[77] "But it is possible (ṭhānaṃ vijjati), Sunakkhatta, that some bhikkhu here might think thus: 'Craving (taṇhā), the Ascetic has said, is a dart; the poisonous humor of ignorance (avijjā) is inflamed by desire and lust (chandarāga) and by ill will (byāpāda). That dart of craving has been abandoned by me; the poisonous humor of ignorance has been expelled; I am one rightly intent on Nibbāna.' Being indeed one rightly intent on Nibbāna, he would not pursue those things that are unsuitable for one rightly intent on Nibbāna: he would not pursue the sight of unsuitable forms with the eye, he would not pursue unsuitable sounds with the ear, he would not pursue unsuitable odors with the nose, he would not pursue unsuitable tastes with the tongue, he would not pursue unsuitable tangibles with the body, he would not pursue unsuitable dhammas with the mind. When he does not pursue the sight of unsuitable forms with the eye, does not pursue unsuitable sounds with the ear, does not pursue unsuitable odors with the nose, does not pursue unsuitable tastes with the tongue, does not pursue unsuitable tangibles with the body, does not pursue unsuitable dhammas with the mind, lust (rāga) would not infect his mind (citta). With a mind not infected by lust, he would incur neither death nor deadly suffering (dukkha).
"Suppose, Sunakkhatta, a man were pierced by a dart thickly smeared with poison. His friends and companions, his kinsmen and blood relations, would bring in a physician-surgeon. That physician-surgeon would cut around the opening of the wound with a knife; having cut around the opening of the wound with a knife, he would search for the dart with a probe; having searched for the dart with a probe, he would draw out the dart and would expel the poisonous humor without residue, knowing, 'No residue remains.' He would say thus: 'Good man, the dart has been drawn out of you; the poisonous humor has been expelled without residue, and it is incapable of endangering you. Eat only suitable food; do not let the wound fester from your eating unsuitable food. Wash the wound from time to time and anoint the opening of the wound from time to time; do not, while washing the wound from time to time and anointing the opening of the wound from time to time, let pus and blood close over the opening of the wound. And do not go walking about in wind and sun; do not, when going about in wind and sun, let dust and dirt infect the opening of the wound. Dwell, good man, watching over your wound, seeing to the wound's healing.'
"He would think thus: 'The dart has been drawn out of me; the poisonous humor has been expelled without residue; it is incapable of endangering me.' He would eat only suitable food; when he ate suitable food, the wound would not fester. From time to time he would wash the wound, and from time to time he would anoint the opening of the wound; as he washed the wound from time to time and anointed the opening of the wound from time to time, pus and blood would not close over the opening of the wound. And he would not go walking about in wind and sun; as he did not go about in wind and sun, dust and dirt would not infect the opening of the wound. He would dwell watching over the wound, seeing to the wound's healing. Then, both through this very doing of what is suitable and through the impure poisonous humor's having been expelled without residue — through both of these the wound would heal. With the wound healed and covered over with skin, he would incur neither death nor deadly suffering.
"Even so, Sunakkhatta, it is possible that some bhikkhu here might think thus: 'Craving, the Ascetic has said, is a dart; the poisonous humor of ignorance is inflamed by desire and lust and by ill will. That dart of craving has been abandoned by me; the poisonous humor of ignorance has been expelled; I am one rightly intent on Nibbāna.' Being indeed one rightly intent on Nibbāna, he would not pursue those things that are unsuitable for one rightly intent on Nibbāna: he would not pursue the sight of unsuitable forms with the eye, he would not pursue unsuitable sounds with the ear, he would not pursue unsuitable odors with the nose, he would not pursue unsuitable tastes with the tongue, he would not pursue unsuitable tangibles with the body, he would not pursue unsuitable dhammas with the mind. When he does not pursue the sight of unsuitable forms with the eye, does not pursue unsuitable sounds with the ear, does not pursue unsuitable odors with the nose, does not pursue unsuitable tastes with the tongue, does not pursue unsuitable tangibles with the body, does not pursue unsuitable dhammas with the mind, lust would not infect his mind. With a mind not infected by lust, he would incur neither death nor deadly suffering.
"Sunakkhatta, I have made this simile in order to convey a meaning. And this is the meaning here: 'Wound,' Sunakkhatta, is a designation for the six internal sense bases (āyatana). 'Poisonous humor,' Sunakkhatta, is a designation for ignorance. 'Dart,' Sunakkhatta, is a designation for craving. 'Probe,' Sunakkhatta, is a designation for mindfulness (sati). 'Knife,' Sunakkhatta, is a designation for noble wisdom (ariyā paññā). 'Physician-surgeon,' Sunakkhatta, is a designation for the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One.
"Truly, Sunakkhatta, that bhikkhu conducts himself restrained regarding the six bases of contact. Having understood thus, 'Attachment (upadhi) is the root of suffering,' being without attachment, liberated in the destruction of attachment, that he should direct his body toward any attachment or apply his mind to it — this is not possible. Suppose, Sunakkhatta, there were a bronze cup of beverage possessed of fine color, possessed of fine aroma, possessed of fine flavor, but mixed with poison; and then a man should come along wanting to live, not wanting to die, desiring pleasure, recoiling from pain. What do you think, Sunakkhatta — would that man drink from that bronze cup of beverage, knowing, 'Having drunk this, I shall incur death or deadly suffering'?"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.