11.
The Discourse on the Sheaf of Barley
248.
"Just as, monks, a sheaf of barley might be placed at a crossroads.
Then six men might come with carrying-poles in hand.
They might strike that sheaf of barley with six carrying-poles.
Thus indeed, monks, that sheaf of barley would be well struck, being struck with six carrying-poles.
Then a seventh man might come with a carrying-pole in hand.
He might strike that sheaf of barley with a seventh carrying-pole.
Thus indeed, monks, that sheaf of barley would be even more thoroughly struck, being struck with a seventh carrying-pole.
So too, monks, an ignorant worldling is struck at the eye by agreeable and disagreeable forms... etc.
is struck at the tongue by agreeable and disagreeable flavours... etc.
is struck at the mind by agreeable and disagreeable mental phenomena.
If, monks, that ignorant worldling intends for future renewed existence, thus indeed, monks, that foolish man is even more thoroughly struck, just as that sheaf of barley being struck with a seventh carrying-pole.
"Once in the past, monks, there was a battle between the gods and the titans that was fully engaged. Then, monks, Vepacitti, the lord of titans, addressed the titans - 'If, sirs, in the battle between the gods and titans that is fully engaged, the titans should win and the gods should be defeated, then bind Sakka, the lord of the gods, with bonds including the neck as the fifth, and bring him to my presence in the titan city.' Sakka too, monks, the lord of the gods, addressed the gods of the Thirty-three - 'If, sirs, in the battle between the gods and titans that is fully engaged, the gods should win and the titans should be defeated, then bind Vepacitti, the lord of titans, with bonds including the neck as the fifth, and bring him to my presence in the Sudhamma assembly hall of the gods.' Now in that battle, monks, the gods won, the titans were defeated. Then, monks, the gods of the Thirty-three, having bound Vepacitti, the lord of titans, with bonds including the neck as the fifth, brought him to the presence of Sakka, the lord of the gods, in the Sudhamma assembly hall of the gods. There, monks, Vepacitti, the lord of titans, was bound with bonds including the neck as the fifth. When, monks, it occurred to Vepacitti, the lord of titans, thus - 'The gods are righteous, the titans are unrighteous. Now I shall go right here to the city of the gods.' Then he perceived himself freed from the bonds including the neck as the fifth, and endowed and furnished with the five kinds of celestial sensual pleasure, he indulged himself. But when, monks, it occurred to Vepacitti, the lord of titans, thus - 'The titans are righteous, the gods are unrighteous. Now I shall go right there to the titan city.' Then he perceived himself bound with bonds including the neck as the fifth. And he declined from the five kinds of celestial sensual pleasure. So subtle, monks, is the bondage of Vepacitti. More subtle than that is the bondage of Māra. Imagining, monks, one is bound by Māra; not imagining, one is released from the Evil One.
"'I am', monks, this is imagining; 'I am this' is imagining; 'I shall be' is imagining; 'I shall not be' is imagining; 'I shall be material' is imagining; 'I shall be formless' is imagining; 'I shall be percipient' is imagining; 'I shall be non-percipient' is imagining; 'I shall be neither percipient nor non-percipient' is imagining. Imagining, monks, is a disease; imagining is a boil; imagining is a dart. Therefore, monks, 'We will dwell with a mind not imagining' - thus indeed, monks, should you train.
"'I am', monks, this is perturbable, 'I am this' is perturbable, 'I shall be' is perturbable, 'I shall not be' is perturbable, 'I shall be material' is perturbable, 'I shall be formless' is perturbable, 'I shall be percipient' is perturbable, 'I shall be non-percipient' is perturbable, 'I shall be neither percipient nor non-percipient' is perturbable. Perturbable, monks, is a disease, perturbable is a boil, perturbable is a dart. Therefore, monks, 'We will dwell with an unperturbed mind' - thus indeed, monks, should you train.
"'I am', monks, this is agitation, 'I am this' is agitation, 'I shall be' etc. 'I shall not be'... 'I shall be material'... 'I shall be formless'... 'I shall be percipient'... 'I shall be non-percipient'... 'I shall be neither percipient nor non-percipient' is agitation. Agitation, monks, is a disease, agitation is a boil, agitation is a dart. Therefore, monks, 'We will dwell with an unagitated mind' - thus indeed, monks, should you train.
"'I am', monks, this is obsessed, 'I am this' is obsessed, 'I shall be' etc. 'I shall not be'... 'I shall be material'... 'I shall be formless'... 'I shall be percipient'... 'I shall be non-percipient'... 'I shall be neither percipient nor non-percipient' is obsessed. Obsessed, monks, is a disease, obsessed is a boil, obsessed is a dart. Therefore, monks, 'We will dwell with a mind without obsession' - thus indeed, monks, should you train.
"'I am', monks, this is gone to conceit, 'I am this' is gone to conceit, 'I shall be' is gone to conceit, 'I shall not be' is gone to conceit, 'I shall be material' is gone to conceit, 'I shall be formless' is gone to conceit, 'I shall be percipient' is gone to conceit, 'I shall be non-percipient' is gone to conceit, 'I shall be neither percipient nor non-percipient' is gone to conceit. Gone to conceit, monks, is a disease, gone to conceit is a boil, gone to conceit is a dart. Therefore, monks, 'We will dwell with a mind with conceit destroyed' - thus indeed, monks, should you train." The eleventh.