726. The monk Pārāsariya is a meditator. When he was seated alone, secluded, these thoughts came into his mind:
727. As a human, one should work for one’s own benefit. He should act without harming others. What should be his duties? What should be his behaviour?
728. A human’s sense bases can be used for his welfare or his harm. If he doesn’t guard his senses, they will surely lead to harm. If he guards his senses, they will certainly lead to happiness.
729. Therefore, the one who acts for his own good and the one who doesn’t harm others should protect his faculties well and handle them properly.
730. When his eyes chase after beautiful forms, if he does not understand the danger of that unrestraint, he won’t be able to escape from suffering.
731. When his ears chase after beautiful sounds, if he does not understand the danger of that unrestraint, he won’t be able to escape from suffering.
732. Not knowing about the removal of desire, if he smells things, being caught up with sweet fragrances, he won’t be able to escape from suffering.
733. If he recollects flavours thinking this is bitter, this is sweet, and this is sour, his mind will be tied by craving for taste. He won’t be able to understand the nature of this mind.
734. If he recollects tangibles thinking this is lovely and is pleasant to touch, his mind will become attached to it. As a result, when lust invades his mind, he will have to suffer with various pains.
735. When mind objects enter his mind, if he is unable to guard his mind from those objects, he will have to suffer because of all the five senses.
736. This body is like a beautiful and attractive painted pot made by a skillful artist, but it is filled with puss, blood and a lot of filth.
737. Life is like something bitter with sweet enjoyment, a painful thing which has a pleasant attachment. The one who doesn’t understand this lives like one who licks a razor smeared with honey.
738. If a man is passionately attached to the form of a woman, the sound of a woman, the touch of a woman, and the scent of a woman, he will have to suffer with various pains.
739. These aspects of a woman flow into a man’s thought like a rapid stream. But if he can stop that rapid stream, he is a great hero.
740. He is the one who achieves goodness, and lives by the Dhamma. He is a wise and skillful person. Even if he is a lay person, he will reach goodness righteously.
741. Even as a lay person, he doesn’t engage in unbeneficial things. Understanding the things clearly that shouldn’t be done, he acts wisely and diligently.
742. One should practice whatever is connected with goodness and whatever pleasure is produced by wholesome qualities. The combination of these truly is the supreme happiness.
743. Some people desire to take others’ belongings by cheating them. Such people even having killed, beaten, and inflicted suffering on them try to forcefully grab their belongings.
744. The wise person knocks out desire for senses using those same senses. It is like a strong person who knocks out one peg with another peg.
745. Such a wise person develops the Five Spiritual Faculties: faith, effort, mindfulness, one-pointedness of mind and wisdom. With these five developed faculties, he strikes the five senses. Indeed he is a Brāhmin who is freed from suffering.
746. That noble person has achieved the true goal of life and has become established in the Dhamma. Having acted according to the words of the Supreme Buddha, he has realized everything. He has prospered in supreme happiness.
These verses were said by Arahant Pārāsariya.
