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and also make progress on the path.’’ ‘‘Indeed, good Bhāradvāja, the mind is fickle. Sometimes even towards those who are like mothers, states of greed arise; even towards those who are like sisters, states of greed arise; even towards those who are like daughters, states of greed arise. Is there now, good Bhāradvāja, another reason, another condition, by which young monks, with fresh, black hair… …and live long?” “This was said, great king, by that Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One: ‘Come, monks, reflect on this very body, from the soles of the feet upwards, from the top of the hair downwards, enclosed by skin, full of various kinds of impurity: In this body there are hairs, body-hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone-marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, stomach, excrement, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, snot, joint-fluid, urine.’ This too, great king, is a reason, is a cause, whereby these young monks, with fresh, black hair… …and live long.” “Those monks, good Bhāradvāja, whose bodies are developed, whose virtue is developed, whose minds are developed, whose wisdom is developed, for them it is easy. But those monks, good Bhāradvāja, whose bodies are undeveloped, whose virtue is undeveloped, whose minds are undeveloped, whose wisdom is undeveloped, for them it is difficult. Sometimes, good Bhāradvāja, intending to reflect on impurity, it appears as purity. Is there, good Bhāradvāja, another reason, another cause, whereby these young monks, with fresh, black hair… …and live long?” “This was said, great king, by that Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One: ‘Come, monks, dwell with guarded doors of the senses. Having seen a form with the eye, do not grasp at its features, do not grasp at its details. For the sake of restraining that by which, if the eye-faculty were unguarded, evil unwholesome states of covetousness and distress might flow in upon one, practice restraint. Guard the eye-faculty; undertake restraint of the eye-faculty. Strive. Having heard a sound with the ear… Having smelled an odor with the nose… Having tasted a flavor with the tongue… Having felt a tangible with the body… Having cognized a mental phenomenon with the mind, Do not be a grasper of the whole, Do not be a grasper of the details. For if this mind-faculty, Dwelling unrestrained, Covetousness and displeasure, Evil unwholesome states, Might flow in, For its restraint, practice. Guard the mind-faculty; Enter into restraint of the mind-faculty. This too, O great king, Is the reason, this is the condition By which these young monks, With fresh black hair, Endowed with the prime of youth, In the first stage of life, Not having played with sensual pleasures, For life, practice the full, Pure holy life, And reach the goal. Wonderful, good Bharadvaja; Amazing, good Bharadvaja! How well-spoken this is, good Bharadvaja, By that Blessed One, The Knower, the Seer, The Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One. This indeed, good Bharadvaja, Is the reason, this is the condition By which these young monks, With fresh black hair, Endowed with the prime of youth, In the first stage of life, Not having played with sensual pleasures, For life, practice the full, Pure holy life, And reach the goal. I too, good Bharadvaja, When I enter the inner palace With an unguarded body, With unguarded speech, With an unguarded mind, With unestablished mindfulness, With unrestrained faculties, At that time, States of greed overwhelm me exceedingly. But when I, good Bharadvaja, Enter the inner palace With a guarded body, With guarded speech, With a guarded mind, With established mindfulness, With restrained faculties, At that time, States of greed do not overwhelm me in the same way. Excellent, good Bharadvaja; Excellent, good Bharadvaja! Just as, good Bharadvaja, One might set upright what was overturned, or reveal what is hidden, or show the way to one who is lost, or hold up a lamp in the darkness, so that those with eyes may see forms; even so has the Dhamma been made clear by Master Bhāradvāja in many ways. I, Master Bhāradvāja, go for refuge to that Blessed One, to the Dhamma, and to the Sangha of bhikkhus. May Master Bhāradvāja remember me as a lay follower, who has gone for refuge from this day forth as long as life lasts. Fourth. 5. Soṇa Sutta 128. At one time the Blessed One was staying at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrels’ Feeding Place. Then Soṇa, the householder’s son, approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Soṇa, the householder’s son, said to the Blessed One: “What, venerable sir, is the reason, what is the cause, why some beings here do not attain final Nibbāna in this very life? And what, venerable sir, is the reason, what is the cause, why some beings here do attain final Nibbāna in this very life?” (This should be expanded as in the previous Sutta.) “This, Soṇa, is the reason, this is the cause, why some beings here attain final Nibbāna in this very life.” Fifth. 6. Ghosita Sutta 129. At one time the Venerable Ānanda was staying at Kosambī, in Ghosita’s Park. Then Ghosita, the householder, approached the Venerable Ānanda… and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Ghosita, the householder, said to the Venerable Ānanda: “‘Diversity of elements, diversity of elements,’ venerable Ānanda, is said. To what extent, venerable sir, has the diversity of elements been spoken of by the Blessed One?” “There is, householder, the eye-element, and forms that are pleasing, and eye-consciousness that is experienced as pleasant. Dependent on contact, pleasant feeling arises. There is, householder, the eye-element, and forms that are unpleasing, and eye-consciousness that is experienced as painful. Dependent on contact, painful feeling arises. There is, householder, the eye-element and forms that are agreeable, experienced as neutral, and eye-consciousness experienced as neither painful nor pleasant. Dependent on contact, neither painful nor pleasant feeling arises… There is, householder, the tongue element, and tastes that are agreeable, and tongue-consciousness experienced as pleasant. Dependent on contact, pleasant feeling arises. There is, householder, the tongue element, and tastes that are disagreeable, and tongue-consciousness experienced as painful. Dependent on contact, painful feeling arises. There is, householder, the tongue element, and tastes experienced as neutral, and tongue-consciousness experienced as neither painful nor pleasant. Dependent on contact, neither painful nor pleasant feeling arises… There is, householder, the mind element, and mental phenomena that are agreeable, and mind-consciousness experienced as pleasant. Dependent on contact, pleasant feeling arises. There is, householder, the mind element, and mental phenomena that are disagreeable, and mind-consciousness experienced as painful. Dependent on contact, painful feeling arises. There is, householder, the mind element, and mental phenomena experienced as neutral, and mind-consciousness experienced as neither painful nor pleasant. Dependent on contact, neither painful nor pleasant feeling arises. To this extent, householder, has the diversity of elements been declared by the Blessed One. The Sixth. 7. The Discourse to Hāliddikāni 130. At one time the venerable Mahākaccāna was dwelling in Avanti at Kuraraghara, on a cliff mountain. Then Hāliddikāni the householder approached the venerable Mahākaccāna… Having sat down to one side, Hāliddikāni the householder said this to the venerable Mahākaccāna: "This has been said, venerable sir, by the Blessed One: 'Dependent on the diversity of elements, diversity of contact arises; dependent on the diversity of contact, diversity of feeling arises.' How, venerable sir, dependent on the diversity of elements, does diversity of contact arise?" dependent on the diversity of contact, diversity of feeling arises?" "Here, householder, a monk, seeing a form with the eye, understands 'this is agreeable', and eye-consciousness is associated with pleasant feeling. Dependent on contact, pleasant feeling arises. But again, seeing a form with the eye, he understands 'this is disagreeable', and eye-consciousness is associated with painful feeling. Dependent on contact, painful feeling arises. But again, seeing a form with the eye, he understands 'this is neutral', and eye-consciousness is associated with neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. Dependent on contact, neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling arises. Furthermore, householder, a monk, hearing a sound with the ear... smelling an odor with the nose... tasting a flavor with the tongue... touching a tangible with the body... perceiving a mental phenomenon with the mind, understands 'this is agreeable', and mind-consciousness is associated with pleasant feeling. Dependent on contact, pleasant feeling arises. But again, perceiving a mental phenomenon with the mind, he understands 'this is disagreeable', and mind-consciousness is associated with painful feeling. Dependent on contact, painful feeling arises. But again, perceiving a mental phenomenon with the mind, he understands 'this is neutral', and mind-consciousness is associated with neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. Dependent on contact, neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling arises. Thus, householder, dependent on the diversity of elements, diversity of contact arises; dependent on the diversity of contact, diversity of feeling arises." The seventh. 8. The Discourse to Nakulapita. At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling among the Bhaggas, at Susumaragiri, in the Bhesakala Grove, in the Deer Park. Then Nakulapita, the householder, approached the Blessed One. ...Then Nakulapitā, the householder, sat down to one side and said to the Blessed One: