Then how
much more should you suspect her studied, amorous beauty; when she
displays her dainty outline, her richly ornamented form, and chatters
gayly with the foolish man! Ah, then! what perturbation and what evil
thoughts, not seeing underneath the horrid, tainted shape, the sorrows
of impermanence, the impurity, the unreality! Considering these as the
reality, all lustful thoughts die out; rightly considering these, within
their several limits, not even an Apsaras would give you joy. But yet
the power of lust is great with men, and is to be feared withal; take
then the bow of earnest perseverance, and the sharp arrow points of
wisdom, cover your head with the helmet of right-thought, and fight with
fixed resolve against the five desires. Better far with red-hot iron
pins bore out both your eyes, than encourage in yourselves lustful
thoughts, or look upon a woman's form with such desires. Lust beclouding
a man's heart, confused with woman's beauty, the mind is dazed, and at
the end of life that man must fall into an 'evil way.' Fear then the
sorrow of that 'evil way!' and harbor not the deceits of women. The
senses not confined within due limits, and the objects of sense not
limited as they ought to be, lustful and covetous thoughts grow up
between the two, because the senses and their objects are unequally
yoked. Just as when two ploughing oxen are yoked together to one halter
and cross-bar, but not together pulling as they go, so is it when the
senses and their objects are unequally matched.
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