9.
The Discourse on the Simile of the Lute
246.
"For whoever, monks, whether monk or nun, regarding forms cognisable by the eye, there should arise desire or lust or hate or delusion or aversion of mind, one should restrain the mind from that.
This path is with fear and with terror and with thorns and with thickets and is a devious way and a wrong path and a difficult passage.
This path is frequented by bad persons, this path is not frequented by good persons.
You are not worthy of this.
One should restrain the mind from forms cognisable by the eye. Etc.
For whoever, monks, whether monk or nun, regarding flavours cognisable by the tongue, etc.
regarding mental phenomena cognisable by the mind, there should arise desire or lust or hate or delusion or aversion of mind, one should restrain the mind from that.
This path is with fear and with terror and with thorns and with thickets and is a devious way and a wrong path and a difficult passage.
This path is frequented by bad persons, this path is not frequented by good persons.
You are not worthy of this.
One should restrain the mind from mental phenomena cognisable by the mind.
"Just as, monks, there might be accomplished growing corn. And the watcher of corn is heedless, and a corn-eating bull, having entered that corn, might indulge in intoxication as much as he likes, might fall into heedlessness; so too, monks, an ignorant worldling, not practising restraint regarding the six sense bases of contact, indulges in intoxication as much as he likes regarding the five kinds of sensual pleasure, falls into heedlessness.
"Just as, monks, there might be accomplished growing corn, and the watcher of corn is diligent, and a corn-eating bull might enter that corn. The watcher of corn might grasp it rightly by the nose. Having grasped it rightly by the nose, he might restrain it, having well restrained it at the upper part of the neck. Having well restrained it at the upper part of the neck, he might strike it well with a stick. Having struck it well with a stick, he might release it. For the second time, monks, etc. For the third time, monks, the corn-eating bull might enter that corn. The watcher of corn might grasp it rightly by the nose. Having grasped it rightly by the nose, he might restrain it, having well restrained it at the upper part of the neck. Having well restrained it at the upper part of the neck, he might strike it well with a stick. Having struck it well with a stick, he might release it. Thus indeed, monks, that corn-eating bull, whether gone to the village or gone to the forest, whether standing much or sitting much, would not enter that corn again - recollecting that very former contact with the stick. So too, monks, when a monk's mind regarding the six sense bases of contact is subdued, well subdued, it stands still internally, settles, becomes unified, becomes concentrated.
"Just as, monks, for a king or a king's chief minister, the sound of a lute might be previously unheard. He might hear the sound of the lute. He might speak thus - 'Hey, whose is this sound so enticing, so lovely, so intoxicating, so infatuating, so captivating?' They might say to him thus - 'This, venerable sir, is called a lute, whose sound is so enticing, so lovely, so intoxicating, so infatuating, so captivating.' He might speak thus - 'Go, sirs, bring me that lute.' They might bring him that lute. They might say to him thus - 'This, venerable sir, is that lute whose sound is so enticing, so lovely, so intoxicating, so infatuating, so captivating.' He might speak thus - 'Enough for me, sirs, with that lute; bring me just that sound.' They might say to him thus - 'This, venerable sir, is called a lute, of many components, of great components. It sounds when set in motion with many components, as follows - dependent on the body and dependent on the hide and dependent on the neck and dependent on the frame and dependent on the strings and dependent on the plectrum and dependent on the appropriate effort of a person, thus, venerable sir, this is called a lute, of many components, of great components. It sounds when set in motion with many components.' He might split that lute into ten or a hundred pieces, having split it into ten or a hundred pieces, he might make it into splinters. Having made it into splinters, he might burn it with fire; having burnt it with fire, he might make it into ashes. Having made it into ashes, he might winnow it in a strong wind or let it be carried away by a swift-flowing river. He might speak thus - 'Worthless indeed, sirs, is this thing called a lute, whatever is called a lute; here indeed people are excessively heedless and infatuated.' So too, monks, a monk investigates matter as far as matter goes, investigates feeling as far as feeling goes, investigates perception as far as perception goes, investigates activities as far as activities go, investigates consciousness as far as consciousness goes. For him investigating matter as far as matter goes, investigating feeling, etc. perception... activities... investigating consciousness as far as consciousness goes. Whatever there is for him as 'I' or 'mine' or 'I am', that too is not there for him." The ninth.