Hello Rett,

Maybe this is the one you are looking for:

"I have given you this simile, monk, to convey a message. The message is
this: The fortress stands for this body -- composed of four elements, born
of mother & father, nourished with rice & barley gruel, subject to constant
rubbing & abrasion, to breaking & falling apart. The six gates stand for the
six internal sense media. The gatekeeper stands for mindfulness. The swift
pair of messengers stands for tranquillity (samatha) and insight
(vipassana). The commander of the fortress stands for consciousness. The
central square stands for the four great elements: the earth-property, the
liquid-property, the fire-property, & the wind-property. The accurate report
stands for Unbinding (nibbana). The route by which they had come stands for
the noble eightfold path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right
action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right
concentration."

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/samyutta/sn35-204.html

Metta
Michael

>From: rett <rett@...>
>Reply-To: Pali@yahoogroups.com
>To: Pali@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [Pali] mindfulness as watchman or gatekeeper
>Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2004 12:46:02 +0100
>
>Hi Everyone,
>
>Some years ago someone explained to me a passage which I believe was
>in the Pali Canon where mindfulness is compared to a gatekeeper whose
>job is to refuse entry to suspicious characters, and only allow
>trustworthy people to enter the town. In a similar way, mindfulness
>enables us to be watchful over our senses and not allow impressions
>to develop into harmful thoughts. I liked this simile very much. Does
>anyone know where this passage is located? I've been trying to find
>it without success. Thanks in advance for any assistance.
>
>best regards,
>
>/Rett

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