Then, when the night had passed, Kassapa the Prince went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. Then he asked: “Sir, what is the termite mound? What is the fuming by night and flaming by day? Who is the brahmin, and who the clever one? What are the sword, the digging, the sticking point, the bullfrog, the forked path, the filter of ash, the tortoise, the butcher’s knife and chopping board, and the scrap of meat? And what is the king cobra?”

“Mendicant, ‘termite mound’ is a term for this body made up of the four principal states, produced by mother and father, built up from rice and porridge, liable to impermanence, to wearing away and erosion, to breaking up and destruction. Thinking and considering all night about what you did during the day—this is the fuming at night. The work you apply yourself to during the day by body, speech, and mind after thinking about it all night—this is the flaming by day. ‘Brahmin’ is a term for the Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. ‘Clever one’ is a term for the trainee mendicant. ‘Sword’ is a term for noble wisdom. ‘Digging’ is a term for rousing energy. ‘Sticking point’ is a term for ignorance. ‘Throw out the sticking point’ means ‘give up ignorance, dig, clever one, having picked up the sword.’ ‘Bullfrog’ is a term for anger and distress. ‘Throw out the bullfrog’ means ‘give up anger and distress’ … ‘A forked path’ is a term for doubt. ‘Throw out the forked path’ means ‘give up doubt’ …