I heard the famous Dhammapada's 183: “Not to do any evil, to cultivate good, to purify one’s mind, this is the teaching of the Buddhas.” tractated metaphorically as what one needs to do to have a beautiful garden: it must be protected from bad plants by a fence (not doing bad, precepts, etc), good seeds must be planted (cultivating kindness, generosity etc) and weed must be pulled (purifying the mind through meditation). Is this a classical simile which can be attributed to a source, or a meme of unknown origin? If it can be attributed, where does it come from?

Can anyone post a video of what a "bhamakāro" from ancient India would be doing? If not, can anyone explain very clearly what we are talking about in terms of the tool that would have been used, the process, and what the person would have been doing? Pali: > Seyyathāpi bhikkhave dakkho **bhamakāro** vā bhamakārantevāsī vā dīghaṃ vā > añchanto dīghaṃ añchāmīti pajānāti, rassaṃ vā añchanto rassaṃ > añchāmīti pajānāti, evameva kho bhikkhave bhikkhu dīghaṃ vā assasanto > dīghaṃ assasāmīti pajānāti. Dīghaṃ vā passasanto dīghaṃ passasāmīti > pajānāti. Translation of MN 10 from Thanissaro Bhikkhu: > Just as a skilled **turner** or his apprentice, when making a long turn, > discerns, 'I am making a long turn,' or when making a short turn > discerns, 'I am making a short turn'; in the same way the monk, when > breathing in long, discerns, 'I am breathing in long'; or breathing > out long, he discerns, 'I am breathing out long' Translation of MN 10 from Sujato: > It’s like a deft **carpenter** or carpenter’s apprentice. When making a > deep cut they know: ‘I’m making a deep cut,’ and when making a shallow > cut they know: ‘I’m making a shallow cut.’ ...

In this question , we found the metaphorical use of the term "the world", different from its ordinary everyday meaning. Similarly, the sutta SN 35.151 below talks about living the holy life without students and teachers, as well as living the holy life with students and teachers. A deeper look into the elaboration by the Buddha seems to indicate that "has students" and "has teacher" are metaphors. What do these metaphors mean? And what is the difference between "has students" and "has teacher" in this case? Why are they differentiated into two different things? > “Bhikkhus, this holy life is lived without students and without a > teacher. A bhikkhu who has students and a teacher dwells in suffering, > not in comfort. A bhikkhu who has no students and no teacher dwells > happily, in comfort. > > “And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu who has students and a teacher > dwell in suffering, not in comfort? Here, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu has > seen a form with the eye, there arise in him evil unwholesome states, > memories and intentions connected with the fetters. They dwell within > him. Since those evil unwholesome states dwell within him, he is > called ‘one who has students.’ They assail him. Since evil unwholesome > states assail him, he is called ‘one who has a teacher.’ > > “Further, when a bhikkhu has heard a sound with the ear … cognized a > mental phenomenon with the mind … he is called ‘one who has a > teacher.’ > > “It is in this way that a bhikkhu who has students and a teacher > dwells in suffering, not in comfort. > > “And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu who has no students and no teacher > dwell happily, in comfort? Here, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu has seen a > form with the eye, there do not arise in him evil unwholesome states, > memories and intentions connected with the fetters. They do not dwell > within him. Since those evil unwholesome states do not dwell within > him, he is called ‘one who has no students.’ They do not assail him. > Since evil unwholesome states do not assail him, he is called ‘one who > has no teacher.’ > > “Further, when a bhikkhu has heard a sound with the ear … cognized a > mental phenomenon with the mind … he is called ‘one who has no > teacher.’ > > “It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a bhikkhu who has no students and > no teacher dwells happily, in comfort. > SN 35.151

Though to the extent of my admittedly scarce knowledge, decapitation as a simile for some level of attainment is not to be found in the Pali Canon, but I bet the Zen tradition offers countless koans and stories wherein, figuratively, the incumbent experiencer of realization is beheaded, very much to his surprise I would say. If you happen to know a few of these stories, your kind attention in helping me digging out these similes is greatly appreciated. My gratitude for having taken the time to read this.

What is the sutta that uses the following metaphor? > Firefly(Samsaric being) jumps into candlelight seeking a > pleasure(Tanha), not knowing(Avijja) that the candlelight will burn > the firefly to death(Samsaric Dukkha).

Would be interested to hear all similes about removing the difilments step by step What i vaguely remember is a simile about purifying gold - and maybe there was one on purifying silver ?