DhammaPada verses 33-43 share about the nature of the mind, the drawbacks of an untamed mind, and the benefits of protecting and restraining the mind. Those who restrain the mind will be freed from the shackles of death. Not even one's own mother, father, or any other relatives can do as much good as a rightly oriented mind can.

The Buddha explains how even small attachments can be strong fetters if not relinquished, using similes of a quail and an elephant, and contrasts between the poor and wealthy. He describes four types of practitioners based on their response to attachment and mindfulness. The discourse also presents gradual refinement of meditative attainments from the first jhāna to the cessation of perception and feeling.