The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [456]
21. “Again, bhikkhus, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and grief, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the fourth jhāna, which has neither-pain-nor-pleasure and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity. He sits pervading this body with a pure bright mind, so that there is no part of his whole body unpervaded by the pure bright mind. Just as though a man were sitting covered from head down with a white cloth, so that there would be no part of his whole body not covered by the white cloth; so too, a bhikkhu sits pervading this body with a pure bright mind, so that there is no part of his whole body unpervaded by the pure bright mind. As he abides thus diligent, ardent, and resolute, his memories and intentions based on the household life are abandoned; with their abandoning his mind becomes steadied internally, quieted, brought to singleness, and concentrated. That too is how a bhikkhu develops mindfulness of the body.
(PROGRESS THROUGH MINDFULNESS OF THE BODY)
22. “Bhikkhus, anyone who has developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body has included within himself whatever wholesome states there are that partake of true knowledge.1131 Just as anyone who has extended his mind over the great ocean has included within it whatever streams there are that flow into the ocean; so too, anyone who has developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body has included within himself whatever wholesome states there are that partake of true knowledge.
23. “Bhikkhus, when anyone has not developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body, Māra finds an opportunity and a support in him. Suppose a man were to throw a heavy stone ball upon a mound of wet clay. What do you think, bhikkhus? Would that heavy ball find entry into that mound of wet clay?”—“Yes, venerable sir.”—[95] “So too, bhikkhus, when anyone has not developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body, Māra finds an opportunity and a support in him.
24. “Suppose there were a dry sapless piece of wood, and a man came with an upper fire-stick, thinking: ‘I shall light a fire, I shall produce heat.’ What do you think, bhikkhus? Could the man light a fire and produce heat by rubbing the dry sapless piece of wood with an upper fire-stick?”—“Yes, venerable sir.”—“So too, bhikkhus, when anyone has not developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body, Māra finds an opportunity and a support in him.
25. “Suppose there were a hollow empty water jug set out on a stand, and a man came with a supply of water. What do you think, bhikkhus? Could the man pour the water into the jug?”—“Yes, venerable sir.”—“So too, bhikkhus, when anyone has not developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body, Māra finds an opportunity and a support in him.
26. “Bhikkhus, when anyone has developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body, Māra cannot find an opportunity or a support in him. Suppose a man were to throw a light ball of string at a door-panel made entirely of heartwood. What do you think, bhikkhus? Would that light ball of string find entry through that door-panel made entirely of heartwood?”—“No, venerable sir.”—“So too, bhikkhus, when anyone has developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body, Māra cannot find an opportunity or a support in him.
27. “Suppose there were a wet sappy piece of wood, and a man came with an upper fire-stick, thinking: ‘I shall light a fire, I shall produce heat.’ [96] What do you think, bhikkhus? Could the man light a fire and produce heat by taking the upper fire-stick and rubbing it against the wet sappy