"Suppose, monks,
that a sheaf of barley were thrown down at a large four-way
intersection, and six men were to come along with flails in their
hands. They would thrash the sheaf of barley with their six flails.
Thus the sheaf of barley would be thoroughly thrashed with the six
flails. Then a seventh man would come along with a flail in his
hand. He would thrash the sheaf of barley with a seventh flail.
Thus the sheaf of barley would be even more thoroughly thrashed
with the seventh flail.
"In the same way, the uninstructed run-of-the-mill person is
thrashed in the eye by charming & pleasurable forms... thrashed
in the ear by charming & pleasurable sounds... thrashed in the
nose by charming & pleasurable aromas... thrashed in the tongue
by charming & pleasurable flavors... thrashed in the body by
charming & pleasurable tactile sensations... thrashed in the
intellect by charming & pleasurable ideas. And if that
uninstructed run-of-the-mill person forms intentions for the sake
of further becoming in the future, then he — that foolish person —
is even more thoroughly thrashed, just like the sheaf of barley
thrashed with the seventh flail.
"Once, monks, the devas & asuras were arrayed for battle.
Then Vepacitti, the lord of the asuras, addressed the
asuras: 'If, dear sirs, in the battle of the devas arrayed against
the asuras, the asuras win and the devas are defeated, bind Sakka,
the lord of the devas, neck, hand, & foot and bring him before
me in the city of the asuras.'
"As for Sakka,
lord of the devas, he addressed the devas of the Thirty-three: 'If
dear sirs, in the battle of the devas arrayed against the asuras,
the devas win and the asuras are defeated, bind Vepacitti, the lord
of the asuras, neck, hand, & foot and bring him before me in
the righteous assembly of the devas.'
"Now, in that battle the devas won. So the devas of the
Thirty-three bound Vepacitti, the lord of the asuras, neck, hand,
& foot and brought him before Sakka in the righteous assembly
of the devas.
"So there was Vepacitti, the lord of the asuras, bound neck,
hand, & foot. When the thought occurred to him, 'The devas are
in the right and the asuras are in the wrong. I'm now going over to
the city of the devas,' then he viewed himself as freed from that
fivefold bond. He was fully provided with the fivefold strings of
heavenly sensuality. But when the thought occurred to him, 'The
asuras are in the right and the devas are in the wrong. I will go
over to the city of the asuras,' then he viewed himself as bound
with that fivefold bond, deprived of the fivefold strings of
heavenly sensuality. That's how subtle the bonds of Vepacitti were.
But the bonds of Mara
are even more subtle. Anyone who construes is bound by Mara. Anyone
who doesn't construe is freed from the Evil One.
"'I am' is a construing. 'I am this' is a construing. 'I shall
be' is a construing. 'I shall not be'...'I shall be possessed of
form'... 'I shall not be possessed of form'... 'I shall be
percipient'... 'I shall not be percipient'... 'I shall be neither
percipient nor non-percipient' is a construing. Construing is a
disease, construing is a cancer, construing is an arrow. Therefore,
monks, you should train yourselves: 'We will dwell with an
awareness free of construings.'
"'I am' is a perturbation. 'I am this' is a perturbation. 'I
shall be' is a perturbation. 'I shall not be'... 'I shall be
possessed of form'... 'I shall not be possessed of form'... 'I
shall be percipient'... 'I shall not be percipient'... 'I shall be
neither percipient nor non-percipient' is a perturbation.
Perturbation is a disease, perturbation is a cancer, perturbation
is an arrow. Therefore, monks, you should train yourselves: 'We
will dwell with an awareness free of perturbations.'
"'I am' is a wavering. 'I am this' is a wavering. 'I shall be'
is a wavering. 'I shall not be'... 'I shall be possessed of
form'... 'I shall not be possessed of form'... 'I shall be
percipient'... 'I shall not be percipient'... 'I shall be neither
percipient nor non-percipient' is a wavering. Wavering is a
disease, wavering is a cancer, wavering is an arrow. Therefore,
monks, you should train yourselves: 'We will dwell with an
awareness free of waverings.'
"'I am' is a objectification. 'I am this' is a objectification.
'I shall be' is a objectification. 'I shall not be'... 'I shall be
possessed of form'... 'I shall not be possessed of form'... 'I
shall be percipient'... 'I shall not be percipient'... 'I shall be
neither percipient nor non-percipient' is a objectification.
Objectification is a disease, objectification is a cancer,
objectification is an arrow. Therefore, monks, you should train
yourselves: 'We will dwell with an awareness free of
objectifications.'
"'I am' is an act of conceit. 'I am this' is an act of conceit.
'I shall be' is an act of conceit. 'I shall not be'... 'I shall be
possessed of form'... 'I shall not be possessed of form'... 'I
shall be percipient'... 'I shall not be percipient'... 'I shall be
neither percipient nor non-percipient' is an act of conceit. An act
of conceit is a disease, an act of conceit is a cancer, an act of
conceit is an arrow. Therefore, monks, you should train yourselves:
'We will dwell with an awareness free of acts of conceit.'"