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and ignorance is the poison's fault, which is agitated by desire-passion and ill-will. That dart of craving has been abandoned by me, the poison's fault of ignorance has been removed, I am rightly devoted to Nibbāna.' Being rightly devoted to Nibbāna, he would not engage in what is unsuitable for one rightly devoted to Nibbāna. He would not engage in seeing forms with the eye that is unsuitable, he would not engage in hearing sounds with the ear that is unsuitable, he would not engage in... should not indulge in unsuitable smells with the nose, should not indulge in unsuitable tastes with the tongue, should not indulge in unsuitable touches with the body, should not indulge in unsuitable mental phenomena with the mind. For him, not indulging in unsuitable sights with the eye, not indulging in unsuitable sounds with the ear, not indulging in unsuitable smells with the nose, not indulging in unsuitable tastes with the tongue, not indulging in unsuitable touches with the body, not indulging in unsuitable mental phenomena with the mind, passion would not overwhelm his mind. With a mind not overwhelmed by passion, he would not encounter death, nor suffering equal to death. 65. "This simile, Sunakkhatta, has been made by me for the understanding of the meaning. This is the meaning here: 'Wound', Sunakkhatta, is a designation for the six internal sense bases; 'Poison', Sunakkhatta, is a designation for ignorance; 'Arrow', Sunakkhatta, is a designation for craving; 'Probe', Sunakkhatta, is a designation for mindfulness; 'Scalpel', Sunakkhatta, is a designation for noble wisdom; 'Surgeon', Sunakkhatta, is a designation for the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One. "It is not possible, Sunakkhatta, that a monk, having restrained himself in the six sense bases, having known 'attachment is the root of suffering,' being without attachment, liberated by the destruction of attachment, would then direct his body towards attachment or generate thoughts of attachment. Just as, Sunakkhatta, a drinking cup might be endowed with good color, good smell, and good taste; but it is mixed with poison. Then a man might come, wishing to live, not wishing to die, desiring happiness, averse to suffering. What do you think, Sunakkhatta, would that man drink from that cup, knowing, 'If I drink this, I will encounter death or suffering equal to death'?" "No, venerable sir." "Even so, Sunakkhatta, that That monk, acting restrained in the six sense bases, 'attachment is the root of suffering' - thus knowing, without attachment, freed by the destruction of attachment, will he bring his body to attachment, or produce a thought (of attachment)? That is not possible. Just as, Sunakkhatta, a venomous snake, terribly poisonous. Then a man might come, desiring to live, not desiring to die, desiring happiness, recoiling from suffering. What do you think, Sunakkhatta, would that man to that venomous snake, terribly poisonous, offer his hand or his finger, knowing that: 'bitten by this, I will go to death, or suffering like death'? "No, venerable sir." "Even so, Sunakkhatta, that monk, acting restrained in the six sense bases, 'attachment is the root of suffering' - thus knowing, without attachment, freed by the destruction of attachment, will he bring his body to attachment, or produce a thought (of attachment)? That is not possible." The Blessed One said this. Delighted, Sunakkhatta the Licchavi's son rejoiced in the Blessed One's words. The Sunakkhatta Sutta, the fifth, is ended. 6. The Sutta on What is Conducive to Imperturbability 66. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Kurus, at a town of the Kurus named Kammāsadhamma. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus!" "Venerable sir," those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: "Impermanent, bhikkhus, are sensual pleasures, empty, false, of a deceptive nature. They are like a magical illusion, bhikkhus, a delusion for fools. And those sensual pleasures in this present life, and those sensual pleasures in the future life; and those perceptions of sensual pleasure in this present life, and those perceptions of sensual pleasure in the future life - both of these are Mara's domain, Mara's sphere, Mara's bait, Mara's pasture. Herein, these evil, unwholesome mental states - covetousness, ill will, and strife - arise. They become an obstacle for the noble disciple who trains in this. Thus. There, bhikkhus, a noble disciple reflects thus: ‘Whatever sensual pleasures are seen in this world, and whatever sensual pleasures are for the next world; whatever perceptions of sensuality are seen in this world, and whatever perceptions of sensuality are for the next world – all this is the realm of Māra, this is Māra’s domain, this is Māra’s bait, this is Māra’s pasture. Herein, these evil, unwholesome mental states – covetousness, ill-will, and agitation – arise, and they become an obstacle for the noble disciple who trains in this. What if I were to dwell with an expansive, magnified mind, having overcome the world, having established my mind? Indeed, for me, dwelling with an expansive, magnified mind, having overcome the world, having established my mind, those evil, unwholesome mental states – covetousness, ill-will, and agitation – will not arise. With their abandonment, my mind will become boundless, immeasurable, well-developed.’ For one who practices thus, who dwells much in this, the mind becomes serene in that sphere. When there is serenity, one either attains the imperturbable now, or becomes intent on it through wisdom after the break-up of the body, after death. This is a possibility: that consciousness conducive to that will become imperturbable. This, bhikkhus, is called the first path conducive to the imperturbable. 67. Again, further, bhikkhus, a noble disciple reflects thus: ‘Whatever sensual pleasures are seen in this world, and whatever sensual pleasures are for the next world; whatever perceptions of sensuality are seen in this world, and whatever perceptions of sensuality are for the next world; whatever form there is (all form), the four great elements, and form derived from the four great elements.’ For one who practices thus, who dwells much in this, the mind becomes serene in that sphere. When there is serenity, one either attains the imperturbable now, or becomes intent on it through wisdom after the break-up of the body, after death. This is a possibility: that consciousness conducive to that will become imperturbable. This, bhikkhus, is called the second path conducive to the imperturbable. Again, further, Monks, a noble disciple reflects thus: ‘Whatever sensual pleasures in this present life, and whatever sensual pleasures in the life to come; whatever perceptions of sensual pleasures in this present life, and whatever perceptions of sensual pleasures in the life to come; whatever forms in this present life, and whatever forms in the life to come; whatever perceptions of forms in this present life, and whatever perceptions of forms in the life to come – all these are impermanent. What is impermanent is not fit to be delighted in, not fit to be spoken of with pleasure, not fit to be clung to.’ For him who practices thus, who dwells much in this, his mind becomes clear in that sphere. With that clarity, he enters the imperturbable (sphere) here and now, or he is liberated by wisdom after the break-up of the body, after death. This is a possibility, that his consciousness leading to that (state) may go to the imperturbable. Monks, this is called the third practice conducive to the imperturbable. 68. Furthermore, monks, a noble disciple reflects thus: ‘Whatever sensual pleasures in this present life, and whatever sensual pleasures in the life to come; whatever perceptions of sensual pleasures in this present life, and whatever perceptions of sensual pleasures in the life to come; whatever forms in this present life, and whatever forms in the life to come; whatever perceptions of forms in this present life, and whatever perceptions of forms in the life to come; and whatever perception of the imperturbable – all these are perceptions. Where these cease without remainder, that is peaceful, that is sublime – namely, the sphere of nothingness.’ For him who practices thus, who dwells much in this, his mind becomes clear in that sphere. With that clarity, he enters the sphere of nothingness here and now, or he is liberated by wisdom after the break-up of the body, after death. This is a possibility, that his consciousness leading to that (state) may go to the sphere of nothingness. Monks, this is called the first practice conducive to the sphere of nothingness. 69. Furthermore, monks, a noble disciple, gone to the wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut, reflects thus: ‘This is empty of self or of anything belonging to self.’ For him who practices thus, who dwells much in this, his mind becomes clear in that sphere. i. When there is clear confidence, one enters the dimension of nothingness in this very life, or is liberated by wisdom after the body's breaking up, beyond death. This is a possibility, that one's consciousness conducive to that will go to the dimension of nothingness. This, bhikkhus, is called the second path suitable for the dimension of nothingness. 70. Again, bhikkhus, a noble disciple reflects thus: ‘I am not anyone’s nothingness anywhere, nor is there any nothingness of mine anywhere.’ For him, thus practicing, dwelling much in this, the mind becomes confident in that dimension. When there is clear confidence, one enters the dimension of nothingness in this very life, or is liberated by wisdom after the body's breaking up, beyond death. This is a possibility, that one's consciousness conducive to that will go to the dimension of nothingness. This, bhikkhus, is called the third path suitable for the dimension of nothingness. Again, bhikkhus,