You’re welcome! 🙂

You’re welcome. An irrational application of mind implies, scattered thoughts, a fault-finding nature, or a mind that works on assumptions/beliefs. There is another teaching where the Buddha shares the causes that lead to an irrational application of mind as well as antidotes to it: 30 mental qualities that lead to enlightenment, to the arising of the Buddha (AN 10.76).

It is good that you’re reflecting on the teachings to independently verify them. 🙂

You’re welcome, glad to hear it was of help 😀

I read it as a warning on choosing who to associate with and who to avoid. Here’s another teaching that frames it in positive: https://lemmy.world/post/10788878. The Buddha often taught in both ways to ensure his teachings were well-understood.

There is an openness to interpretation of this being judgemental with the very vivid simile, but when you see the Buddha’s teachings as a whole, the interpretation that applies here is one of cultivating discernment on who to associate with. There is a subtle but important distinction between the two: discernment is you cultivating wisdom about the world, of the good and the bad without creating ill-will or judging others. You can see this being true when you also read: https://suttacentral.net/mn21/en/sujato, where he recommends maintaining a mind of love even if somebody were to sever you limb by limb with a saw. The Buddha uses these very vivid similes to convey how to apply the teachings.

On the association aspect, it’s a very crucial aspect as it is the single external force that enables one to either cultivate and grow in spiritualities or leads to decline in their qualities. And this isn’t as well understood.