1"Bhikkhus, the uninstructed worldling speaks of ‘the ocean, the ocean.’ But that is not the ocean in the Noble One's Discipline; that is only a great mass of water, a great expanse of water.

"The eye, bhikkhus, is the ocean for a person; its current consists of forms.

2 [n.161] Spk: The eye is the ocean for a person: both in the sense of being hard to fill and in the sense of submerging (samuddanatthena). It is an ocean in the sense of being hard to fill because it is impossible to fill it (satisfy it) with visible objects converging on it from the earth up to the highest brahma world. And the eye is an ocean in the sense of submerging because it submerges (one) among various objects, that is, when it becomes unrestrained, flowing down, it goes in a faulty way by being a cause for the arising of defilements. Its current consists of forms: As the ocean has countless waves, so the "ocean of the eye" has countless waves consisting of the various visible objects converging on it. One who withstands that current consisting of forms is said to have crossed the ocean of the eye with its waves, whirlpools, sharks, and demons. [n.162] the following explanation of these dangers is given: "waves" (ūmi) are anger and despair (kodhūpāyāsa); "whirlpools" (āvaṭṭa) are the five cords of sensual pleasure; "sharks and demons" (gāharakkhasa) are women. A similar explanation is at MN67 (MN I 460–62), with susukā in place of gāharakkhasa. Cp. It 57,8–16. For the image of the brahmin standing on high ground, see SN2.5 and AN4.5 (AN II 5,29–6,5). Crossed over, gone beyond, the brahmin stands on high ground.

"The ear, bhikkhus, is the ocean for a person … . The mind is the ocean for a person; its current consists of mental phenomena. One who withstands that current consisting of mental phenomena is said to have crossed the ocean of the mind with its waves, whirlpools, sharks, and demons. Crossed over, gone beyond, the brahmin stands on high ground."

This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:

3"One who has crossed this ocean so hard to cross,
With its dangers of sharks, demons, waves,
The knowledge-master who has lived the holy life,
Reached the world's end, is called one gone beyond."

1"‘Samuddo, samuddo’ti, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano bhāsati. Neso, bhikkhave, ariyassa vinaye samuddo. Mahā eso, bhikkhave, udakarāsi mahāudakaṇṇavo.

Cakkhu, bhikkhave, purisassa samuddo; tassa rūpamayo vego.

2Yo taṁ rūpamayaṁ vegaṁ sahati, ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, atari cakkhusamuddaṁ saūmiṁ sāvaṭṭaṁ sagāhaṁ sarakkhasaṁ; tiṇṇo pāraṅgato thale tiṭṭhati brāhmaṇo … pe … jivhā, bhikkhave, purisassa samuddo; tassa rasamayo vego. Yo taṁ rasamayaṁ vegaṁ sahati, ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, atari jivhāsamuddaṁ saūmiṁ sāvaṭṭaṁ sagāhaṁ sarakkhasaṁ; tiṇṇo pāraṅgato thale tiṭṭhati brāhmaṇo … pe … mano, bhikkhave, purisassa samuddo; tassa dhammamayo vego. Yo taṁ dhammamayaṁ vegaṁ sahati, ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, atari manosamuddaṁ saūmiṁ sāvaṭṭaṁ sagāhaṁ sarakkhasaṁ; tiṇṇo pāraṅgato thale tiṭṭhati brāhmaṇo"ti.

Idamavoca … pe … satthā:

3"Yo imaṁ samuddaṁ sagāhaṁ sarakkhasaṁ,
Saūmiṁ sāvaṭṭaṁ sabhayaṁ duttaraṁ accatari;
Sa vedagū vusitabrahmacariyo,
Lokantagū pāragatoti vuccatī"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.