1 |
Mind precedes created things;
Mind’s their chief, from mind they spring.
With tainted mind who speaks or acts,
Pain trails that man like the wheel trails ox-tracks. |
2 |
Mind precedes created things,
Mind’s their chief, from mind they spring.
Who speaks or acts with purified mind,
Joy trails that man, like his shadow, behind. |
3 |
“Me, she swore at”.
“Me, he flogged”.
“Me, defeated”.
“Me, she robbed”.
Those with hateful thoughts thus held,
Hatred in those ones will never be quelled. |
4 |
“Me, she swore at”.
“Me, he flogged”.
“Me, defeated”.
“Me, she robbed”.
Those who live such thoughts not held,
Hatred in those ones is utterly quelled. |
5 |
Hatred by hatred has been pacified
Never, in all of creation.
Through freedom from hatred does hatred subside:
This law is of ageless duration. |
6 |
Most of men seem not to see
That man should live restrained;(1)
For those who have this realised,
Their quarrels fade away. |
7 |
One with senses unsubdued,
And indulgent with his food,
Living languid and at leisure,
Contemplating sensual pleasure:
Him, will Mara soon defeat,
Like the wind, a tree that’s weak. |
8 |
One with faith and self-exertion,
Body-foulness contemplation,
With his senses well-subdued,
Not excessive with his food:
Him, will Mara not defeat,
Nor will wind, a granite peak. |
9 |
The man not free of inward taints,
In ochre tints ordained,
Who’s full of lies and unrestrained,
Does not deserve that ochre stain. |
10 |
Whatever monk is purged of taints,
With virtue well-ingrained,
A man sincere and well restrained,
Is worthy of the ochre stain.
|
11 |
Quintessence they see as non-essence;
Non-essence they see as quintessence;
And they in wrong thoughts acquiescent,
Will never discover quintessence. |
12 |
Quintessence they see as quintessence,
Non-essence they see as non-essence,
And they in right thoughts acquiescent,
Go on to discover quintessence. |
13
&14 |
Like ill-thatched huts let in the rain,
Is lust let in by minds untrained.
In well-roofed huts no water leaks:
In well-trained minds no passion seeps. |
15 |
Evil-doers sorrow in both present and future lives. They sorrow and grieve, having realised their own defiled conduct. |
16 |
Kind people are happy in both present and future lives. They are happy and satisfied, having realised their own pure conduct.
|
17 |
Here he regrets,
Hereafter regrets,
In both worlds the doer of evil regrets.
“I have done evil” -
The thought makes him mourn.
Still more he regrets when in low realms he’s born. |
18 |
Here he’s delighted,
Hereafter delighted,
In both worlds the maker of merit’s delighted.
“I have made merit!” -
His glad exultation.
He’s happy still more with his good destination. |
19 |
Although he frequently recites the scriptures, a heedless person fails to put them into practice. He is like a cowherd, counting others’ cattle. He has no real share in the life of asceticism. |
20 |
Although a person infrequently recites the scriptures
if he practises in accordance with Dhamma;
if he has abandoned greed, hatred and delusion;
if he possesses right knowledge;
if his mind is liberated;
if he is attached to nothing in the human or deva
realms,
he has a real share in the life of asceticism. |
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Go to the next chapter |
