*Buddhapashcimavavadopadesha 1.22

1.22

經曰：汝等比丘！已能住戒，當制五根，勿令放逸入於五欲。譬如牧牛之人執杖視之，不令縱逸犯人苗稼。若縱五根非唯五欲，將無崖畔不可制也。亦如惡馬不以轡制，將當牽人墜於坑陷。如被劫害，苦止一世；五根賊禍，殃及累世。為害甚重，不可不慎。是故智者制而不隨，持之如賊不令縱逸。假令縱之，皆亦不久見其磨滅。

The Sūtra says: You bhikṣus! Having already been able to abide in the precepts, you must restrain the five sense faculties, not allowing them to become heedless and enter the five sense desires. Just as a cowherd holding a staff watches them, not allowing them to run wild and trespass upon others' crops. If you give free rein to the five sense faculties, not only into the five sense desires, there will be no boundaries and they will become uncontrollable. It is also like a vicious horse not restrained with a bridle: it will drag a person and plunge into a pit. If one is harmed by bandits, the suffering is limited to a single lifetime; but the disaster of the thieves of the five faculties brings calamity over multiple lifetimes. The harm is extremely severe, and one cannot fail to be cautious. Therefore, the wise restrain them and do not follow them, guarding them like thieves and not letting them run wild. Even if one were to give them free rein, one would soon see their ruin.