The Blessed Buddha once said...

Bhikkhus, imagine a fisherman, who have thrown a baited hook into a deep lake, and then an yearning fish, hungry for food, would swallow it at first sight... That fish, having swallowed the fisherman's hook, would indeed meet with much pain, disaster and tragedy, since the fisherman would do with it as he wishes...So too, Bhikkhus, there are these six hooks in the world for the pain, disaster and tragedy of beings, for the slaughter of living beings: Forms experienceable by the eye, sounds experiencable by the ear, smells experienceable by the nose, tastes experienceable by the tongue, touches experienceable by the body, & mental states experienceable by the mind, that all are seductive, gorgeous, alluring, agreeable, pleasing, enticing, tempting and tantalizing. If a bhikkhu search for delight in them, welcomes them, and thus remains clinging to them, he is called a Bhikkhu, who has swallowed Mara's hook!!!  He has met with pain, disaster & tragedy, & the Evil One can do with him, as he wishes. However, one who does neither hunt for delight in them, nor does he welcome them, nor does he remain clinging to them, such is a Bhikkhu, who has resisted Mara's hook, who has broken, destroyed, and defeated this Hook! He will neither gather, nor meet any pain, nor disaster, nor tragedy, and this Evil One cannot do with him, as he wishes... Since he has gained true self-control & integrity!

Magandiya Sutta

MN 75

"Magandiya, suppose that there was a leper covered with sores and infections, devoured by worms, picking the scabs off the openings of his wounds with his nails, cauterizing his body over a pit of glowing embers. His friends, companions, & relatives would take him to a doctor. The doctor would concoct medicine for him, and thanks to the medicine he would be cured of his leprosy: well & happy, free, master of himself, going wherever he liked. Then suppose two strong men, having grabbed him with their arms, were to drag him to a pit of glowing embers. What do you think? Wouldn't he twist his body this way & that?"

"Yes, master Gotama. Why is that? The fire is painful to the touch, very hot & scorching."

"Now what do you think, Magandiya? Is the fire painful to the touch, very hot & scorching, only now, or was it also that way before?"

From CONFUSION to CALM...

You have to do it urself! Push on your training, until reaching
pure peace! Do not let the king of death see you sloppy and
thus delude and dominate you like a toy doll...
Of what use are your dreams? How can you sleep now,
when sick, stabbed by the arrow of craving...

Sutta Nipata 331-2

Dighajanu (Vyagghapajja) Sutta: Conditions of Welfare

Heedful at administering
or working at one's occupation,
maintaining one's life in tune,
one protects one's store of wealth.
A person of conviction,
consummate in virtue,
magnanimous, free of selfishness,
constantly clears the path
to security in the lives to come.
Thus for one who seeks the household life,
these eight qualities, leading to welfare & happiness
both in this life & in lives to come,
have been declared by the one
whose name
is truth.
And this is how, for householders,
generosity & merit increase.


AN 8.54

Thus have I heard. Once the Exalted One was dwelling amongst the Koliyans,[1] in their market town named Kakkarapatta. Then Dighajanu,[2] a Koliyan, approached the Exalted One, respectfully saluted Him and sat on one side. Thus seated, he addressed the Exalted One as follows:

"We, Lord, are laymen who enjoy worldly pleasure. We lead a life encumbered by wife and children. We use sandalwood of Kasi. We deck ourselves with garlands, perfume and unguents. We use gold and silver. To those like us, O Lord, let the Exalted One preach the Dhamma, teach those things that lead to weal and happiness in this life and to weal and happiness in future life."

Conditions of Worldly Progress
"Four conditions, Vyagghapajja,[3] conduce to a householder's weal and happiness in this very life. Which four?

PATICCASAMUPPADA

“Thus, Ānanda, in dependence upon (paṭicca) feeling (vedanā) there is craving (taṇhā), in dependence upon craving there is pursuit (pariyesanā), in dependence upon pursuit there is gain (lābha), in dependence upon gain there is decision making (vinicchayo), in dependence upon decision making there is desire and lust (chandarāgo), in dependence upon desire and lust there is attachment (ajjhosānaṃ), in dependence upon attachment there is possessiveness (pariggaho), in dependence upon possessiveness there is stinginess (macchariyaṃ), in dependence upon stinginess there is safe guarding (ārakkho) and because of safe-guarding various evil, unwholesome phenomena originate, the taking up clubs (daṇḍādāna) and weapons (satthādāna), conflicts (kalaha), quarrels (viggaha), disputes (vivāda), insulting speech (tuvaṃtuvaṃ), slander (pesuñña) and falsehood (musāvādā).”

From Buddha's Ancient Path...

The Venerable Sariputta addressing the monks said: `It is Nibbana, friends, that is happiness; it is Nibbana, friends, that is happiness.'Then the Venerable Udayi asked: `But what, friend Sariputta, is happiness, since herein there is no feeling?' `Just this, friend, is happiness, that herein there is no feeling.' 30 This saying of the Venerable Sariputta is fully supported by the following one of the Buddha: `Whatever is experienced, sensed felt, all that is suffering' (yamkinci vedayitam tam dukkhasmim ti)
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Pleasures are like poppies spread,
You seize the flower, its bloom is shed;
Or, like the snow fall on the river,
A moment white, then melts for ever.
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Man is always attracted by the pleasant and the delightful, and in his search for pleasure, he runs after the five kinds of sense objects; cognizes ideas and clings to them. He little realizes that no amount of forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles and mental objects or ideas will ever satisfy the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind. Beings in their intense thirst for either possession or the satisfaction of desires, become bound to the wheel of existence, are twisted and torn between the spokes of agony, and securely close the door to final deliverance. The Buddha was most emphatic against this mad rush, and warned:

Pleasure is a bond, a joy that's brief,
Of little taste, leading to drawn-out pain.
The wise know that the hook is baited.

Nayidam attakatam bimbam...

Nayidam attakatam bimbam
Nayidam parakatam agham;
Hetum paticca sambhutam,
Hetu bhanga nirujjhati.


Not-self-wrought is this puppet form,
Nor other-wrought this mass of woe;
Condition-based it comes to be,
Condition-ceased it endeth, lo.