At one time, the Blessed One was staying among the |Sumbhans::name of the people of Sumbha [sumbha]|, in a town of the Sumbhans named |Sedaka::name of a town in Sumbha [sedaka]|. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus.”
“Venerable sir,” those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
“Suppose, bhikkhus, on hearing, ‘beauty queen, beauty queen,’ a great crowd of people would gather together. Now that beauty queen would deliver the most excellent dance, deliver the most excellent song. On hearing, ‘The beauty queen is dancing! The beauty queen is singing!’ an even larger crowd of people would gather together.
Then a man would come along, wishing to live, not wishing to die, wishing for ease, averse to suffering. Someone would say to him: ‘Good man, you must carry around this bowl of oil filled to the brim between the crowd and the beauty queen. A man with a raised sword will follow right behind you, and wherever you spill even a drop, right there he will cut off your head.’
What do you think, bhikkhus, would that man stop paying attention to the bowl of oil and let his mind wander outside out of |negligence::carelessness, heedlessness [pamāda]|?”
“No, venerable sir.”
“I have given this simile, bhikkhus, to convey a meaning. And this is the meaning—the bowl of oil filled to the brim, bhikkhus, is a designation for |mindfulness directed to the body::mindfulness that is focused within [kāyagata + sati]|.
Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘Mindfulness directed to the body will be developed, practiced often, made a vehicle, made a basis, firmly established, nurtured, and |resolutely undertaken::fully engaged with, energetically taken up [susamāraddha]| by us.’ Thus, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves.”