The Life Stories of the Monks – 1981
1. Monastic, ‘ant-hill’ is the name for this body.
2. Monastic, one ruminates at night what one has done in the day; this is
‘emitting smoke by night.’
3. Monastic, one does physically, verbal, mentally, deeds by day as one has
thought out at night; this is the ‘rising of flames by day.’
4. Monastic, ‘Brahmin teacher’ is the name for the Realised One.
5. Monastic, the ‘wise pupil’ is a monastic who is still training himself for
to become an Arahat according to the threefold training.
6. Monastic, ‘sword’ is the name for knowledge, both mundane (
lokiya
)
and supermundane (
lokuttara
).
7. Monastic, ‘digging diligently’ means ‘persistent effort.’
8. Monastic, ‘door-bolt’ is the name for ignorance. ‘Cast away the door-
bolt’ means ‘getting rid of ignorance.’ – ‘Wise pupil, take hold of the
sword and dig diligently,’ means ‘strive well with knowledge to get rid
of ignorance.’
9. Monastic, ‘blown-up toad’ is a name for wrath. ‘Cast away the blown-up
toad’ means ‘get rid of deep anger.’ ‘Wise pupil, take hold of the sword
and dig diligently,’ means ‘strive well with knowledge to overcome
deep resentment.’
10. Monastic, ‘forked road’ is the name for uncertainty (
vicikicchā
).
‘Abandon the forked road’ means ‘strive well with knowledge to
overcome uncertainty.’
11. Monastic, ‘water-strainer for sifting off soapy sand’ is the name for the
five hindrances (
nīvaraṇa
) that stand in the way of absorption (
jhāna
)
and path-knowledge, namely: sensual desire (
kāmacchanda
), ill-will
(
vyāpāda
), sloth and torpor (
thina-middha
), distractedness (
uddhacca-
kukkucca
) and uncertainty (
vicikicchā
). ‘Cast away the water-strainer’
means ‘strive well with knowledge to overcome the five hindrances.’
12. Monastic, ‘tortoise’ is the name for the five objects of clinging
(
upādāna
), namely:
[1307]
the aggregate of corporeality (
rūpakkhanda
)
that is subject to change; the aggregate of sensation (
vedānakkhandha
)