Basic sequence:
Here, bhikkhus, an untaught ordinary man who has no regard for Noble Ones and is unconversant with their True Idea and undisciplined in it, who has no regard for True Man and is unconversant with their True Idea and undisciplined in it:
THE ORDINARY MAN
4. From earth he has a percept of earth; having had from earth a percept of earth, he conceives (that to be) earth, he conceives (that to be) in earth, he conceives (that to be apart) from earth, he conceives earth to be ‘Mine’, he relishes earth. Why is that? He has not fully diagnosed it, I say.
THE INITIATE
28. Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu who is an Initiate, whose mind has not yet reached (the goal), and who is still aspiring to the supreme surcease of bondage:
29. From earth he has direct-knowledge of earth; having had from earth direct-knowledge of earth, he ought not to conceive (that to be) earth, he ought not to conceive (that to be) in earth, he ought not to conceive (that to be apart) from earth, he ought not to conceive earth to be ‘Mine’, he ought not to relish earth. Why is that? He ought to diagnosed it fully, I say.
THE ARAHANT – I
53. Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu who is accomplished with cankers destroyed, who has lived out the life, done what was to be done, laid down the burden, reached the True goal, destroyed the fetters of being, and rightly liberated through final knowledge:
54. From earth he has direct-knowledge of earth; having had from earth direct-knowledge of earth, he does not conceive (that to be) earth, he does not conceive (that to be) in earth, he does not conceive (that to be apart) from earth, he does not conceive earth to be ‘Mine’, he does not relish earth. Why is that? He has fully diagnosed it, I say.
79. From earth he has direct-knowledge of earth; having had from earth direct-knowledge of earth, he does not conceive (that to be) earth, he does not conceive (that to be) in earth, he does not conceive (that to be apart) from earth, he does not conceive earth to be ‘Mine’, he does not relish earth. Why is that? Because of lustlessness with the exhaustion of lust.
Because of hatelessness with the extinction of hate.
Because of delusionlessness with the exhaustion of delusion
IV. A fully enlightened one
A Perfect One knows that relishing is the root of suffering and that with being there is birth, and the ageing and death of whatever is; and therefore it is with cravings’ exhaustion, fading out, cessation, being given up, and relinquished in all ways that he has discovered the supreme Full enlightenment, I say..
Summary
From earth he has a percept of earth; having had from earth a percept of earth, he conceives (that to be) earth, he conceives (that to be) in earth, he conceives (that to be apart) from earth, he conceives earth to be ‘Mine’, he relishes earth. Why is that? He has not fully diagnosed it, I say.
II
From earth he has direct-knowledge of earth; having had from earth direct-knowledge of earth, he ought not to conceive (that to be) earth, he ought not to conceive (that to be) in earth, he ought not to conceive (that to be apart) from earth, he ought not to conceive earth to be ‘Mine’, he ought not to relish earth. Why is that?
He ought to diagnose it fully, I say.
III
54. From earth he has direct-knowledge of earth; having had from earth direct-knowledge of earth, he does not conceive (that to be) earth, he does not conceive (that to be) in earth, he does not conceive (that to be apart) from earth, he does not conceive earth to be ‘Mine’, he does not relish earth. Why is that?
He has fully diagnosed it, I say
Because of lustlessness with the exhaustion of lust.
Because of Hatelessness with the exhaustion of Hate.
Because of delusionlessness with the exhaustion of delusion.
IV - Tatagatha
A Perfect One knows that relishing is the root of suffering and that with being there is birth, and the ageing and death of whatever is; and therefore it is with cravings’ exhaustion, fading out, cessation, being given up, and relinquished in all ways that he has discovered the supreme Full enlightenment, I say..
When compressed, the commentary’s explanation is: the ordinary man perceives with some degree of error by taking ‘earth’ according to common usage. On the basis of that he then first of all conceives ‘earth’ with the habitual diversification (papañca) effected by craving, conceit and view, taking it as respectively, ‘I am earth’ or ‘my earth’ or ‘another’s earth’, or another’s earth; or else he respectively likes the object, has the conceit that it is better or worse than another, and equates it with or differentiates it from, the soul. Next he ‘conceives’ that he, or another, is ‘in earth’, or ‘there is the impediment of owning in earth’, or else he conceives that his self is ‘in earth’. Next he ‘conceives’ that his or another’s self is different ‘from earth’. Lastly he ‘conceives’ earth as ‘Mine’ simply out of craving.
http://pathpress.wordpress.com/2012/05/06/mn-1-mulapariyaya-sutta-111/
The Mulapariyaya Sutta is considered one of the most important texts in the Pali Canon. The Buddha taught it to clear away the mental obstructions preventing a correct grasp of his teachings and to open the way for insight to arise. It aims at eliminating the whole range of subjective misconceptions centered on the concept of an ego right down to their roots. It reveals the structure of man's ego-biased orientation towards the world, shows the way this mental stratification colours and distorts his understanding, and points out the work of inner re-orientation he must do to free himself from his egoistic bonds.