Saṃyuktāgama (291) Section 4

(4) Original text: For example, there is a cool pond by the roadside, its water complete with fragrance and flavor. Someone puts poison into it. In the springtime sun, travelers who are hot and thirsty come eagerly wanting to drink. Someone tells them, "Sirs, this is a cool pond, complete in color, fragrance, and flavor. However, there is poison within it. Do not drink it. If you drink it, it may cause you to die or suffer near-death agony." Yet those who are thirsty, disbelieving, drink it. Though they obtain a delicious taste, in a short while they either die or suffer near-death agony. Similarly, Sramanas and Brahmins see the lovely, pleasing forms of the world, regard them as permanent and eternal, as secure, as free from affliction, as 'I' and 'mine.' Consequently, they fail to be liberated from birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair.

Explanation: The Buddha uses a metaphor: For example, there is a cool pond by the roadside, its water complete with fragrance and flavor. If poison is put into the pond, then when spring arrives and the weather warms, travelers passing by, feeling intensely thirsty due to the heat, will want to drink the water. As they are about to drink, someone nearby warns them: "This cool pond water, though complete in color, fragrance, and flavor, contains poison. Do not drink it. If you drink it, you will die; if not, you will suffer a severe illness." But the thirsty person, overcome by thirst and disbelief, drinks it anyway. Although the water feels cool and delicious while drinking, the poison takes effect afterward—either killing them instantly or causing agony so severe it feels like dying. Similarly, Sramanas and Brahmins see the lovely, pleasing forms of the world, regard them as permanent and unchanging, as secure and stable, as free from any fault, as 'I' and 'mine.' Because of this view, they cannot be liberated from birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair.

Original text: If Sramanas and Brahmins, regarding the lovely, pleasing forms of the world, observe them as like a disease, like a boil, like a thorn, like a killing—as impermanent, suffering, empty, and non-self—then their craving ceases. With the cessation of craving, clinging ceases. With the cessation of clinging, suffering ceases. With the cessation of suffering, birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair cease. For example, there is a cool pond by the roadside, its water complete with fragrance and flavor. Someone puts poison into it. In the springtime sun, travelers who are hot and thirsty come eagerly wanting to drink. Someone tells them, "This water is poisonous. Do not drink it. If you drink it, it may cause you to die or suffer near-death agony." Then they reflect, "This water is poisonous. If I drink it, it may cause me to die or suffer near-death agony. I shall endure my thirst and eat dry fried rice instead, without taking water to drink."

Explanation: If Sramanas and Brahmins see the lovely, pleasing forms of the world and observe these appearances as like something diseased, like a boil, like a thorn, like a killing—all being impermanent, suffering, empty, and non-self—then craving ceases. With the cessation of craving, clinging ceases. With the cessation of clinging, suffering ceases. With the cessation of suffering, birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair cease. For example, there is a cool pond by the roadside, its water complete with fragrance and flavor. Someone puts poison into the water. When thirsty travelers want to drink, others tell them, "This water is poisonous. Do not drink it. If you drink it, you will either die instantly or suffer agony as if dying." The would-be drinkers then think, "This water is poisonous. Poisonous water cannot be drunk; drinking it will cause death." Therefore, they endure their thirst for the time being, eating only dry fried rice without drinking water. Thus, these travelers depart without drinking the poisoned water and avoid death by poisoning.

Henceforth, we must constantly remind ourselves: Do not drink the poisoned water again. The moment a thought of craving arises, tell yourself: "I must not crave anymore; I must not drink the poisoned water again." The moment you feel attachment to something, tell yourself: "I must not become attached; becoming attached is like drinking poisoned water." The moment you feel reluctance to let go, tell yourself: "I must not cling; clinging is like drinking poisoned water." Gradually, this craving will weaken, then cease entirely, and finally, suffering will vanish. By constantly alerting ourselves like this, step by step, we will ultimately embark on the path to liberation.