10.
The Discourse on the Beauty of the Land
386.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sumbhas at Sedaka, a market town of the Sumbhas.
There the Blessed One addressed the monks thus:
"Monks."
"Venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this:
"Just as, monks, 'The most beautiful girl in the country, the most beautiful girl in the country,' monks, a great multitude of people might gather together. 'And that most beautiful girl in the country is supremely skilled in dancing, supremely skilled in singing. The most beautiful girl in the country is dancing and singing,' monks, an even greater multitude of people might gather together. 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 - 'This, hey man, is a bowl of oil filled to the brim, to be carried between the great assembly and the most beautiful girl in the country. And a man with drawn sword will follow closely behind you. Wherever you spill even a little of it, right there he will strike off your head.' What do you think, monks, would that man, not attending to that bowl of oil, bring about heedlessness externally?" "No, Venerable Sir."
"This simile, monks, has been made by me for the purpose of conveying the meaning. And here this is the meaning - 'A bowl of oil filled to the brim', monks, this is a designation for mindfulness of the body. Therefore, monks, you should train thus - 'Mindfulness of the body will be developed by us, cultivated, mastered, made a basis of, practised, accumulated, and thoroughly undertaken.' Thus indeed, monks, should you train." The tenth.