Verse 36:
The mind is very difficult to see, very delicate and subtle;
it moves and lands wherever it pleases.
The wise one should guard his mind,
for a guarded mind brings happiness.
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While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (36) of this book, with reference to a young disgruntled bhikkhu who was the son of a banker.
Once, there lived in Savatthi, the son of a banker. This young man asked the bhikkhu, who used to come to his house for alms, what he should do to be liberated from the ills of life. The bhikkhu instructed him to divide his property into three parts; one part to do business with, one part to support the family and one part to give in charity. He did as he was told and again asked what else should be done next.
So he was further instructed; first to take refuge in the Tiratana / Three Gems (Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha) and to observe the five precepts*; secondly, to observe the ten precepts; and thirdly, to renounce the world and enter the Sangha (Buddhist religious Order). The young man complied with all these instructions and became a bhikkhu.
As a bhikkhu, he was taught the Abhidhamma** by one teacher and the Vinaya*** by another. Being taught in this way, he felt that there was too much to be learnt, that the disciplinary rules were too strict and too many, so much so that there was not enough freedom even to stretch out one's hands. He thought that it might be better to return to the life of a householder. As a result of doubt and discontent, he became unhappy and neglected his duties; he also became thin and emaciated. When the Buddha came to know about this, he said to the young bhikkhu, "if you can only control your mind, you will have nothing more to control; so guard your own mind."
Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
"Sududdasaṃ sunipuṇaṃ
yatthakāmanipātinaṃ
cittaṃ rakkhetha medhāvī
cittaṃ guttaṃ sukhāvahaṃ."
The mind is very difficult to see, very delicate and subtle;
it moves and lands wherever it pleases.
The wise one should guard his mind,
for a guarded mind brings happiness.
At the end of the discourse, the young bhikkhu and many others attained arahatship.
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Notes :
* Panca-sila (Panca = Five, Sila = Precepts) :
1. I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life.
2. I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking what is not given.
3. I undertake the training rule to abstain from sexual misconduct.
4. I undertake the training rule to abstain from false speech.
5. I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking intoxicants / fermented drink that causes heedlessness.
The point of these precepts is to prevent us from creating bad karma, creating sufferings to others and harming others and ourselves.
The first precept includes not causing/asking other people to kill, not harming other beings.
Sexual misconducts : not having sexual intercourse with someone who is still under protection of their mother, father, brothers, sisters, relatives, spouse, or engaged, or convicts (because they might feel under pressure and feel they have to oblige). If someone still lives with their family and or not financially independent, this is considered still under the protection of the family, even though maybe in the eye of law they are considered as an adult. When a dependant has sex before marriage there are lots of things can go wrong, because there is no so called 100% safe method. If they contract sexual transmitted diseases or pregnant, there are lots of people will be troubled by this, from the government who has to support them with benefits and health services to the whole tax payers in that country.
The fourth precept includes slander, abusive speech, unpleasant words, swearing, etc. Young generations, influenced by the media, use swearing words in daily life and think that its trendy and cool words, soon forget that they’re actually unpleasant words and think nothing of it.
The fifth precept against the use of intoxicants attempts to safeguard the mental faculty from degenerating through a bad habit. This includes drugs & alcohol. And smoking. Smoking can lead to addiction, it damages health and even more dangerous to the passive smokers around. On the surface this fifth precept seems carry no significant consequences if we break it. However, under the influence of intoxicants one has no control over oneself, and thus is easily tempted to transgress the four other precepts as well. There are many real life examples where people, under the influence of intoxicants, use abusive speeches and swear words, lie, rob and steal, then rape, and kill the victims. There, all five in one go!
There is no divine mandate in Buddhism. The Buddha only shows us the way. From the insights He gained in His Enlightenment (eg Dibbacakkhu-nana), Buddha knows how the karma works, if someone do this then the result is this and that. He shows us the facts, the law of the universe.
By observing these Five Precepts, the benefits are; our minds become calmer, it supports meditation practice, avoids birth in lower realm, achieves better rebirth in higher realm, and leads to Nibbana.
Wherever we are in the practice of the Five Precepts, may we advance further and perfect our precepts.
** Abhidhamma: the third great division of the Pitaka comprising the Buddha's philosophical exposition of ultimate realities.
*** Vinaya : (literally means 'leading out', 'education', 'discipline’) is the regulatory framework for the Sangha (bhikkhus/monks and bhikkhunis/nuns).
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