18. Stains

235
&236

A shrivelled leaf you now resemble;
Yama’s men nearby assemble.
Here at death you stand, however,
You’ve provisions none whatever.

So: for yourself, an island make.
By nimble effort, be a sage.
When cleansed of taints and free of stain,
The Pure Abodes will you attain.

237
&238

The close of life you now have reached;
You’ll now to Yama’s court proceed.
No half-way house lies on your way;
Provisions, you have not arranged.

So: for yourself, an island make.
By nimble effort, be a sage.
When cleansed of taints and free of stain,
You’ll not face birth and age again.

239

Little by little, and step by step,
In steady succession, the sage ejects
Stains of mind, which, just like dross,
From molten silver, smiths drain off.

240

Just as rust from iron that grows,
That very iron the rust corrodes;
So, deeds of them who live indulgently,⁽¹⁾
Lead them on to states of misery.

241

Non-study’s the stain of the scriptures;
Supineness, the stain of a house;
The stain of a guard is remissness;
The stain of the comely is sloth.

242

Misconduct’s a stain on a woman;
And meanness, on one who would give.
Stains are thus states that are truly unfortunate,
Both in this world and the worlds that are subsequent.

243

Ignorance, of stains, is the greatest:
Casting it off, monks, be stainless!

244

Life, for the
          shameless,
          presumptious,
          audacious,
          offensive,
          immoral,
is lived without struggle.

245

Life, for those who are
          scrupulous,
          tactful,
          punctilious,
          vigilant,
          virtuous,
is truly strenuous.

246
&247

The taker by theft,
The slayer of life,
One given to drink
Or another man’s wife,
And he in this world
Who delivers untruths,
Are but people who dig themselves
Up by the roots.

248

That loose living, my dear friend,
Is but evil, comprehend!
Don’t let turpitude and greed,
To long tribulation lead.

249
&250

People’s alms donations
Come from faith and inspiration.
If a bhikkhu feels dejected
By the offerings to others,
Then no inner peace he’ll gain
In the night-time, or the day.

But dejection, if it’s quelled,
If uprooted and expelled,
Then he’ll inner peace regain
Through the night, and through the day.

251

There’s no fire like passion;
No captor like hating;
No snare like delusion;
No river like craving.

252

Easy to see are another man’s flaws;
Harder to see are the faults that are yours.
Though you winnow like chaff what are other folks’ failings,
You act like a card-sharp, your ‘losing hand’ veiling.

253

If a man ever heeds
Other persons’ misdeeds,
And is always offended,
His taints are distended.

254a

Roads don’t pass up through the sky,
So, off the Path, no saints do lie.⁽²⁾

254b

Though people relish Self-perceptions,⁽³⁾
Buddhas have no such conceptions.

255a

Roads don’t pass up through the sky,
So, off the Path, no saints do lie.

255b

Though nothing’s endless in creation,
Buddhas have no agitation.

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