4.
The Discourse on the Simile of the Milk Tree
231.
"For whoever, monks, whether monk or nun, regarding forms cognisable by the eye, whatever lust there is, that is present, whatever hate there is, that is present, whatever delusion there is, that is present, whatever lust there is, that has not been abandoned, whatever hate there is, that has not been abandoned, whatever delusion there is, that has not been abandoned - for him, even if slight forms cognisable by the eye come into the range of the eye, they overpower his mind;
what then to say of exceeding ones!
What is the reason for this?
Whatever lust, monks, that is present, whatever hate, that is present, whatever delusion, that is present, whatever lust, that has not been abandoned, whatever hate, that has not been abandoned, whatever delusion, that has not been abandoned, etc.
"For whoever, monks, whether monk or nun, regarding flavours cognisable by the tongue, whatever lust there is, that is present, etc.
"For whoever, monks, whether monk or nun, regarding mental phenomena cognisable by the mind, whatever lust there is, that is present, whatever hate there is, that is present, whatever delusion there is, that is present, whatever lust there is, that has not been abandoned, whatever hate there is, that has not been abandoned, whatever delusion there is, that has not been abandoned - for him, even if slight mental phenomena cognisable by the mind come into the range of the mind, they overpower his mind; what then to say of exceeding ones! What is the reason for this? Whatever lust, monks, that is present, whatever hate, that is present, whatever delusion, that is present, whatever lust, that has not been abandoned, whatever hate, that has not been abandoned, whatever delusion, that has not been abandoned.
"Just as, monks, a milk-tree - a holy fig tree or a banyan tree or a wave-leafed fig tree or a glamorous fig tree - young, tender, juvenile. If a man were to strike it here and there with a sharp axe, would milk come out?" "Yes, venerable sir." "What is the reason for this?" "Because, venerable sir, there is milk."
"So too, monks, for whoever, whether monk or nun, regarding forms cognisable by the eye, whatever lust there is, that is present, whatever hate there is, that is present, whatever delusion there is, that is present, whatever lust there is, that has not been abandoned, whatever hate there is, that has not been abandoned, whatever delusion there is, that has not been abandoned - for him, even if slight forms cognisable by the eye come into the range of the eye, they overpower his mind; what then to say of exceeding ones! What is the reason for this? Whatever lust, monks, that is present, whatever hate, that is present, whatever delusion, that is present, whatever lust, that has not been abandoned, whatever hate, that has not been abandoned, whatever delusion, that has not been abandoned, etc.
"For whoever, monks, whether monk or nun, regarding flavours cognisable by the tongue, whatever lust there is, that is present, etc.
"For whoever, monks, whether monk or nun, regarding mental phenomena cognisable by the mind, whatever lust there is, that is present, whatever hate there is, that is present, whatever delusion there is, that is present, whatever lust there is, that has not been abandoned, whatever hate there is, that has not been abandoned, whatever delusion there is, that has not been abandoned - for him, even if slight mental phenomena cognisable by the mind come into the range of the mind, they overpower his mind; what then to say of exceeding ones! What is the reason for this? Whatever lust, monks, that is present, whatever hate, that is present, whatever delusion, that is present, whatever lust, that has not been abandoned, whatever hate, that has not been abandoned, whatever delusion, that has not been abandoned.
"For whoever, monks, whether monk or nun, regarding forms cognisable by the eye, whatever lust there is, that is not present, whatever hate there is, that is not present, whatever delusion there is, that is not present, whatever lust there is, that has been abandoned, whatever hate there is, that has been abandoned, whatever delusion there is, that has been abandoned - for him, even if exceeding forms cognisable by the eye come into the range of the eye, they do not overpower his mind; what then to say of slight ones! What is the reason for this? Whatever lust, monks, that is not present, whatever hate, that is not present, whatever delusion, that is not present, whatever lust, that has been abandoned, whatever hate, that has been abandoned, whatever delusion, that has been abandoned, etc.
"For whoever, monks, whether monk or nun, regarding flavours cognisable by the tongue, etc. regarding mental phenomena cognisable by the mind, whatever lust there is, that is not present, whatever hate there is, that is not present, whatever delusion there is, that is not present, whatever lust there is, that has been abandoned, whatever hate there is, that has been abandoned, whatever delusion there is, that has been abandoned - for him, even if exceeding mental phenomena cognisable by the mind come into the range of the mind, they do not overpower his mind; what then to say of slight ones! What is the reason for this? Whatever lust, monks, that is not present, whatever hate, that is not present, whatever delusion, that is not present, whatever lust, that has been abandoned, whatever hate, that has been abandoned, whatever delusion, that has been abandoned. Just as, monks, a milk-tree - a holy fig tree or a banyan tree or a wave-leafed fig tree or a glamorous fig tree - dry, a dead tree, three or four years old. If a man were to strike it here and there with a sharp axe, would milk come out?" "No, Venerable Sir." "What is the reason for this?" "Because, venerable sir, there is no milk."
"So too, monks, for whatever monk or nun regarding forms cognisable by the eye, whatever lust there is, that is not there, whatever hate there is, that is not there, whatever delusion there is, that is not there, whatever lust there is, that has been abandoned, whatever hate there is, that has been abandoned, whatever delusion there is, that has been abandoned, even if exceeding forms cognisable by the eye come into range of the eye, they do not overpower his mind; what then to say of slight ones! What is the reason for this? Whatever lust, monks, that is not present, whatever hate, that is not present, whatever delusion, that is not present, whatever lust, that has been abandoned, whatever hate, that has been abandoned, whatever delusion, that has been abandoned, etc.
"For whoever, monks, whether monk or nun, regarding flavours cognisable by the tongue, etc.
"For whatever monk or nun, monks, regarding mental phenomena cognisable by the mind, whatever lust there is, that is not there, whatever hate there is, that is not there, whatever delusion there is, that is not there, whatever lust there is, that has been abandoned, whatever hate there is, that has been abandoned, whatever delusion there is, that has been abandoned, even if exceeding mental phenomena cognisable by the mind come into range of the mind, they do not overpower his mind; what then to say of slight ones! What is the reason for this? Whatever lust, monks, that is not there, whatever hate, that is not there, whatever delusion, that is not there, whatever lust, that has been abandoned, whatever hate, that has been abandoned, whatever delusion, that has been abandoned." The fourth.