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Formations, monks, are not yours, abandon them; those, abandoned by you, will be for your long-term welfare and happiness. Consciousness, monks, is not yours, abandon it; that, abandoned by you, will be for your long-term welfare and happiness. 248. Thus, monks, has the Dhamma been well-proclaimed by me, open, uncovered, revealed, with the knot cut. When the Dhamma has been thus well-proclaimed by me, open, uncovered, revealed, with the knot cut, those monks who are Arahants, whose defilements are destroyed, who have lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, attained their own true goal, utterly destroyed the fetters of existence, and are rightly liberated through perfect knowledge, for them there is no further designation of existence. Thus, monks, has the Dhamma been well-proclaimed by me, open, uncovered, revealed, with the knot cut. When the Dhamma has been thus well-proclaimed by me, open, uncovered, revealed, with the knot cut, for those monks for whom the five lower fetters... are abandoned, all of them are spontaneously arisen, there they attain final Nibbāna, not returning from that world. Thus well-proclaimed, monks, is the Dhamma by me, open, revealed, expounded, with the veil removed. In this Dhamma well-proclaimed by me, monks, open, revealed, expounded, with the veil removed, for those monks for whom the three fetters are abandoned, and lust, hatred, and delusion are attenuated, all of them are Once-Returners, having come to this world just once more, they will make an end of suffering. Thus well-proclaimed, monks, is the Dhamma by me, open, revealed, expounded, with the veil removed. In this Dhamma well-proclaimed by me, monks, open, revealed, expounded, with the veil removed, for those monks for whom the three fetters are abandoned, all of them are Stream-Enterers, not liable to fall into lower states, assured of enlightenment. Thus well-proclaimed, monks, is the Dhamma by me, open, revealed, expounded, with the veil removed. In this Dhamma well-proclaimed by me, monks, open, revealed, expounded, with the veil removed, those monks who are Dhamma-followers, faith-followers, all of them are bound for enlightenment. Thus well-proclaimed, monks, is the Dhamma by me, open, revealed, expounded, with the veil removed. In this Dhamma well-proclaimed by me, monks, open, revealed, expounded, with the veil removed, for those who have mere faith in me, mere affection for me, all of them are bound for heaven. This the Blessed One said. Delighted, those monks rejoiced in the Blessed One's words. The Discourse on the Simile of the Snake is finished, the second. 3. The Discourse on the Ant Hill 249. Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. Now at that time the venerable Kumārakassapa was staying in the Blind Grove. Then a certain deity, when the night was far advanced, with radiant beauty illuminating the entire Blind Grove, approached the venerable Kumārakassapa; having approached, she stood to one side. Standing to one side, that deity addressed the venerable Kumārakassapa spoke thus: ‘‘Monk, monk, this anthill smokes at night, blazes by day. The brahmin said this: ‘Dig, Sumedha, taking a weapon.’ Digging, Sumedha, taking a weapon, saw a bolt. ‘A bolt, venerable sir!’ The brahmin said this: ‘Remove the bolt; dig, Sumedha, taking a weapon.’ Digging, Sumedha, taking a weapon, saw a puffed-up thing. ‘A puffed-up thing, venerable sir!’ The brahmin said this: ‘Remove the puffed-up thing; dig, Sumedha, taking a weapon.’ Digging, Sumedha, taking a weapon, saw a crossroads. ‘A crossroads, venerable sir!’ The brahmin said this: ‘Remove the crossroads; dig, Sumedha, taking a weapon.’ Digging, Sumedha, taking a weapon, saw a sieve. ‘A sieve, venerable sir!’ The brahmin said this: ‘Remove the sieve; dig, Sumedha, taking a weapon.’ Digging, Sumedha, taking a weapon, saw a tortoise. ‘A tortoise, venerable sir!’ The brahmin said this: ‘Remove the tortoise; dig, Sumedha, taking a weapon.’ Digging, Sumedha, taking a weapon, saw a butcher’s block. ‘A butcher’s block, venerable sir!’ The brahmin said this: ‘Remove the butcher’s block; dig, Sumedha, taking a weapon.’ Digging, Sumedha, taking a weapon, saw a lump of flesh. ‘A lump of flesh, venerable sir!’ The brahmin said this: ‘Remove the lump of flesh; dig, Sumedha, taking a weapon.’ Digging, Sumedha, taking a weapon, saw a serpent. ‘A serpent, venerable sir!’ The brahmin said this: ‘Let the serpent remain, do not disturb the serpent; pay homage to the serpent.’’’ ‘‘These questions, monk, you should approach the Blessed One and ask. And as the Blessed One explains them to you, so should you remember it. I am not, monk... I see in the world with its devas, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, with its ascetics and brahmins, with its devas and humans, no one who could gladden the mind by answering these questions, except for a Tathāgata, or a disciple of a Tathāgata, or one who has heard it from them.” That deity spoke this. Having said this, she vanished right there. 250. Then, when that night had passed, the venerable Kumārakassapa went to the Bhagavā; having gone and paid homage to the Bhagavā, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the venerable Kumārakassapa said to the Bhagavā: “This night, bhante, a certain deity, when the night was far advanced, of surpassing beauty, illuminating the entire Andhavana, came to where I was; having come, she stood to one side. Standing to one side, bhante, that deity said to me: ‘Monk, monk, this anthill smokes by night, it blazes by day.’ The brahmin says: ‘Dig, Sumedha, taking a weapon.’ Sumedha, digging, taking a weapon… (as before) …or one who has heard it from them. That, bhante, that deity said. Having said this, she vanished right there. ‘What, bhante, is the anthill, what is the smoking by night, what is the blazing by day, who is the brahmin, who is Sumedha, what is the weapon, what is the digging, what is the crossbar, what is the puffed-up thing, what is the crossroads, what is the sieve, what is the tortoise, what is the butcher’s knife, what is the piece of meat, who is the serpent?’” 251. “‘Anthill,’ monk, is a designation for this body, composed of the four great elements, born of mother and father, nourished by rice and gruel, subject to impermanence, anointing, massage, breaking up, and disintegration. “That, monk, which one thinks over and reflects upon at night concerning the tasks of the day – this is the smoking by night. That, monk, which one, having thought over and reflected upon at night, applies to tasks by day with body and speech— This is a burning by day. “‘Brahmin,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One. ‘Sumedha,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for a trainee bhikkhu. “‘Weapon,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for noble wisdom. ‘Constantly,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for the arousal of effort. “‘Pole,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for ignorance. Lift up the pole, abandon ignorance; constantly, Sumedha, take up the weapon—this is its meaning. “‘Swelling,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for anger and distress. Lift up the swelling, abandon anger and distress; constantly, Sumedha, take up the weapon—this is its meaning. “‘Forked path,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for doubt. Lift up the forked path, abandon doubt; constantly, Sumedha, take up the weapon—this is its meaning. “‘Basket,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for the five hindrances, namely—the hindrance of sensual desire, the hindrance of ill-will, the hindrance of sloth and torpor, the hindrance of restlessness and remorse, the hindrance of doubt. Lift up the basket, abandon the five hindrances; constantly, Sumedha, take up the weapon—this is its meaning. “‘Tortoise,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for the five aggregates of clinging, namely—the aggregate of clinging to form, the aggregate of clinging to feeling, the aggregate of clinging to perception, the aggregate of clinging to mental formations, the aggregate of clinging to consciousness. Lift up the tortoise, abandon the five aggregates of clinging; constantly, Sumedha, take up the weapon—this is its meaning. “‘Sword-sheath,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for the five strands of sensuality—forms cognizable by the eye, desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, connected with sensual desire, arousing passion; sounds cognizable by the ear… (and so on for) odors cognizable by the nose. of agreeable scents… of agreeable tastes cognizable by the tongue… of agreeable tangibles cognizable by the body, desirable, lovely, pleasing, dear, connected with sensuality, and exciting lust. Cast off the sword-sheath, abandon the five cords of sensual pleasure; strike, O wise one, taking up the weapon. This is its meaning. “‘Piece of flesh,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for delight and lust. Cast off the piece of flesh, abandon delight and lust; strike, O wise one, taking up the weapon. This is its meaning. “‘Nāga,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for a bhikkhu whose taints are destroyed. Let the nāga stand, do not disturb the nāga; pay homage to the nāga. This is its meaning.” This is what the Blessed One said. Satisfied, Venerable Kumārakassapa rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words. The Vammika Sutta, the third, is finished. 4. The Rathavinīta Sutta 252. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling in Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrels’ Feeding Ground. Then a number of bhikkhus from Jātibhūmi, having spent the Rains in Jātibhūmi, approached the Blessed One. Having approached, they paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. As those bhikkhus were sitting to one side, the Blessed One said to them: “Who among the bhikkhus from Jātibhūmi, fellow celibates in Jātibhūmi, is thus highly regarded: ‘He is himself of few wishes and speaks to bhikkhus of few wishes; he is himself content and speaks to bhikkhus of contentment;