輕躁難持 隨欲而行 調伏此心 是爲大善 心難見 甚微妙 隨欲而行 智者防護 遠行獨行 無身寢竄 能制此心 獲脫魔縛
qīng zào nán chí suí yù ér xíng tiáo fú cǐ xīn shì wéi dà shàn xīn nán jiàn shèn wēi miào suí yù ér xíng zhì zhě fáng hù yuǎn xíng dú xíng wú shēn qǐn cuàn néng zhì cǐ xīn huò tuō mó fù
Key Message
The restless, difficult-to-control mind that drifts with every desire — to tame this mind is the greatest good and the path to liberation from all bondage.
▸The Cittavagga (Chapter on the Mind) is a sustained meditation on the nature of consciousness and the practice of mental cultivation.
The Cittavagga (Chapter on the Mind) is a sustained meditation on the nature of consciousness and the practice of mental cultivation. The mind is described as fickle and unsteady (qīng zào), difficult to restrain, drifting wherever desire leads — yet to tame this very mind is the highest good. The mind is also described as subtle and nearly invisible to direct perception, requiring the protective vigilance of the wise. The striking image of the mind as 'far-traveling, solitary, bodiless, resting in a cave' (a classical Pali description of the wandering consciousness during dream states or deep meditation) points to its elusive, incorporeal quality. One who gains mastery over this restless mind is freed from the bondage of Māra (the demonic force of temptation and death).