1.
The Discourse on the Simile of the Vipers
238.
"Just as, monks, there were four venomous snakes of fierce heat and deadly venom.
Then a man might come along, wishing to live, not wishing to die, wishing for happiness, averse to suffering.
They might say to him thus -
'These, hey man, are four venomous snakes of fierce heat and deadly venom; from time to time they must be roused, from time to time they must be bathed, from time to time they must be fed, from time to time they must be put to sleep.
And when, hey man, one or another of these four venomous snakes of fierce heat and deadly venom becomes angry, then you, hey man, will undergo death or suffering like death.
Whatever is to be done by you, hey man, do that.'
"Then, monks, that man, frightened of the four venomous snakes of fierce heat and deadly venom, might flee here and there. They might say to him thus - 'These, hey man, are five murderous enemies following closely behind you; wherever we see him, right there we will deprive him of life. Whatever is to be done by you, hey man, do that.'
"Then, monks, that man, frightened of the four venomous snakes of fierce heat and deadly venom, frightened of the five murderous enemies, might flee here and there. They might say to him thus - 'This, hey man, is a sixth murderer, an intimate companion with drawn sword, following closely behind you; wherever I see him, right there I will strike off his head. Whatever is to be done by you, hey man, do that.'
"Then, monks, that man, frightened of the four venomous snakes of fierce heat and deadly venom, frightened of the five murderous enemies, frightened of the sixth murderer, the intimate companion with drawn sword, might flee here and there. He might see an empty village. Whatever house he might enter, he would enter only what is void, he would enter only what is hollow, he would enter only what is empty. Whatever vessel he might feel, he would feel only what is void, he would feel only what is hollow, he would feel only what is empty. They might say to him thus - 'Now, hey man, thieves who sack villages are entering this empty village. Whatever is to be done by you, hey man, do that.'
"Then, monks, that man, frightened of the four venomous snakes of fierce heat and deadly venom, frightened of the five murderous enemies, frightened of the sixth murderer, the intimate companion with drawn sword, frightened of the thieves who sack villages, might flee here and there. He might see a great expanse of water, the near shore dangerous and perilous, the far shore secure and without peril. And there would be no boat for crossing over, nor a bridge over to go from the near shore to the far shore. Then, monks, it might occur to that man - 'This is a great expanse of water, the near shore is dangerous and perilous, the far shore is secure and without peril; and there is no boat for crossing over, nor a bridge over to go from the near shore to the far shore. What if I, having collected grass, sticks, branches and leaves, having bound a raft, in dependence on that raft, striving with hands and feet, were to cross over safely to the far shore.'
"Then, monks, that man, having collected grass, sticks, branches and leaves, having bound a raft, in dependence on that raft, striving with hands and feet, would cross over safely to the far shore; one who has crossed over, gone beyond, the brahmin stands on dry ground.
"This simile, monks, has been made by me for the purpose of conveying the meaning. And here this is the meaning - 'Four venomous snakes of fierce heat and deadly venom', monks, this is a designation for the four primary elements - the solid element, the liquid element, the heat element, the air element.
"'Five murderous enemies', monks, this is a designation for these five aggregates of clinging, as follows - the aggregate of clinging to matter, the aggregate of clinging to feeling, the aggregate of clinging to perception, the aggregate of clinging to activities, the aggregate of clinging to consciousness.
"'The sixth murderer, an insider prowler with drawn sword', monks, this is a designation for delight and lust.
"'Empty village', monks, this is a designation for these six internal sense bases. If a wise, experienced, intelligent person investigates it from the eye, monks, it appears only void, it appears only hollow, it appears only empty, etc. If from the tongue, monks, etc. If a wise, experienced, intelligent person investigates it from the mind, monks, it appears only void, it appears only hollow, it appears only empty.
"'Thieves, village destroyers', monks, this is a designation for these six external sense bases. The eye, monks, is destroyed by agreeable and disagreeable forms; the ear, monks, etc. the nose, monks, etc. the tongue, monks, is destroyed by agreeable and disagreeable flavours; the body, monks, etc. the mind, monks, is destroyed by agreeable and disagreeable mental phenomena.
"'Great expanse of water', monks, this is a designation for these four mental floods - the mental flood of sensuality, the mental flood of existence, the mental flood of views, the mental flood of ignorance.
"'The near shore, dangerous and perilous', monks, this is a designation for identity.
"'The far shore, secure and without peril', monks, this is a designation for Nibbāna.
"'Raft', monks, this is a designation for the noble eightfold path, as follows - right view, etc. right concentration.
"'His effort with hands and feet', monks, this is a designation for the arousal of energy.
"'One who has crossed over, gone beyond, the brahmin stands on dry ground', monks, this is a designation for the worthy one." The first.