[Diwokfkq]

"Just as if a person, catching six animals of different ranges, of different habitats, were to bind them with a strong rope. Catching a snake, he would bind it with a strong rope. Catching a crocodile... a bird... a dog... a hyena... a monkey, he would bind it with a strong rope. Binding them all with a strong rope, he would tether them to a strong post or stake.

"Then those six animals, of different ranges, of different habitats, would each pull toward its own range & habitat.

The snake would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the anthill.'

The crocodile would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the water.'

The bird would pull, thinking, 'I'll fly up into the air.'

The dog would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the village.'

The hyena would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the charnel ground.'

The monkey would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the forest.'

And when these six animals became internally exhausted, they would stand, sit, or lie down right there next to the post or stake.

In the same way, when a monk whose mindfulness immersed in the body is developed & pursued, the eye does not pull toward pleasing forms and unpleasing forms are not repellent.

The ear does not pull toward pleasing sounds...

The nose does not pull toward pleasing aromas...

The tongue does not pull toward pleasing flavors...

The body does not pull toward pleasing tactile sensations...

The intellect does not pull toward pleasing ideas and unpleasing ideas are not repellent. This, monks, is restraint.

"The 'strong post or stake' is a term for mindfulness immersed in the body.

"Thus you should train yourselves: 'We will develop mindfulness immersed in the body. We will pursue it, hand it the reins and take it as a basis, give it a grounding. We will steady it, consolidate it, and set about it properly.' That's how you should train yourselves."

Chappana Sutta: The Six Animals