4.
The Discourse on Restraint
14.
"There are, monks, these four strivings.
What are the four?
Striving by restraint, striving by abandonment, striving by development, striving by protection.
And what, monks, is striving by restraint?
Here, monks, a monk, having seen a form with the eye, is not one who grasps at signs, nor one who grasps at features.
Since, if he were to dwell with the eye-faculty unrestrained, covetousness, displeasure, and evil unwholesome mental states would flow in upon him, he proceeds to restrain it, he guards the eye-faculty, he commits to restraint of the eye-faculty.
Having heard a sound with the ear...
Having smelled an odour with the nose.
Having tasted a flavour with the tongue.
having touched a tangible object with the body...
Having cognised a mental object with the mind, he is not one who grasps at signs, nor one who grasps at features. Since, if he were to dwell with the mind-faculty unrestrained, covetousness, displeasure, and evil unwholesome mental states would flow in upon him, he proceeds to restrain it, he guards the mind-faculty, he commits to restraint of the mind-faculty.
This is called, monks, striving by restraint.
"And what, monks, is striving by abandonment? Here, monks, a monk does not accept an arisen sensual thought, he abandons it, dispels it, puts an end to it, brings it to obliteration; an arisen thought of anger... etc. an arisen thought of violence... etc. Whatever evil unwholesome mental states have arisen, he does not accept them, he abandons them, dispels them, puts an end to them, brings them to obliteration. This is called, monks, striving by abandonment.
"And what, monks, is striving by development? Here, monks, a monk develops the enlightenment factor of mindfulness, based upon seclusion, based upon dispassion, based upon cessation, maturing in release; he develops the enlightenment factor of investigation of phenomena... He develops the enlightenment factor of energy... He develops the enlightenment factor of rapture... He develops the enlightenment factor of tranquillity... He develops the enlightenment factor of concentration... He develops the enlightenment factor of equanimity, based upon seclusion, based upon dispassion, based upon cessation, maturing in release. This is called, monks, striving by development.
"And what, monks, is striving by protection? Here, monks, a monk guards an arisen auspicious sign of concentration - the perception of a skeleton, the perception of a worm-infested corpse, the perception of a discoloured corpse, the perception of a fissured corpse, the perception of a bloated corpse. This is called, monks, striving by protection. These, monks, are the four strivings."
These four strivings, taught by the Kinsman of the Sun;
By which an ardent monk here may reach the elimination of suffering." The fourth.