English
10. The Second Discourse on the Simile of Hands and Feet “When there are hands, bhikkhus, taking and putting down there is taking up and laying down; when there are feet, there is going forward and backward; when there are joints, there is bending and stretching; when there is a stomach, there is hunger and thirst. Even so, bhikkhus, when there is an eye, dependent on eye-contact, internal pleasure and pain arise… when there is a tongue… when there is a mind, dependent on mind-contact, internal pleasure and pain arise… ‘‘When there are no hands, bhikkhus, there is no taking up and laying down; when there are no feet, there is no going forward and backward; when there are no joints, there is no bending and stretching; when there is no stomach, there is no hunger and thirst. Even so, bhikkhus, when there is no eye, dependent on eye-contact, internal pleasure and pain do not arise… when there is no tongue, dependent on tongue-contact, they do not arise… when there is no mind, dependent on mind-contact, internal pleasure and pain do not arise.’’ The tenth. The Chapter on the Ocean is the eighteenth. Its summary: Two Oceans, a Fisherman, a Milk Tree, a Granary; Kāmabhū, Udāyī, and the eighth with the Burning; Two with the Hand and Foot simile, thus is the chapter called. 19. The Chapter on the Vipers 1. The Simile of the Viper Sutta ‘‘Just as, bhikkhus, there are four vipers, of fierce venom, of dreadful poison. Then a man would come, desirous of life, not desirous of death, desirous of happiness, averse to suffering. They would say to him thus: ‘These, good man, are four vipers, of fierce venom, of dreadful poison, to be aroused from time to time, to be bathed from time to time, to be fed from time to time, to be put to rest from time to time. And when, good man, any one of these four vipers, of fierce venom, of dreadful poison, becomes agitated, then you, good man, will meet with death, or suffering like death. Whatever you, good man, need to do, do it.’ ‘‘Then that man, bhikkhus, frightened of four fierce, venomous, dreadful snakes, he would flee this way or that way. Then they would say to him thus: ‘Indeed, sir, these five murderers, enemies, are following close behind you; wherever we see you, there we will take your life.’ ‘Whatever you need to do, sir, do it!’” “Then, monks, that man, frightened of the four fierce, venomous, dreadful snakes, frightened of the five murderers, enemies, would flee this way or that way. Then they would say to him thus: ‘Sir, this sixth murderer, a highwayman with a drawn sword, is following close behind you; wherever I see you, there I will strike off your head.’ ‘Whatever you need to do, sir, do it!’” “Then, monks, that man, frightened of the four fierce, venomous, dreadful snakes, frightened of the five murderers, enemies, frightened of the sixth murderer, the highwayman with a drawn sword, would flee this way or that way. He would see a deserted village. Whatever house he might enter, he would enter it empty, he would enter it hollow, he would enter it deserted. Whatever vessel he might touch, he would touch it empty, he would touch it hollow, he would touch it deserted. Then they would say to him thus: ‘Now, sir, robbers, village-destroyers, are entering this deserted village.’ ‘Whatever you need to do, sir, do it!’” “Then, monks, that man, frightened of the four fierce, venomous, dreadful snakes, frightened of the five murderers, enemies, frightened of the sixth murderer, the highwayman with a drawn sword, frightened of the robbers, the village-destroyers, would flee this way or that way. He would see a great ocean of water, with the near shore full of danger and peril, and the far shore safe. is without fear. And there is no boat for him to cross, no bridge to go from this shore to the other. Then, bhikkhus, it occurs to that man: 'This great ocean has this shore full of danger and fear, the other shore is safe and without fear. And there is no boat for crossing, no bridge to go from this shore to the other. What if I were to gather grass, wood, branches, and leaves, build a raft, and relying on that raft, striving with my hands and feet, safely reach the other shore?'" "Then, bhikkhus, that man, having gathered grass, wood, branches, and leaves, built a raft, and relying on that raft, striving with his hands and feet, safely reached the other shore. Having crossed, having gone to the other shore, he stands on dry land, a brahmin." "This simile, bhikkhus, I have made to convey the meaning. And this is the meaning here: 'Four fierce, highly venomous asps' is, bhikkhus, a designation for the four great elements: the earth element, the water element, the fire element, the air element. 'Five murderous enemies' is, bhikkhus, 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. 'The sixth, the wandering murderer with drawn sword' is, bhikkhus, a designation for delight and lust. 'The empty village' is, bhikkhus, a designation for the six internal sense bases. If, bhikkhus, a wise, skilled, intelligent person examines it through the eye, it appears empty, it appears void, it appears deserted... ...if, bhikkhus, through the tongue... ...if, bhikkhus, a wise, skilled, intelligent person examines it through the mind, it appears empty, it appears empty, it appears void. “Robbers, village-destroyers,” monks, is a designation for the six external sense bases. The eye, monks, is harmed by agreeable and disagreeable forms; the ear, monks… (and so on) … the nose, monks… (and so on) … the tongue, monks, is harmed by agreeable and disagreeable tastes; the body, monks… (and so on) … the mind, monks, is harmed by agreeable and disagreeable mental phenomena. “The great ocean,” monks, is a designation for the four floods: the flood of sensuality, the flood of becoming, the flood of views, the flood of ignorance. “This shore, fearful and perilous,” monks, is a designation for the existing body. “That shore, safe and fearless,” monks, is a designation for Nibbāna. “A raft,” monks, is a designation for the Noble Eightfold Path, that is to say: right view… (and so on) … right concentration. “Striving with his hands and feet,” monks, is a designation for the arousal of energy. “Crossed over, gone to the far shore, standing on dry land, a brahmin,” monks, is a designation for an Arahant. 2. The Simile of the Chariot 239. “Possessed of three qualities, monks, a monk dwells much in happiness and joy in this very life, and his effort is aroused for the destruction of the taints. Which three? He is a guardian of the doors of his senses, moderate in eating, and devoted to wakefulness. “And how, monks, is a monk a guardian of the doors of his senses? Here, monks, seeing a form with the eye, a monk does not grasp at its general appearance, nor at its details. Because of that through which evil unwholesome states of covetousness and distress might invade him while he dwells with the eye-faculty unrestrained, he practices for its restraint; he guards the eye-faculty; he undertakes the restraint of the eye-faculty. Hearing a sound with the ear… smelling a smell with the nose… tasting a taste with the tongue… having touched a tangible with the body… having cognized a mental object with the mind, he is not a grasper of signs, not a grasper of secondary characteristics. For the restraint of that by which, if the mind-faculty were to remain unrestrained, evil unwholesome states of covetousness and displeasure might flow in upon him, he practices for its restraint. He guards the mind-faculty. He undertakes the restraint of the mind-faculty. Just as, bhikkhus, at a crossroads on level ground, a thoroughbred chariot might be yoked and standing, with the goad laid down. Then a skillful trainer of horses, a charioteer tamer of steeds, having mounted it, would take the reins with his left hand, and the goad with his right hand, and drive it wherever he wished, and turn it back wherever he wished. Even so, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu trains for the guarding of these six faculties, he trains for their restraint, he trains for their taming, he trains for their appeasement. Thus, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is one whose doors are guarded in the faculties. And how, bhikkhus, is a bhikkhu moderate in eating? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu reflects wisely and takes food: ‘Not for sport, not for indulgence, not for adornment, not for beautification, but only for the maintenance and sustenance of this body, for the cessation of harm, for the support of the holy life,’ thinking: ‘Thus I shall put an end to old feelings, and I shall not give rise to new feelings, and there will be for me maintenance, and blamelessness, and a comfortable abiding.’ Just as, bhikkhus, a man might anoint a wound only for the purpose of healing, or just as he might grease an axle only for the purpose of carrying a load; even so, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu reflects wisely and takes food: ‘Not for sport, not for indulgence, not for adornment, not for beautification, but only for the maintenance and sustenance of this body, for the cessation of harm, for the support of the holy life,’ thinking: ‘Thus I shall put an end to old feelings, and I shall not give rise to new feelings, and there will be for me maintenance, and blamelessness, and a comfortable abiding.’ I will put an end to the old, and not produce new feelings, and there will be a journey for me, and blamelessness, and a comfortable abiding. Thus, monks, a monk is moderate in food. And how, monks, is a monk devoted to wakefulness? Here, monks, a monk purifies his mind from obstructive states during the day, by walking and sitting. In the first watch of the night, he purifies his mind from obstructive states by walking and sitting. In the middle watch of the night,