with this noble restraint of the faculties, he experiences an unblemished happiness within himself. Thus, young man, a bhikkhu is a guardian of the doors of his senses. 455. And how, young man, is a bhikkhu endowed with mindfulness and clear comprehension? Here, young man, a bhikkhu acts with clear comprehension when going forth and returning. He acts with clear comprehension when looking forward and looking around. He acts with clear comprehension when bending and stretching. He acts with clear comprehension when wearing his outer robe, bowl, and robes. He acts with clear comprehension when eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting. He acts with clear comprehension when defecating and urinating. He acts with clear comprehension when walking, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, speaking, and remaining silent. Thus, young man, a bhikkhu is endowed with mindfulness and clear comprehension. 456. And how, young man, is a bhikkhu content? Here, young man, a bhikkhu is content with robes that protect his body and almsfood that fills his stomach. Wherever he goes, he takes only these with him. Just as, young man, a bird, wherever it flies, flies with only its wings as its burden; even so, young man, a bhikkhu is content with robes that protect his body and almsfood that fills his stomach. Wherever he goes, he takes only these with him. Thus, young man, a bhikkhu is content. 457. Endowed with this noble aggregate of virtue, endowed with this noble restraint of the faculties, endowed with this noble mindfulness and clear comprehension, and with this Endowed with noble contentment, he resorts to a secluded dwelling: a forest, a root of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a mountain cave, a charnel ground, a jungle thicket, the open air, a heap of straw. He, after his meal, having returned from his alms round, sits down, having folded his legs crosswise, having set his body erect, having established mindfulness in front of him. 458. He, having abandoned covetousness for the world, lives with a mind free from covetousness; he purifies his mind from covetousness. Having abandoned ill-will and malevolence, he lives with a mind free from ill-will, compassionate for the welfare of all living beings; he purifies his mind from ill-will and malevolence. Having abandoned sloth and torpor, he lives free from sloth and torpor, perceiving light, mindful and clearly comprehending; he purifies his mind from sloth and torpor. Having abandoned restlessness and remorse, he lives unagitated, with his mind inwardly peaceful; he purifies his mind from restlessness and remorse. Having abandoned doubt, he lives having overcome doubt, without perplexity regarding wholesome states; he purifies his mind from doubt. 459. Just as, young man, a man might take a loan and invest it in business. Those businesses might prosper for him. He might pay off the old principal of the debt, and there might be a surplus remaining for him to support his family. He might think thus: ‘Indeed, I previously took a loan and invested it in business. Those businesses prospered for me. I paid off the old principal of the debt, and there is a surplus remaining for me to support my family.’ Because of that, he would experience joy, he would attain gladness. 460. Just as, young man, a man might be afflicted, suffering, gravely ill; his food might not digest, and there might be no strength in his body. Then, after some time, he might be freed from that affliction, his food might digest, and there might be strength in his body. He might think thus: ‘Indeed, I was previously afflicted, suffering, gravely ill, my food did not digest, and there was no strength in my body. I am now free from that illness, and food appeals to me, and there is strength in my body.’ He would, because of that, experience joy, he would attain happiness. 461. “Just as, young man, a man might be imprisoned in a jail. Then, after some time, he might be released from that jail, safely and securely, and his possessions would not have diminished at all. He would think thus: ‘I was formerly imprisoned in a jail. I am now released from that jail, safely and securely, and my possessions have not diminished at all.’ He would, because of that, experience joy, he would attain happiness. 462. “Just as, young man, a man might be a slave, not his own master, dependent on others, not free to go where he wished. Then, after some time, he might be freed from that slavery, his own master, not dependent on others, a free man, free to go where he wished. He would think thus: ‘I was formerly a slave, not my own master, dependent on others, not free to go where I wished. I am now freed from that slavery, my own master, not dependent on others, a free man, free to go where I wished.’ He would, because of that, experience joy, he would attain happiness. 463. “Just as, young man, a man, wealthy and prosperous, might set out on a desert road, a famine-stricken and dangerous path. Then, after some time, he might cross that desert, and safely reach a village, secure and free from danger. He would think thus: ‘I was formerly wealthy and prosperous, and set out on a desert road, a famine-stricken and dangerous path. I have now crossed the desert, and safely reached a village, secure and free from danger.’ He would, because of that, experience joy, he would attain happiness. 464. “In the same way, young man, a monk regards these five hindrances, when they are not abandoned, as like a debt, as like an illness, as like a jail, as like slavery, as like a desert road. 465. “Just as, young man, just as a debt Just as being debt-free, just as health, just as release from bondage, just as freedom from slavery, just as a safe destination. Even so, monk, these five hindrances abandoned, he perceives in himself. 466. For him, these five hindrances abandoned, perceiving them in himself, joy arises. For one who is joyful, rapture arises. For one with a rapturous mind, the body becomes tranquil. One whose body is tranquil experiences pleasure. For one who is pleased, the mind becomes concentrated. 467. He, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, with initial application and sustained application, born of seclusion, with rapture and pleasure, enters and abides in the first jhana. He drenches, saturates, fills, and pervades this very body with the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. There is no part of his entire body that is not pervaded by the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. Just as, young man, a skilled bath attendant or his apprentice having sprinkled bath powder into a brass basin, would moisten it thoroughly with water. That ball of bath powder saturated with moisture, permeated with moisture, moist inside and out, pervaded by moisture, yet not oozing. Even so, young man, the monk drenches, saturates, fills, and pervades this very body with the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. There is no part of his entire body that is not pervaded by the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. And furthermore, young man, the monk, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, with initial application and sustained application, born of seclusion, with rapture and pleasure, enters and abides in the first jhana. He drenches, saturates, fills, and pervades this very body with the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. There is no part of his entire body that is not pervaded by the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. This too is part of his concentration. 468. Furthermore, young man, the monk, with the fading away of initial and sustained application, with an internal assurance, and unification of mind, without initial application and sustained application, born of concentration, with rapture and pleasure, enters and abides in the second jhana. He drenches this very body with the rapture and pleasure born of concentration... he pervades, permeates, fills, and suffuses, and there is no part of his entire body that is not suffused with the rapture and pleasure born of concentration. “Just as, young man, there might be a deep pond with spring water. It would have no inlet for water from the east, no inlet for water from the south, no inlet for water from the west, no inlet for water from the north, and the sky would not, from time to time, send down proper rain. Yet, from that very pond, cool streams of water would well up, and pervade, permeate, fill, and suffuse that very pond with cool water, and there would be no part of the entire pond that was not suffused with cool water. Even so, young man, the monk… …and also, young man, the monk, with the stilling of applied thought and sustained thought… …enters and dwells in the second jhāna. He pervades, permeates, fills, and suffuses this very body with the rapture and pleasure born of concentration, and there is no part of his entire body that is not suffused with the rapture and pleasure born of concentration. This, too, is his in concentration. 469. “Furthermore, young man, with the fading of rapture, the monk dwells in equanimity, mindful and clearly comprehending, and he experiences pleasure with the body, that of which the Noble Ones declare: ‘He is equanimous, mindful, one who dwells in pleasure.’ He enters and dwells in the third jhāna. He pervades, permeates, fills, and suffuses this very body with pleasure devoid of rapture, and there is no part of his entire body that is not suffused with pleasure devoid of rapture.