佛遺教經論疏節要 1.124

1.124

This symbolizes that the mind is obscured and does not see the future. The Baiyu jing says: "Long ago there was a greedy man who sought honey in the wilderness. Having found a tree, he raised his foot and went forward wishing to take the honey, unaware that a deep pit was covered with grass, whereupon he took a misstep and perished." An elephant driven mad symbolizes the mind giving rise to the three poisons. The Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra takes an intoxicated elephant's madness and heedlessness to be like the intoxication of greed, wrath, and delusion, because of which one creates abundant evil karma. An ape symbolizes the sense faculties giving rise to the five desires. Some say: For example, it is like a single ape appearing at five windows; the mind-monkey is also like this, running throughout those five faculties. "Leaping" explains the elephant driven mad above. "Cavorting and bounding about" explains the ape above. "Bounding" is the leaping of an ape. "You should swiftly curb it" indicates repressing it and guiding it into the place of non-movement. "Not letting it become heedless" means having it gathered and led into the fold of taming and regulation.