“Those
monkeys who are not foolish and frivolous, when they see the pitch,
avoid it from afar. But a monkey who is foolish and frivolous approaches
the pitch and seizes it with his hand; he gets caught there. Thinking,
‘I will free my hand,’ he seizes it with his other hand; he gets caught
there. Thinking, ‘I will free both hands,’ he seizes it with his foot;
he gets caught there. Thinking, ‘I will free both hands and my foot,’ he
seizes it with his other foot; he gets caught there.’ Thinking, ‘I will
free both hands and feet,’ he applies his muzzle to it; he gets caught
there.
“Thus,
bhikkhus, that monkey, trapped at five points, lies there screeching.
He has met with calamity and disaster and the hunter can do with him as
he wishes.
The hunter spears him, fastens him to that same block of wood, and goes
off where he wants. So it is, bhikkhus, when one strays outside one’s
own resort into the domain of others.
“Therefore,
bhikkhus, do not stray outside your own resort into the domain of
others. Mara will gain access to those who stray outside their own
resort into the domain of others; Mara will get a hold on them.
“And what is not a bhikkhu’s own resort but the domain of others? It is the five cords of sensual pleasure…. as above … This is what is not a bhikkhu’s own resort but the domain of others.
“Move
in your own resort, bhikkhus, in your own ancestral domain. Mara will
not gain access to those who move in their own resort, in their own
ancestral domain; Mara will not get a hold on them.
“And
what is a bhikkhu’s resort, his own ancestral domain? It is the four
establishments of mindfulness. What four? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu
dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly
comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in
regard to the world. He dwells contemplating feelings in feelings … mind
in mind … phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending,
mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the
world. This is a bhikkhu’s resort, his own ancestral domain.”
SN 47; 7