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one would rightly say of a woman: 'The all-encompassing snare of Māra.'" One may converse with one holding a sword, one may converse even with a demon; One may approach even a poisonous snake, by which bitten one does not live. But never alone with a woman, should one converse; They bind the unmindful, with a glance and a smile. And also with ill-cladness, and with sweet speech; This person is not easily approached, even when exposed, even dead. These five strands of sensuality, are seen in the form of a woman; Sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and delightful touches. Those swept away by the flood of desires, not understanding desires; They are propelled through time, through existence and non-existence, in transmigration. But those who fully understand desires, and live without fear; They indeed have reached the other shore in the world, those who have attained the destruction of the defilements. Fifth. 6. The Discourse on the Preceptor 56. Then a certain monk approached his preceptor; having approached, he said to his preceptor: "Just now, venerable sir, my body is as if intoxicated, and the directions are not clear to me, and the teachings do not appear to me, and sloth and torpor have taken hold of my mind, and I live the holy life without delight, and there is doubt in me concerning the teachings." Then that monk, taking that fellow disciple, approached the Blessed One; having approached and saluted the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, that monk said to the Blessed One: "This, venerable sir, “Venerable sir, my body is now like a honey-cake, and the directions are not clear to me, and the teachings do not appear to me, and sloth and torpor overwhelm my mind, and I live the holy life discontented, and I have doubt about the teachings.” “So it is, bhikkhu, for one who is unguarded in the sense faculties, immoderate in food, not devoted to wakefulness, not discerning of wholesome states, not devoted to the development of the states conducive to awakening during the first and last parts of the night. His body is like a honey-cake, and the directions are not clear to him, and the teachings do not appear to him, and sloth and torpor overwhelm his mind, and he lives the holy life discontented, and he has doubt about the teachings. Therefore, bhikkhu, you should train yourself thus: ‘I will be guarded in the sense faculties, moderate in food, devoted to wakefulness, discerning of wholesome states, devoted to the development of the states conducive to awakening during the first and last parts of the night.’ Thus, bhikkhu, you should train yourself.” Then that bhikkhu, admonished by the Blessed One with this admonition, rose from his seat, saluted the Blessed One, and keeping him on his right, departed. Then that bhikkhu, dwelling alone, secluded, diligent, ardent, resolute, not long thereafter, by realizing it for himself with direct knowledge in this very life, entered upon and abode in that unsurpassed culmination of the holy life, for the sake of which sons of good families rightly go forth from home to homelessness. He understood: “Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.” And that bhikkhu became one of the Arahants. Then that bhikkhu, having attained arahantship, approached his own preceptor; having approached, he said to his preceptor: “Venerable sir, now I am not…” My body is refreshed, the directions are clear to me, the teachings shine forth for me, my mind is not overcome by sloth and torpor, I delight in living the holy life, and I have no doubt about the teachings." Then that bhikkhu, taking that co-resident bhikkhu, approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he saluted the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, that bhikkhu said this to the Blessed One: "This bhikkhu, venerable sir, says thus: 'Now, venerable sir, my body is refreshed, the directions are clear to me, the teachings shine forth for me, my mind is not overcome by sloth and torpor, I delight in living the holy life, and I have no doubt about the teachings.'" "Thus it is, bhikkhu, for one with guarded sense doors, moderate in eating, devoted to wakefulness, discerning wholesome states, living devoted to the development of the factors of awakening in the first and last watches of the night, that his body is refreshed, and the directions are clear to him, and the teachings shine forth for him, and his mind is not overcome by sloth and torpor, and he delights in living the holy life, and he has no doubt about the teachings. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: 'We will be those with guarded sense doors, moderate in eating, devoted to wakefulness, discerning wholesome states, living devoted to the development of the factors of awakening in the first and last watches of the night.' Thus, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves." The Sixth. 7. The Discourse on Things to Be Frequently Reflected Upon. 57. "These five things, bhikkhus, should be frequently reflected upon by a woman or a man, by a householder or one gone forth. Which five? 'I am subject to aging; I have not gone beyond aging'— this should be frequently reflected upon by a woman or a man." 'I am subject to sickness, I have not gone beyond sickness,' this should be constantly reflected upon by a woman or a man, by a householder or a renunciant. 'I am subject to death, I have not gone beyond death,' this should be constantly reflected upon by a woman or a man, by a householder or a renunciant. 'From all that is dear and pleasing to me, there will be separation, there will be parting,' this should be constantly reflected upon by a woman or a man, by a householder or a renunciant. 'I am the owner of my kamma, heir to my kamma, born of my kamma, related through my kamma, supported by my kamma. Whatever kamma I shall do, whether good or evil, of that I shall be the heir,' this should be constantly reflected upon by a woman or a man, by a householder or a renunciant. And for what reason, bhikkhus, should it be constantly reflected upon: 'I am subject to old age, I have not gone beyond old age,' by a woman or a man, by a householder or a renunciant? There is, bhikkhus, the intoxication of youth in beings, by which intoxication, being heedless, they commit misconduct by body, they commit misconduct by speech, they commit misconduct by mind. For one who constantly reflects on that fact, the intoxication of youth is either completely abandoned or becomes attenuated. It is for this reason, bhikkhus, that it should be constantly reflected upon: 'I am subject to old age, I have not gone beyond old age,' by a woman or a man, by a householder or a renunciant. And for what reason, bhikkhus, should it be constantly reflected upon: 'I am subject to sickness, I have not gone beyond sickness,' by a woman or a man, by a householder or a renunciant? There is, bhikkhus, the intoxication of health in beings, by which intoxication, being heedless, they commit misconduct by body, they commit misconduct by speech, they commit misconduct by mind. For one who constantly reflects on that fact, the intoxication of health is either completely abandoned or becomes attenuated. It is for this reason, monks, Monks, for this purpose, 'I am subject to sickness, I have not gone beyond sickness' should be frequently reflected upon by a woman or a man, by a layperson or one gone forth. And what, monks, is the purpose for which 'I am subject to death, I have not gone beyond death' should be frequently reflected upon by a woman or a man, by a layperson or one gone forth? There is, monks, in beings, the intoxication of life in life, intoxicated by which intoxication they commit bad conduct by body, they commit bad conduct by speech, they commit bad conduct by mind. For one frequently reflecting on that state, that intoxication of life in life is entirely abandoned or becomes attenuated. This, monks, is the purpose for which 'I am subject to death, I have not gone beyond death' should be frequently reflected upon by a woman or a man, by a layperson or one gone forth. And what, monks, is the purpose for which 'From all that is dear and pleasing to me, there will be separation, disunion' should be frequently reflected upon by a woman or a man, by a layperson or one gone forth? There is, monks, in beings, desire-passion for what is dear and pleasing, attached by which passion they commit bad conduct by body, they commit bad conduct by speech, they commit bad conduct by mind. For one frequently reflecting on that state, that desire-passion for what is dear and pleasing is entirely abandoned or becomes attenuated. This, monks, is the purpose for which 'From all that is dear and pleasing to me, there will be separation, disunion' should be frequently reflected upon by a woman or a man, by a layperson or one gone forth. And what, monks, is the purpose for which 'I am owner of my kamma, heir to my kamma, born of my kamma, related to my kamma, supported by my kamma, whatever kamma I shall do – good or evil – of that I shall be the heir' should be frequently reflected upon by a woman or a man, by a layperson or one gone forth? There is, monks, in beings... Their bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental misconduct. For one who frequently reflects on this matter, misconduct is entirely abandoned, or it becomes attenuated. This, bhikkhus, is a reason why 'I am owner of my kamma, heir to my kamma, born of my kamma, related to my kamma, supported by my kamma. Whatever kamma I shall do— whether good or evil— of that I shall be the heir,' should be frequently reflected upon by a woman or a man, by a householder or one gone forth. That noble disciple, bhikkhus, reflects thus: 'It is not only I who am subject to aging, not beyond aging. But all beings, wherever they come, go, pass away, and reappear— all beings are subject to aging, not beyond aging.'