This is the first and foundational application of indriyabhāvanā — development of sense faculties, beginning with the eye (cakkhu). The arising of manāpa (pleasant), amanāpa (unpleasant), or manāpāmanāpa (mixed) experiences is natural and not suppressed in this teaching. This differs from ascetic practices that emphasize blocking sense contact. The Buddha teaches right view and right knowledge at the point of contact: “So evaṁ pajānāti…” — “He knows thus…”This recognition contains 4 aspects:
Acknowledgement: “It has arisen.” Nature: “It is conditioned (saṅkhataṁ)” Texture: “It is coarse (oḷārikaṁ)” Causality: “It has arisen depending on conditions (paṭiccasamuppannaṁ)”
The practitioner then compares these with what is better, peaceful and sublime (santaṁ, paṇītaṁ)—that is upekkhā, equanimity born of wisdom, not indifference. The simile of opening or closing the eyes emphasizes: The naturalness of sense contact The effortless shift from sensory impression to equanimous awareness. A state where the mind does not cling, nor get repelled, nor oscillate.
The equanimity (upekkhā) is not a dead neutrality, but a deep wisdom response—recognizing the fleeting, constructed nature of experiences.

This second application of indriyabhāvanā concerns the ear (sota) and sounds (sadda). The experience of sound similarly leads to three types of vedanā: manāpa (pleasant): sweet music, praise, kind words; amanāpa (unpleasant): harsh speech, noise, insult; manāpāmanāpa (mixed): ambiguous or conflicting sounds (e.g., a beautiful song with painful memories)
The trained response begins by recognizing the truth of arising: It is not-self-created (paṭiccasamuppannaṁ), It is fabricated (saṅkhataṁ) and coarse (oḷārikaṁ), in contrast to santam paṇītaṁ (the peaceful and sublime equanimity)
The simile used here is: “Just as a strong man could easily snap his fingers (accharaṁ pahareyya)” This conveys: How effortlessly the shift to upekkhā can occur with proper development and how refined and responsive the mind becomes. Upekkhā is not suppression of sound, but transcending reactivity through insight.

This third case applies indriyabhāvanā to olfactory experience: the nose (ghāna) and smells (gandhā). Threefold Response: Manāpa: e.g., fragrance of flowers, food aroma, perfumes
Amanāpa: bad odors, decay, filth; Manāpāmanāpa: e.g., the smell of incense during funerals—a pleasant scent with unpleasant associations
Evaṁ Pajānāti — Knowing It Thus The monk does not push away, nor grasp, but sees it as: Saṅkhataṁ – a conditioned phenomenon
Oḷārikaṁ – crude, sensory, not subtle wisdom
Paṭiccasamuppannaṁ – arising only because of contact conditions
And so, he reflects: “This is not lasting, not worth clinging to. Peace is better. Equanimity is better.” Simile: Water Droplets on a Lotus Leaf
“īsakampoṇe padumapalāse udakaphusitāni pavattanti, na saṇṭhanti”
Padumapalāsa = lotus leaf īsakampoṇa = slightly slanted or trembling (from wind or subtle movement) udakaphusitāni = water droplets. This image conveys that: Just as water doesn’t stick to the leaf, so too contact and reactions do not cling to the trained mind. The non-stick quality of the leaf is like mindfulness coupled with wisdom. The simile emphasizes non-adherence: the reaction does not find a place to remain when the faculties are developed. In contrast to the ascetic notion of blocking the senses, the Buddha encourages a wise presence that lets phenomena arise and pass like dew on a lotus.

The fourth sense base discussed is jivhā (tongue) and rasā (tastes). The Buddha shows that even with the intimate sensory delight of taste, the development of equanimity is possible and essential. Examples of the response: Manāpa – sweet, savory, well-seasoned foods
Amanāpa – bitter, sour, spoiled food; Manāpāmanāpa – complex foods that evoke both pleasure and aversion (e.g., food tied to memories of both comfort and suffering)
The practitioner doesn’t resist taste but observes its arising without clinging. He understands that:
It is constructed (saṅkhataṁ); It is coarse, not refined Dhamma; It is dependently arisen, not intrinsic or permanent and hence, he naturally prefers upekkhā, the sublime peace beyond fleeting. pleasure.
Simile: Spitting Out Saliva
“Jivhagge kheḷapiṇḍaṁ saṁyūhitvā appakasirena vameyya”
Kheḷapiṇḍaṁ = a ball of saliva or spittle; Saṁyūhitvā = having gathered it together; Vameyya = he spits it out; Appakasirena = with little difficulty. This simile may feel blunt or even crude, but its meaning is profound: A natural, reflexive, effortless rejection of something unclean.
Just as one has no attachment to mucus, the trained mind spontaneously lets go of sensory reactions. The point is not suppression but the ease and immediacy with which the trained mind releases the reaction.
What This Reveals
This stage shows that even one of the most strongly conditioned forms of gratification—taste—can be disarmed through wisdom and mindfulness. The mind, like one who quickly spits out phlegm, doesn’t argue with or indulge sensory pleasure, but releases it by recognizing its true nature.

This is the fifth application, pertaining to touch or tactile sensations—through kāya (body) and phoṭṭhabba (tangible objects), such as: Temperature, Pressure, Texture, Movement, Pain or pleasure on the skin. Examples of the response:
Manāpa: a gentle breeze, soft fabric, warm sunlight; Amanāpa: mosquito bite, roughness, heat, cold, pain; Manāpāmanāpa: e.g., warmth that starts pleasant but becomes too hot.
What does the practitioner do?
As in the previous cases: He recognizes the arising feeling (uppannaṁ kho me idaṁ…)
He understands: This is fabricated (saṅkhataṁ), coarse (oḷārikaṁ), and dependently arisen (paṭiccasamuppannaṁ). Thus, he lets it go, allowing upekkhā—balanced awareness—to arise and remain.
Simile: Bending and Stretching the Arm
“Seyyathāpi, ānanda, balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya”. A strong person bends or stretches his arm as easily and naturally as breathing. This reflects the agility of the trained mind: Contact arises? The mind bends toward wisdom.
Feeling arises? The mind stretches to equanimity. This simile highlights: Speed (evaṁsīghaṁ); Ease (appakasirena); Nonresistance to experience, and nonclinging and equanimity is not dead neutrality, but living discernment that neither chases pleasure nor fears pain.

This is the sixth application: the mind (manasā) engaging with mental objects (dhammā), which includes: Memories, Thoughts, Mental images, Fantasies, Hopes and fears, Concepts, philosophies, and ideas. These are not physical objects, but arise internally, in the mind-door.
Examples of the response: Manāpa: pleasant memory, joyful vision, uplifting idea; Amanāpa: worry, grief, aversion, painful thought; Manāpāmanāpa: nostalgia, bittersweet memories, philosophical doubt.
The Monk’s Wisdom: He sees: “This has arisen.” and is conditioned (saṅkhataṁ), not pure mind or essence. It is oḷārikaṁ—though subtle in content, still coarse in nature; It is paṭiccasamuppannaṁ—not-self, not-lasting and thus, he values not the object, but the quality of peace: upekkhā.
Simile: Water on a Hot Iron Pan – “Divasaṁsantatte ayokaṭāhe… udakaphusitāni…”
“In an iron pan heated all day, even a drop of water falls slowly (dandho nipāto), but it instantly vanishes.” This is powerful imagery: The simile need not be decoded element by element. Its force is the speed of cessation: even if the drop takes time to fall, it vanishes almost immediately on contact with the heated pan; likewise, the agreeable, disagreeable, or mixed reaction does not remain.
In a well-trained mind: Arising is known; Clinging does not occur’ Upekkhā remains, unwavering and cool, like clear space
What This Reveals
Across all six sense bases—eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind—the Buddha teaches not suppression, but wisdom-based equanimity:

This describes the sekha, one who has entered the Noble Path (stream-enterer or beyond), but has not yet completed training. Uppajjati manāpaṁ / amanāpaṁ / manāpāmanāpaṁ = standard formula describing the threefold feeling tone (agreeable, disagreeable, or mixed) that arises at sense contact. The response of the sekha is not indulgence, but rather revulsion:
Aṭṭīyati – becomes afflicted, emotionally agitated
Harāyati – is ashamed or feels inward recoil
Jigucchati – is disgusted, averse
The point is not that the trainee should cultivate aversion toward sense objects. Rather, agreeable, disagreeable, and mixed reactions are still experienced as burdensome and objectionable because the training is not yet complete; the effortless establishment of upekkhā described earlier has not yet become mastery.

Here the Buddha describes the ariyo bhāvitindriyo — the noble one whose faculties are developed, mature, and flexible. This passage itself does not assign a specific stage of awakening.
He can: See repulsiveness in the attractive – e.g., seeing impermanence in beauty
See attractiveness in the repulsive – e.g., understanding compassion in suffering
Apply these perceptions flexibly depending on what’s needed to cut off craving
Abandon both and dwell in upekkhā – equanimous, mindful, discerning
This shows mastery of perception: the practitioner is no longer compelled to accept the first attractive or repulsive appearance as the only possible way of regarding the object. Note the line: “Upekkhako tattha viharati sato sampajāno” – He dwells equanimous, mindful, and clearly knowing of internal workings. This is the apex of indriyabhāvanā: when perception is no longer reactive but guided by the Dhamma.

This is the Buddha’s final blessing and wake-up call. He affirms that he has done his duty as teacher (kataṁ vo taṁ mayā). He invites personal responsibility: go to the forest, find solitude, and meditate deeply. His sharp call: “Mā pamādattha, mā pacchā vippaṭisārino ahuvattha.” “Don’t be heedless; lest you regret it later.” The sutta ends with Ānanda’s joyful approval, signifying that the transmission of the Dhamma is received with understanding and reverence.

Idha, māṇava, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī; yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ cakkhundriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ; tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati, rakkhati cakkhundriyaṁ, cakkhundriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati.
Here, student, having seen a visible form with the eye, a bhikkhu does not grasp its compelling sign, nor does he grasp its subsidiary details. Because, if he were to dwell with the eye faculty unrestrained, harmful and unwholesome states of covetousness and displeasure might flow in and overwhelm him, he practises for its restraint. He protects the eye faculty and establishes restraint regarding the eye faculty.
Cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā – “Having seen a form with the eye.” Seeing has already occurred. Therefore, restraint is not blindness, avoidance, or suppression. The issue is how the mind relates to what has been seen.
Na nimittaggāhī hoti – “He does not grasp the sign.” A nimitta is the dominant impression under which the object is mentally apprehended:
“Beautiful woman.”
“Ugly person.”
“Expensive car.”
“My enemy.”
“A threatening face.”
“Something I must possess.”
“Something I cannot tolerate.”
The mind reduces the entire visual event to one emotionally charged sign.
Not grasping the sign does not mean failing to recognize the object. It means not allowing the perception to become the foundation for greed, hatred, identity, or mental proliferation.=
Nānubyañjanaggāhī – “He does not grasp the subsidiary details.” Having grasped the general sign, the mind normally begins examining and collecting details:
the person’s eyes
facial features
skin
clothing
bodily shape
gestures
manner of walking
perceived faults
signs of wealth
signs of social status
The mind may later replay these details, compare them, fantasize about them, or use them to reinforce aversion. The problem is not accurate observation. The problem is selective attention serving craving or aversion.
Abhijjhādomanassā – “Covetousness and displeasure.” These represent the two directions in which the unguarded mind is pulled:
abhijjhā: “I want it; may it become mine.”
domanassa: “I dislike it; may it disappear.” The mind is no longer simply seeing. It has begun leaning toward possession or rejection.
Practice example 1: Seeing an attractive person
A person sees someone physically attractive. The first visual recognition is natural:
“A person has been seen, and pleasantness has arisen.”
The unrestrained sequence is:
“Very beautiful.”
Attention moves repeatedly to selected features and the mind takes a second and third look.
It imagines conversation, relationship, possession, or gratification and the image continues after the person has gone.
Desire becomes stronger than the original contact. Sense restraint interrupts the process:
“A form has been seen. Pleasantness has arisen dependent upon eye, form, eye-consciousness, and contact. There is no need to collect details or build a story.” The practitioner can then return attention to the purpose of the present activity. This is not hatred of beauty. It is freedom from being captured by beauty.

Practice example 2: Seeing someone considered unattractive
A person sees an injured, disfigured, elderly, or poorly dressed individual.
The unguarded mind may seize the sign: “Ugly, unpleasant, undesirable.” It then collects details that reinforce rejection.
The restrained practitioner recognizes: “Aversion has begun constructing an identity out of visual features. This is a living being subject to conditions, pain, aging, and death, just as I am.” The practitioner does not have to falsely call the appearance beautiful. He simply does not allow unpleasant visual contact to turn into contempt, cruelty, or dehumanization. Compassion replaces aversion.

Practice example 3: Social media and advertising
A practitioner sees an advertisement for a costly phone, vehicle, house, or holiday.
The mind grasps the nimitta: “Success, prestige, happiness.”
It then grasps details:
the design;
colour;
lifestyle;
admiration from others;
imagined social status.
Practice:
“This is a constructed visual presentation designed to produce wanting. The image is not happiness. Wanting is arising in the mind.” The practitioner may still make a rational purchase when necessary. What is abandoned is psychological captivity. Practical eye-door reflection – “Seeing is occurring.
Pleasantness or unpleasantness has arisen.
I will not convert the appearance into craving or aversion.
I will not feed it by collecting details.
Let the form remain merely a form.”

Sotena saddaṁ sutvā na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī; yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ sotindriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ; tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati, rakkhati sotindriyaṁ, sotindriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati.
Having heard a sound with the ear, he does not grasp its compelling sign, nor does he grasp its subsidiary details.
Because, if he were to dwell with the ear faculty unrestrained, harmful and unwholesome states of covetousness and displeasure might flow in and overwhelm him, he practises for its restraint. He protects the ear faculty and establishes restraint regarding the ear faculty.
How sound becomes a nimitta?
The sound itself may last only a few seconds. But the mind takes a sign from it:
He praised me.
She insulted me.
They respect me.
Nobody listens to me.
That voice is beautiful.
That noise is unbearable.
The mind then grasps subsidiary details:
the exact words
tone of voice
volume
facial implications
what should have been said
how one should reply
what others may have thought
A ten-second sound can therefore become ten hours of mental proliferation.
Practice example 1: Receiving praise
Someone says: “Your teaching was excellent. Nobody explains the Dhamma as clearly as you.”
The unrestrained ear-door grasps the sign: “I am an exceptional teacher.”
It then begins collecting confirming details:
who praised
who heard the praise
whether others agreed
how one compares with other teachers
Pride, superiority, and dependence on approval can develop.
The restrained response is:
“Pleasant words have been heard. Pleasantness has arisen. The sound has already ceased. Whatever was useful may be received, but no identity needs to be constructed.” The practitioner may respond courteously:
“I am glad that the explanation was useful.” Internally, he does not convert appreciation into conceit.

Practice example 2: Hearing criticism or insult
Someone says: “You do not understand what you are teaching.”
The unrestrained sequence is:
The sound is taken as “an insult.”
The person becomes “my opponent.”
Particular words and tone are replayed.
Defensive replies are imagined.
Anger continues long after the sound has ceased.
Sense restraint does not mean ignoring legitimate criticism. It means separating useful information from emotional poison.
The practitioner examines:
“Is there anything true or useful in what was said?” If yes, he learns from it.
If no, he lets the sound cease without carrying it further.
“The sound ended. I need not continue producing it inside my own mind.”

Practice example 3: Music
Pleasant music is heard. There is nothing inherently wrong with recognizing harmony. But an unguarded mind may:
seek repeated stimulation;
become dissatisfied with silence;
use music to escape every unpleasant mental state;
continually replay the melody mentally.
The restrained practitioner knows:
“Pleasant sound is present. It is changing moment by moment. I can hear it without demanding that it continue.”
Practical ear-door reflection “Sound has touched the ear.
The sound is already changing and ceasing.
I will receive whatever information is useful.
I will not turn praise into conceit or criticism into hatred.”

Ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī; yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ ghānindriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ; tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati, rakkhati ghānindriyaṁ, ghānindriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati.
Having smelled an odour with the nose, he does not grasp its compelling sign, nor does he grasp its subsidiary details.
Because, if he were to dwell with the nose faculty unrestrained, harmful and unwholesome states of covetousness and displeasure might flow in and overwhelm him, he practises for its restraint. He protects the nose faculty and establishes restraint regarding the nose faculty.

Practice example 1: Smelling attractive food
While fasting or waiting for a meal, the smell of freshly prepared food reaches the nose.
The unrestrained mind takes the sign: “Delicious food.” Then it elaborates:
what dish it may be
how it will taste
how much one wants
whether enough will be available
whether someone else might receive more
The odour becomes the basis for restlessness and craving
Practice: “An odour is known. Pleasantness has arisen. The food has not yet been eaten. The mind is manufacturing an entire experience from a smell.”Return to the present task without suppressing or resenting the smell.

Practice example 2: Perfume associated with a person
A familiar perfume is smelled, and memory of a particular person appears.
The mind may immediately construct:
attraction
nostalgia
grief
resentment
fantasy
The restrained practitioner separates the events:
“There is an odour. Because of previous association, memory has arisen. Odour is one event; the story being constructed is another.”

Practice example 3: A foul smell
A person passes a garbage dump or enters a dirty washroom.
The initial bodily response may be unpleasant. Restraint does not require pretending that the smell is pleasant.
It means not adding:
rage
contempt
exaggeration
hostility toward people
“I cannot bear this.”
The practitioner responds intelligently
“An unpleasant odour is present. If appropriate, I will move away or clean the area. There is no need for mental aggression.”
Practical nose-door reflection
“Smell has arisen due to conditions.
Pleasant or unpleasant recognition is present and I will not turn odour into craving, contempt, memory, or identity.”

Jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī; yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ jivhindriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ; tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati, rakkhati jivhindriyaṁ, jivhindriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati.
Having tasted a flavour with the tongue, he does not grasp its compelling sign, nor does he grasp its subsidiary details.
Because, if he were to dwell with the tongue faculty unrestrained, harmful and unwholesome states of covetousness and displeasure might flow in and overwhelm him, he practises for its restraint. He protects the tongue faculty and establishes restraint regarding the tongue faculty.

Practice example 1: Delicious food – A favourite dish is served. The tongue contacts the food, and pleasantness arises. The unrestrained mind takes the sign: “Wonderful food.”
It then collects details:
sweetness;
spice;
texture;
aroma;
comparison with previous meals;
desire for another portion.
The practitioner does not need to deny that the food tastes good. The training is:
“Pleasant taste has arisen. Its function is momentary. The food is for nourishment; there is no need to extend taste into greed.” Eat slowly enough to know when the body has received what it requires.

Practice example 2: Plain or poorly prepared food
Food is bland, cold, overcooked, or not according to one’s preference. The unrestrained mind grasps: “Bad food.”
It then criticizes:
the cook;
the retreat;
the household;
the lack of variety;
the difference from food at home.
The restrained practitioner knows: “Unpleasantness has arisen at the tongue-door. The body can still be nourished. I need not convert taste into ingratitude.” When the food is genuinely spoiled or harmful, it should not be eaten. Restraint does not mean abandoning wisdom or health.

Practice example 3: Eating more after the body is satisfied
The body has received sufficient nourishment, but pleasant taste continues. At this point the need belongs mainly to the tongue, not the body. The practitioner asks: “Is the body asking for nourishment, or is the mind asking to repeat pleasant contact?” This directly supports bhojane mattaññutā—moderation in eating. Practical tongue-door reflection
“Taste is brief and yet nourishment is the purpose’
I will not demand that every meal entertain the tongue and will stop when the body has received enough.

Kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī; yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ kāyindriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ; tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati, rakkhati kāyindriyaṁ, kāyindriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati.
Having touched a tangible object with the body, he does not grasp its compelling sign, nor does he grasp its subsidiary details. Because, if he were to dwell with the bodily faculty unrestrained, harmful and unwholesome states of covetousness and displeasure might flow in and overwhelm him, he practises for its restraint. He protects the bodily faculty and establishes restraint regarding the bodily faculty.

What is included in bodily contact? Phoṭṭhabba includes tangible qualities such as:
hardness and softness;
heat and cold;
pressure;
movement;
bodily comfort;
bodily pain;
contact with clothing, furniture, wind, water, or another body.
The contact itself and the pleasant or painful feeling connected with it should not be confused with the mental proliferation built upon it.

Practice example 1: Physical comfort
A practitioner sits in a comfortable chair, lies on a soft bed, or feels a cool breeze. The unguarded mind takes the sign:
“This is comfortable; I must preserve it.” It then develops dependency:
unwillingness to sit elsewhere;
constant adjustment;
irritation when conditions change;
fear of discomfort.
The restrained practitioner enjoys neither through blindness nor dependency: “Comfort is known. It is conditional and will change. I need not build security upon it.”

Practice example 2: Pain during sitting
Pain arises in the knee or back.
The initial bodily unpleasantness is one event. The mind may then grasp the sign: “Terrible pain.”
It collects subsidiary details:
It is getting worse.
I will not be able to continue.
Others are sitting better than me
This always happens
Something is wrong with my practice
Practice requires discernment:
Is the pain indicating possible injury?
Is a change of posture necessary?
Or is the mind simply demanding immediate escape from harmless discomfort?
One may mindfully change posture when appropriate. Sense restraint is not self-torture. The training is to avoid adding panic, resentment, identity, and dramatic prediction to the bodily event.

Practice example 3: Itching – An itch appears. Ordinarily the hand moves before clear knowing has arisen.
Practice:
Recognize contact and the urge to scratch.
Observe whether the urge increases, moves, or ceases.
Scratch only when consciously chosen, not through blind reaction.
This simple exercise reveals the difference between bodily contact and compulsion.

Practice example 4: Pleasant interpersonal touch
A pleasant touch may evoke longing, attachment, fantasy, or possessiveness especially with a man and woman.
The restrained practitioner recognizes: “Pleasant bodily contact has occurred. The contact need not become a claim upon another person, an identity, or an endless mental replay.” Ethical boundaries remain clear because the mind has not surrendered its responsibility to pleasantness.
Practical body-door reflection “This is tangible contact.
Pleasure or pain has arisen dependent on conditions.
I will respond wisely where action is needed and will not chase comfort or create additional suffering around pain.”

Manasā dhammaṁ viññāya na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī; yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ manindriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ; tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati, rakkhati manindriyaṁ, manindriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati.
Having cognized a mental object with the mind, he does not grasp its compelling sign, nor does he grasp its subsidiary details. Because, if he were to dwell with the mind faculty unrestrained, harmful and unwholesome states of covetousness and displeasure might flow in and overwhelm him, he practises for its restraint. He protects the mind faculty and establishes restraint regarding the mind faculty.
What are mental objects—dhammā? At the mind-door, dhammā may include:
memories
plans
mental images
concepts
opinions
expectations
fantasies
fears
doctrines
judgments
remembered sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches
ideas concerning oneself and others
Even when the external object is no longer present, the mind can reconstruct it internally. Therefore, the mind-door is where the other five sense contacts are often prolonged.

Practice example 1: A pleasant memory
A joyful retreat memory arises. The unguarded mind takes the sign: “Those were the best days of my life.”
It then elaborates:
particular people
conversations
special experiences
comparison with the present
desire to recreate the past
What began as memory becomes nostalgia and dissatisfaction. The restrained practitioner knows:
“A pleasant memory has appeared. It is a present mental object representing a past event. I need not live inside it.” The value of the experience can be retained without clinging to its image.

Practice example 2: A painful memory
Someone remembers an insult or betrayal. The mind grasps the sign:
“I was wronged.” It then repeatedly examines details:
exact words;
facial expression;
what should have been said;
imagined revenge;
anticipated future conflict.
The other person may be absent, but the mind continues reproducing the suffering.
Practice: “Memory has arisen. The event is not occurring now. Pain connected with the memory is known. I will learn whatever needs to be learned without repeatedly injuring the mind.”

Practice example 3: Imagined future success
A plan or aspiration appears. Planning itself may be appropriate. But the mind may grasp a sign of future identity:
“When this succeeds, I will be important, secure, or admired.” It then becomes intoxicated with imagined outcomes.
The restrained practitioner distinguishes:
the practical action presently required;
the fantasy of who “I” will become.
He performs the action without feeding self-construction.

Practice example 4: Fear of a future event
A medical appointment, journey, interview, or difficult conversation is approaching.
The mind creates one threatening sign and then gathers every detail that confirms danger.
Practice:
“A mental image of a possible future is being known. It is not the actual event. What practical preparation is required now?” After the necessary preparation, the practitioner does not keep rehearsing fear.

Practice example 5: Attachment to Dhamma experience
A peaceful sitting, jhānic experience, insight, or unusual state is remembered.
The mind may take the sign:
“I attained something exceptional.”
It then grasps details:
how long it lasted;
how it compares with others;
whether it proves a particular attainment;
how it can be reproduced;
how others might respond if told.
Even a wholesome experience can become material for conceit and appropriation.
The restrained response is: “That conditioned experience arose and ceased. What matters is whether greed, aversion, delusion, and identification are diminishing now.”
Practical mind-door reflection
“A thought is known as a thought.
A memory is known as a memory and a mental image is known as a mental image.
I will not automatically accept it as self, truth, command, or reality.