| Subject: mindfulness as watchman or gatekeeper
|
| 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
|

Hi Rett -

Hope this is the one you're looking for. It starts at about the 5th
paragraph of the Indriyasa.mvarasiila.m section of Vissudhimagga ch. 1
from the Tipitaka.org and second half of Nanamoli's translation, ch. 1,
section 57.

peace,
connie


Tatraapi neva bhava"ngasamaye, na aavajjanaadiina.m a~n~natarasamaye
sa.mvaro vaa asa.mvaro vaa atthi. Javanakkha.ne pana sace dussiilya.m
vaa mu.t.thasacca.m vaa a~n~naa.na.m vaa akkhanti vaa kosajja.m vaa
uppajjati, asa.mvaro hoti. Eva.m honto pana so cakkhundriye asa.mvaroti
vuccati. Kasmaa? Yasmaa tasmi.m sati dvaarampi agutta.m hoti,
bhava"ngampi aavajjanaadiinipi viithicittaani Yathaa ki.m? Yathaa nagare
catuusu dvaaresu asa.mvutesu ki~ncaapi
antogharadvaarako.t.thakagabbhaadayo susa.mvutaa honti, tathaapi
antonagare sabba.m bha.n.da.m arakkhita.m agopitameva hoti.
Nagaradvaarena hi pavisitvaa coraa yadicchanti, ta.m kareyyu.m, evameva
javane dussiilyaadiisu uppannesu tasmi.m asa.mvare sati dvaarampi
agutta.m hoti, bhava"ngampi aavajjanaadiinipi viithicittaani.

(beginning in 2nd half of Path of Purification 1.57:)
Herein, there is neither restraint nor
non-restraint on the occasion of the life-continuum, or on any
of the
occasions beginning with adverting. But there is non-restraint
if
unvirtuousness or forgetfulness or unknowing or impatience or
idleness
arises at the moment of impulsion. When this happens, it is
called
'non-restraint in the eye faculty'. [22]
58. Why is that? Because when this happens, the door is not
guarded,
nor are the life-continuum and the consciousnesses of the
cognitive
series. Like what? Just as, when a city's four gates are not
secured,
although inside the city house doors, storehouses, rooms, etc.,
are
secured, yet all property inside the city is unguarded and
unprotected
since robbers coming in by the city gates can do as they please,
so too,
when unvirtuousess, etc., arise in impulsion in which there is
no
restraint; then the door too is unguarded, and so also are the
life-continuum and the consciousness of the cognitive series
beginning
with adverting.

Tasmi.m pana siilaadiisu uppannesu dvaarampi gutta.m hoti, bhava"ngampi
aavajjanaadiinipi viithicittaani. Yathaa ki.m? Yathaa nagaradvaaresu
sa.mvutesu ki~ncaapi antogharaadayo asa.mvutaa honti, tathaapi
antonagare sabba.m bha.n.da.m surakkhita.m sugopitameva hoti.
Nagaradvaaresu hi pihitesu coraana.m paveso natthi, evameva javane
siilaadiisu uppannesu dvaarampi gutta.m hoti, bhava"ngampi
aavajjanaadiinipi viithicittaani. Tasmaa javanakkha.ne uppajjamaanopi
cakkhundriye sa.mvaroti vutto.

But when virtue, etc., has arisen in it, then the door
too is guarded and so also are the life-continuum and the
consciousnesses of the cognitive series beginning with
adverting. Like
what? Just as, when the city gates are secured, although inside
the city
the houses, etc., are not secured, yet all property inside the
city is
well guarded, well protected, since when the city gates are shut
there
is no ingress for robbers, so too, when virtue, etc., have
arisen in
impulsion, the door too is guarded and so also are the
life-continuum
and the consciousnesses of the cognitive series beginning with
adverting. Thus although it actually arises at the moment of
impulsion,
it is nevertheless called 'restraint in the
59. eye faculty'.


Sotena sadda.m sutvaati-aadiisupi eseva nayo. Evamida.m sa"nkhepato
ruupaadiisu kilesaanubandhanimittaadiggaahaparivajjanalakkha.na.m
indriyasa.mvarasiilanti veditabba.m.

So also as regards the phrases on hearing a sound with
the ear and so on. So it is this virtue which in brief has the
characteristic of avoiding apprehension of signs entailing
defilement
with respect to visible objects, etc., that should be understood
as
Virtue of restraint of faculties.