“Bhikkhus, suppose a man with wounded and festering limbs were to enter a wood of thorny reeds. To him, the Kusa thorns would prick the feet and the reed blades would slash the limbs. Thereby that man, bhikkhus, would to an even greater extent experience pain and |mental distress::dejection, depression, unhappiness, grief, negative state of mind [domanassa]|.
So too, bhikkhus, some bhikkhu here, gone to the village or the forest, meets someone who reproaches him thus: ‘This venerable one, acting in such a way, behaving in such a way, is a foul village thorn.’ Having understood him thus as a ‘thorn,’ one should understand |restraint::holding back [saṁvara]| and non-restraint.
Non-restraint
And how, bhikkhus is there non-restraint?
Here, a bhikkhu, having seen a form with the eye, |is drawn to::is inclined to, is resolved on [adhimuccati]| |agreeable forms::agreeable forms—cherished, delightful, or endearing appearances, objects, beings (such as people or animals) [piyarūpe]|, and |is repelled by::is hostile to [byāpajjati]| disagreeable forms. He dwells without having set up mindfulness of the body, |with a constricted mind::with an unwholesome mind [parittacetasa]|. And he does not understand |as it truly is::as it has come to be, in reality [yathābhūta]|, that |liberation of mind::emancipated by mind/heart, samādhi obtained from fruition [cetovimutti]| and |liberation by wisdom::emancipation by insight [paññāvimutti]| wherein, those arisen |harmful::injurious, destructive, bad, or evil [pāpaka]|, |unwholesome::unhealthy, unskillful, unbeneficial, or karmically unprofitable [akusala]| mental qualities cease without remainder.
The bhikkhu, having heard a sound with the ear, is drawn to |agreeable sounds::agreeable sounds—cherished, delightful, or endearing sounds, noises, or voices [piyasaddā]|, and is repelled by disagreeable sounds. He dwells without having set up mindfulness of the body, with a constricted mind. And he does not understand as it truly is, that liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom wherein, those arisen harmful, unwholesome mental qualities cease without remainder.
The bhikkhu, having smelled an odor with the nose, is drawn to |agreeable odors::agreeable odors—cherished, delightful, or endearing scents, fragrances, or aromas [piyagandhā]|, and is repelled by disagreeable odors. He dwells without having set up mindfulness of the body, with a constricted mind. And he does not understand as it truly is, that liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom wherein, those arisen harmful, unwholesome mental qualities cease without remainder.
The bhikkhu, having tasted a flavor with the tongue, is drawn to |agreeable tastes::agreeable tastes—cherished, delightful, or endearing flavors, tastes, or sensations [piyarasā]|, and is repelled by disagreeable tastes. He dwells without having set up mindfulness of the body, with a constricted mind. And he does not understand as it truly is, that liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom wherein, those arisen harmful, unwholesome mental qualities cease without remainder.
The bhikkhu, having felt a touch with the body, is drawn to |agreeable touches::agreeable touches—cherished, delightful, or endearing physical sensations, textures, or contacts [piyaphoṭṭhabbā]|, and is repelled by disagreeable touches. He dwells without having set up mindfulness of the body, with a constricted mind. And he does not understand as it truly is, that liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom wherein, those arisen harmful, unwholesome mental qualities cease without remainder.
The bhikkhu, having cognized a mental object with the mind, is drawn to |agreeable mental objects::agreeable mental objects—cherished, delightful, or endearing thoughts, ideas, memories, emotions, intentions, perceptions, concepts, beliefs, or mental images [piyadhammā]|, and is repelled by disagreeable mental objects. He dwells without having set up mindfulness of the body, with a constricted mind. And he does not understand as it truly is, that liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom wherein, those arisen harmful, unwholesome mental qualities cease without remainder.
Suppose, bhikkhus, a man would catch six animals—with different domains and different feeding grounds—and tie them by a strong rope. He would take a snake and bind it with a strong rope. He would take a crocodile and bind it with a strong rope. He would take a bird and bind it with a strong rope. He would take a dog and bind it with a strong rope. He would take a jackal and bind it with a strong rope. He would take a monkey and bind it with a strong rope. Having done so, he would tie the ropes together with a knot in the middle and let the animals go.
Then those six animals with different domains and different feeding grounds would each pull in the direction of its own feeding ground and domain. The snake would pull one way, thinking, ‘Let me enter an anthill.’ The crocodile would pull another way, thinking, ‘Let me enter the water.’ The bird would pull another way, thinking, ‘Let me fly up into the sky.’ The dog would pull another way, thinking, ‘Let me enter a village.’ The jackal would pull another way, thinking, ‘Let me enter a charnel ground.’ The monkey would pull another way, thinking, ‘Let me enter a forest.’ Now when these six animals become worn out and fatigued, they would be dominated by the one among them that was strongest; they would submit to it and come under its control.
So too, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu has not |cultivated::developed [bhāvita]| and frequently practiced mindfulness directed to the body, his eye pulls in the direction of agreeable forms, and he is repelled by disagreeable forms. His ear pulls in the direction of agreeable sounds, and he is repelled by disagreeable sounds. His nose pulls in the direction of agreeable odors, and he is repelled by disagreeable odors. His tongue pulls in the direction of agreeable tastes, and he is repelled by disagreeable tastes. His body pulls in the direction of agreeable touches, and he is repelled by disagreeable touches. His mind pulls in the direction of agreeable mental objects, and he is repelled by disagreeable mental objects.
It is in this way, bhikkhus, that there is non-restraint.
Restraint
And how, bhikkhus, is there restraint?
Here, a bhikkhu, having seen a form with the eye, is not drawn to agreeable forms nor repelled by disagreeable forms. He dwells having set up mindfulness of the body, with a boundless mind. And he understands as it truly is, that liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom wherein, those arisen harmful, unwholesome mental qualities cease without remainder.
The bhikkhu, having heard a sound with the ear, is not drawn to agreeable sounds nor repelled by disagreeable sounds. He dwells having set up mindfulness of the body, with a boundless mind. And he understands as it truly is, that liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom wherein, those arisen harmful, unwholesome mental qualities cease without remainder.
The bhikkhu, having smelled an odor with the nose, is not drawn to agreeable odors nor repelled by disagreeable odors. He dwells having set up mindfulness of the body, with a boundless mind. And he understands as it truly is, that liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom wherein, those arisen harmful, unwholesome mental qualities cease without remainder.
The bhikkhu, having tasted a flavor with the tongue, is not drawn to agreeable tastes nor repelled by disagreeable tastes. He dwells having set up mindfulness of the body, with a boundless mind. And he understands as it truly is, that liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom wherein, those arisen harmful, unwholesome mental qualities cease without remainder.
The bhikkhu, having felt a touch with the body, is not drawn to agreeable touches nor repelled by disagreeable touches. He dwells having set up mindfulness of the body, with a boundless mind. And he understands as it truly is, that liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom wherein, those arisen harmful, unwholesome mental qualities cease without remainder.
The bhikkhu, having cognized a mental object with the mind, is not drawn to agreeable mental objects nor repelled by disagreeable mental objects. He dwells having set up mindfulness of the body, with a boundless mind. And he understands as it truly is, that liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom wherein, those arisen harmful, unwholesome mental qualities cease without remainder.
Suppose, bhikkhus, a man would catch six animals—with different domains and different feeding grounds—and tie them by a strong rope. He would take a snake and bind it with a strong rope. He would take a crocodile and bind it with a strong rope. He would take a bird and bind it with a strong rope. He would take a dog and bind it with a strong rope. He would take a jackal and bind it with a strong rope. He would take a monkey and bind it with a strong rope. Having done so, he would bind them to a strong post or pillar.
Then those six animals with different domains and different feeding grounds would each pull in the direction of its own feeding ground and domain. The snake would pull one way, thinking, ‘Let me enter an anthill.’ The crocodile would pull another way, thinking, ‘Let me enter the water.’ The bird would pull another way, thinking, ‘Let me fly up into the sky.’ The dog would pull another way, thinking, ‘Let me enter a village.’ The jackal would pull another way, thinking, ‘Let me enter a charnel ground.’ The monkey would pull another way, thinking, ‘Let me enter a forest.’ Now when these six animals become worn out and fatigued, they would stand close to that post or pillar, they would sit down there, they would lie down there.
So too, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu has cultivated and frequently practiced mindfulness directed to the body, his eye does not pull in the direction of agreeable forms nor is he repelled by disagreeable forms, his ear does not pull in the direction of agreeable sounds nor is he repelled by disagreeable sounds, his nose does not pull in the direction of agreeable smells nor is he repelled by disagreeable smells, his tongue does not pull in the direction of agreeable tastes nor is he repelled by disagreeable tastes, his body does not pull in the direction of agreeable touches nor is he repelled by disagreeable touches, and his mind does not pull in the direction of agreeable mental objects nor is he repelled by disagreeable mental objects. It is in this way, bhikkhus, that there is restraint.
‘Strong post or pillar,’ bhikkhus, is a designation for mindfulness directed to the body.
Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will cultivate and frequently practice mindfulness directed to the body, make it our vehicle, make it our basis, firmly establish it, nurture it, and |resolutely undertake it::fully engage with it [susamāraddha]|.’ Thus, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves.”