Buddhism teach that there are gratifications, dangers and escape to life in Samsara. Life is like the bait to entice fish or other animals as prey. It may look so delicious, attractive, enticing and tantalizing. However, when a prey bites the bait, it is hooked and it is in danger that the predator can do whatever he pleases with the prey.
There are gratifications in life. These gratifications look so delicious, attractive, enticing and tantalizing. Common people are like preys who don’t see the dangers. Buddhism teach us to see reality as it is; i.e. to see gratifications as gratifications, and dangers as dangers. If you cling on to the gratifications and ignore of the dangers, that is your choice. It is not wrong, but it is not right. It’s OK if you choose to be a prey. However, Buddhism teach us the escape path. It is called the Noble Eightfold Path: Right View, Right Thought, Right Action, Right Speech, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration. If one practices walking the spiritual path resolutely and ardently, he can escape the cycle of rebirth or Samsara. He will not bite the bait, therefore no danger.
The body, feeling, perception, volition and consciousness are called the five aggregates of clinging. Common people see the five aggregates of clinging as self, or self is inside the five aggregates, or the five aggregates belong to the self. They are oblivious that the five aggregates of clinging are actually murderers pretending to be loyal servants. They will pretend to be good, but the motives and final results would be to bring suffering to us. If one sees reality as it is, he would not treat the five aggregates of clinging as loyal servants but use their services with cautions and mindfulness of the dangers.
Suppose, friend Yamaka, there was a householder or a householder’s son, a rich man, with much wealth and property, protected by a bodyguard. Then some man would appear who wanted to ruin him, to harm him, to endanger him, to take his life. It would occur to that man: ‘This householder or householder’s son is a rich man, with much wealth and property, protected by a bodyguard. It won’t be easy to take his life by force. Let me get close to him and then take his life.’
“Then he would approach that householder or householder’s son and say to him: ‘I would serve you, sir.’ Then the householder or householder’s son would appoint him as a servant. The man would serve him, rising up before him, retiring after him, doing whatever he wants, agreeable in his conduct, endearing in his speech. The householder or householder’s son would consider him a friend, a bosom friend, and he would place trust in him. But when the man becomes aware that the householder or householder’s son has placed trust in him, then, finding him alone, he would take his life with a sharp knife.
“What do you think, friend Yamaka, when that man had approached that householder or householder’s son and said to him: ‘I would serve you, sir,’ wasn’t he a murderer even then, though the other did not recognize him as ‘my murderer’? And when the man was serving him, rising up before him, retiring after him, doing whatever he wants, agreeable in his conduct, endearing in his speech, wasn’t he a murderer then too, though the other did not recognize him as ‘my murderer’? And when the man came upon him while he was alone and took his life with a sharp knife, wasn’t he a murderer then too, though the other did not recognize him as ‘my murderer’?”
“Yes, friend.”
“So too, friend Yamaka, the uninstructed worldling, who is not a seer of the noble ones and is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dhamma, who is not a seer of superior persons and is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dhamma, regards form as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form.
“He regards feeling as self … perception as self … volition as self … consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness.
“He does not understand as it really is impermanent form as ‘impermanent form’ … impermanent feeling as ‘impermanent feeling’ … impermanent perception as ‘impermanent perception’ … impermanent volition as ‘impermanent volition’ … impermanent consciousness as ‘impermanent consciousness.’
“He does not understand as it really is painful form as ‘painful form’ … painful feeling as ‘painful feeling’ … painful perception as ‘painful perception’ … painful volitional formations as ‘painful volition’ … painful consciousness as ‘painful consciousness.’
“He does not understand as it really is selfless form as ‘selfless form’ … selfless feeling as ‘selfless feeling’ … selfless perception as ‘selfless perception’ … selfless volition as ‘selfless volition’ … selfless consciousness as ‘selfless consciousness.’
“He does not understand as it really is conditioned form as ‘conditioned form’ … conditioned feeling as ‘conditioned feeling’ … conditioned perception as ‘conditioned perception’ … conditioned volition as ‘conditioned volitional formations’ … conditioned consciousness as ‘conditioned consciousness.’
“He does not understand as it really is murderous form as ‘murderous form’ … murderous feeling as ‘murderous feeling’ … murderous perception as ‘murderous perception’ … murderous volition as ‘murderous volitional formations’ … murderous consciousness as ‘murderous consciousness.’
“He becomes engaged with form, clings to it, and takes a stand upon it as ‘my self.’ He becomes engaged with feeling … with perception … with volition … with consciousness, clings to it, and takes a stand upon it as ‘my self.’ These same five aggregates of clinging, to which he becomes engaged and to which he clings, lead to his harm and suffering for a long time.
“But, friend, the instructed noble disciple, who is a seer of the noble ones … does not regard form as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form.
“He does not regard feeling as self … perception as self … volition as self … consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness.
“He understands as it really is impermanent form as ‘impermanent form’ … impermanent consciousness as ‘impermanent consciousness.’
“He understands as it really is painful form as ‘painful form’ … painful consciousness as ‘painful consciousness.’
“He understands as it really is selfless form as ‘selfless form’ … selfless consciousness as ‘selfless consciousness.’
“He understands as it really is conditioned form as ‘conditioned form’ … conditioned consciousness as ‘conditioned consciousness.’
“He understands as it really is murderous form as ‘murderous form’ … murderous consciousness as ‘murderous consciousness.’
“He does not become engaged with form, cling to it, and take a stand upon it as ‘my self.’ He does not become engaged with feeling … with perception … with volition … with consciousness, cling to it, and take a stand upon it as ‘my self.’
These same five aggregates of clinging, to which he does not become engaged and to which he does not cling, lead to his welfare and happiness for a long time.”
Saɱyutta Nikāya 3.22.85
RESILIENT KID 