The Simile of Six AnimalsChappāṇakopamasutta

“Mendicants, suppose a person with wounded and festering limbs was to enter a thicket of reeds.“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso arugatto pakkagatto saravanaṁ paviseyya. The kusa thorns would pierce their feet, and the reed leaves would scratch their limbs.Tassa kusakaṇṭakā ceva pāde vijjheyyuṁ, sarapattāni ca gattāni vilekheyyuṁ. And that would cause that person to experience even more pain and distress.Evañhi so, bhikkhave, puriso bhiyyoso mattāya tatonidānaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvediyetha.

In the same way, some mendicant goes to a village or a wilderness and gets scolded,Evameva kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhikkhu gāmagato vā araññagato vā labhati vattāraṁ: ‘This venerable, acting like this, behaving like this, is a filthy village thorn.’‘ayañca so āyasmā evaṅkārī evaṁsamācāro asucigāmakaṇṭako’ti. Understanding that they’re a thorn, they should understand restraint and lack of restraint.Taṁ kaṇṭakoti iti viditvā saṁvaro ca asaṁvaro ca veditabbo.

And how is someone unrestrained?Kathañca, bhikkhave, asaṁvaro hoti?

Take a mendicant who sees a sight with their eyes. If it’s pleasant they hold on to it, but if it’s unpleasant they dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body unestablished and their heart stunted.Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā piyarūpe rūpe adhimuccati, appiyarūpe rūpe byāpajjati, anupaṭṭhitakāyassati ca viharati parittacetaso. And they don’t truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without remainder.Tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti.

When they hear a sound with their ears …Sotena saddaṁ sutvā …

When they smell an odor with their nose …ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā …

When they taste a flavor with their tongue …jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā …

When they feel a touch with their body …kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā …

When they know an idea with their mind, if it’s pleasant they hold on to it, but if it’s unpleasant they dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body unestablished and their heart stunted.manasā dhammaṁ viññāya piyarūpe dhamme adhimuccati, appiyarūpe dhamme byāpajjati, anupaṭṭhitakāyassati ca viharati parittacetaso, And they don’t truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without remainder.tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti.

Suppose a person was to catch six animals, with diverse territories and feeding grounds, and tie them up with a strong rope.Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso chappāṇake gahetvā nānāvisaye nānāgocare daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya. They’d catch a snake,Ahiṁ gahetvā daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya. a dolphin,Susumāraṁ gahetvā daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya. a bird,Pakkhiṁ gahetvā daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya. a dog,Kukkuraṁ gahetvā daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya. a jackal,Siṅgālaṁ gahetvā daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya. and a monkey,Makkaṭaṁ gahetvā daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya. tie each up with a strong rope, then tie a knot in the middle and let them loose.Daḷhāya rajjuyā bandhitvā majjhe gaṇṭhiṁ karitvā ossajjeyya.

Then those six animals with different domains and ranges would each pull toward their own domain and range.Atha kho, te, bhikkhave, chappāṇakā nānāvisayā nānāgocarā sakaṁ sakaṁ gocaravisayaṁ āviñcheyyuṁ— The snake would pull one way, thinking ‘I’m going into a termite mound!’ The dolphin would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m going into the water!’ The bird would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m flying into the atmosphere!’ The dog would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m going into the village!’ The jackal would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m going into the charnel ground!’ The monkey would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m going into the jungle!’ahi āviñcheyya ‘vammikaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti, susumāro āviñcheyya ‘udakaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti, pakkhī āviñcheyya ‘ākāsaṁ ḍessāmī’ti, kukkuro āviñcheyya ‘gāmaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti, siṅgālo āviñcheyya ‘sīvathikaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti, makkaṭo āviñcheyya ‘vanaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti. When those six animals became exhausted and worn out, the strongest of them would get their way, and they’d all have to submit to their control.Yadā kho te, bhikkhave, chappāṇakā jhattā assu kilantā, atha kho yo nesaṁ pāṇakānaṁ balavataro assa tassa te anuvatteyyuṁ, anuvidhāyeyyuṁ vasaṁ gaccheyyuṁ.

In the same way, when a mendicant has not developed or cultivated mindfulness of the body, their eye pulls toward pleasant sights, but is put off by unpleasant sights. Their ear … nose … tongue … body …Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yassa kassaci bhikkhuno kāyagatāsati abhāvitā abahulīkatā, taṁ cakkhu āviñchati manāpiyesu rūpesu, amanāpiyā rūpā paṭikūlā honti …pe… mind pulls toward pleasant ideas, but is put off by unpleasant ideas.mano āviñchati manāpiyesu dhammesu, amanāpiyā dhammā paṭikūlā honti.

This is how someone is unrestrained.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, asaṁvaro hoti.

And how is someone restrained?Kathañca, bhikkhave, saṁvaro hoti?

Take a mendicant who sees a sight with their eyes. If it’s pleasant they don’t hold on to it, and if it’s unpleasant they don’t dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body established and a limitless heart.Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā piyarūpe rūpe nādhimuccati, appiyarūpe rūpe na byāpajjati, upaṭṭhitakāyassati ca viharati appamāṇacetaso, And they truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without remainder.tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti …pe…

They hear a sound … smell an odor … taste a flavor … feel a touch …jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā …pe… know an idea with their mind. If it’s pleasant they don’t hold on to it, and if it’s unpleasant they don’t dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body established and a limitless heart.manasā dhammaṁ viññāya piyarūpe dhamme nādhimuccati, appiyarūpe dhamme na byāpajjati, upaṭṭhitakāyassati ca viharati appamāṇacetaso, And they truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without remainder.tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti.

Suppose a person was to catch six animals, with diverse territories and feeding grounds, and tie them up with a strong rope.Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso chappāṇake gahetvā nānāvisaye nānāgocare daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya. They’d catch a snake,Ahiṁ gahetvā daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya. a dolphin,Susumāraṁ gahetvā daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya. a bird,Pakkhiṁ gahetvā …pe… a dog,kukkuraṁ gahetvā … a jackal,siṅgālaṁ gahetvā … and a monkey,makkaṭaṁ gahetvā daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya. tie each up with a strong rope, then tether them to a strong post or pillar.Daḷhāya rajjuyā bandhitvā daḷhe khīle vā thambhe vā upanibandheyya.

Then those six animals with different domains and ranges would each pull toward their own domain and range.Atha kho te, bhikkhave, chappāṇakā nānāvisayā nānāgocarā sakaṁ sakaṁ gocaravisayaṁ āviñcheyyuṁ— The snake would pull one way, thinking ‘I’m going into a termite mound!’ The dolphin would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m going into the water!’ The bird would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m flying into the atmosphere!’ The dog would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m going into the village!’ The jackal would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m going into the charnel ground!’ The monkey would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m going into the jungle!’ahi āviñcheyya ‘vammikaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti, susumāro āviñcheyya ‘udakaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti, pakkhī āviñcheyya ‘ākāsaṁ ḍessāmī’ti, kukkuro āviñcheyya ‘gāmaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti, siṅgālo āviñcheyya ‘sīvathikaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti, makkaṭo āviñcheyya ‘vanaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti. When those six animals became exhausted and worn out, they’d stand or sit or lie down right by that post or pillar.Yadā kho te, bhikkhave, chappāṇakā jhattā assu kilantā, atha tameva khīlaṁ vā thambhaṁ vā upatiṭṭheyyuṁ, upanisīdeyyuṁ, upanipajjeyyuṁ.

In the same way, when a mendicant has developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body, their eye doesn’t pull toward pleasant sights, and isn’t put off by unpleasant sights. Their ear … nose … tongue … body …Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yassa kassaci bhikkhuno kāyagatāsati bhāvitā bahulīkatā, taṁ cakkhu nāviñchati manāpiyesu rūpesu, amanāpiyā rūpā nappaṭikūlā honti …pe… jivhā nāviñchati manāpiyesu rasesu …pe… mind doesn’t pull toward pleasant ideas, and isn’t put off by unpleasant ideas.mano nāviñchati manāpiyesu dhammesu, amanāpiyā dhammā nappaṭikūlā honti. This is how someone is restrained.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, saṁvaro hoti.

‘A strong post or pillar’ is a term for mindfulness of the body.‘Daḷhe khīle vā thambhe vā’ti kho, bhikkhave, kāyagatāya satiyā etaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

So you should train like this:Tasmātiha vo, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘We will develop mindfulness of the body. We’ll cultivate it, make it our vehicle and our basis, keep it up, consolidate it, and properly implement it.’‘kāyagatā no sati bhāvitā bhavissati bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā’ti. That’s how you should train.”Evañhi kho, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.