8.
The Discourse on the Cook
374.
"Just as, monks, a foolish, inexperienced, unwholesome cook might serve a king or a king's chief minister with various kinds of curries -
with sour portions, with bitter portions, with pungent portions, with sweet portions, with alkaline ones, with non-alkaline ones, with salty ones, with unsalty ones.
"That foolish, inexperienced, unwholesome cook, monks, does not learn the sign of his own master - 'Today this curry pleases my master, or he reaches out for this, or he takes much of this, or he praises this. Or today the sour portion pleases my master as curry, or he reaches out for the sour portion, or he takes much of the sour portion, or he praises the sour portion. Or today the bitter portion... or today the pungent portion... or today the sweet portion... or today the alkaline... or today the non-alkaline... or today the salty... or today the unsalty pleases my master as curry, or he reaches out for the unsalty, or he takes much of the unsalty, or he praises the unsalty.'
"That foolish, inexperienced, unwholesome cook, monks, is not an obtainer of clothing, not an obtainer of wages, not an obtainer of gifts. What is the reason for this? Because that foolish, inexperienced, unwholesome cook, monks, does not learn the sign of his own master. So too, monks, here a certain foolish, inexperienced, unwholesome monk dwells observing the body in the body, ardent, fully aware, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure regarding the world. For him dwelling observing the body in the body, the mind does not become concentrated, the mental impurities are not abandoned. He does not learn that sign. He dwells observing feelings in feelings... etc. he dwells observing mind in mind... etc. He dwells observing mental phenomena in mental phenomena, ardent, fully aware, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure regarding the world. For him dwelling observing mental phenomena in mental phenomena, the mind does not become concentrated, the mental impurities are not abandoned. He does not learn that sign.
"That foolish, inexperienced, unwholesome monk, monks, is not an obtainer of pleasant abidings in this very life, not an obtainer of mindfulness and full awareness. What is the reason for this? Because that foolish, inexperienced, unwholesome monk, monks, does not learn the sign of his own mind.
"Just as, monks, a wise, experienced, wholesome cook might serve a king or a king's chief minister with various kinds of curries - with sour portions, with bitter portions, with pungent portions, with sweet portions, with alkaline ones, with non-alkaline ones, with salty ones, with unsalty ones.
"That wise, experienced, wholesome cook, monks, learns the sign of his own master - 'Today this curry pleases my master, or he reaches out for this, or he takes much of this, or he praises this. Or today the sour portion pleases my master as curry, or he reaches out for the sour portion, or he takes much of the sour portion, or he praises the sour portion. Or today the bitter portion... or today the pungent portion... or today the sweet portion... or today the alkaline... or today the non-alkaline... or today the salty... or today the unsalty pleases my master as curry, or he reaches out for the unsalty, or he takes much of the unsalty, or he praises the unsalty.'
"That wise, experienced, skilful cook, monks, is an obtainer of clothing, an obtainer of wages, an obtainer of gifts. What is the reason for this? Because that wise, experienced, skilful cook, monks, learns the sign of his own master. So too, monks, here a certain wise, experienced, skilful monk dwells observing the body in the body, ardent, fully aware, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure regarding the world. For him dwelling observing the body in the body, the mind becomes concentrated, the impurities are abandoned. He learns that sign. He dwells observing feelings in feelings... etc. he dwells observing mind in mind... etc. He dwells observing mental phenomena in mental phenomena, ardent, fully aware, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure regarding the world. For him dwelling observing mental phenomena in mental phenomena, the mind becomes concentrated, the impurities are abandoned. He learns that sign.
"That wise, experienced, skilful monk, monks, is an obtainer of pleasant abidings in this very life, he is an obtainer of mindfulness and full awareness. What is the reason for this? Because that wise, experienced, skilful monk, monks, learns the sign of his own mind." The eighth.