915
Questioner
I ask the Kinsman of the Sun, the Great Master,
About solitude and the state of peace.
Seeing in what way is a monk freed from passion,
Clinging to nothing in the world?
Pucchāmi taṃ ādiccabandhu vivekaṃ santipadañca mahesi
Kathaṃ disvā nibbāti bhikkhu anupādiyāno lokasmiṃ kiñci
916
The Buddha
A sage should put a complete end to the root of mental obsession:
The notion ‘I am’.
Ever attentive, he should train himself
To abolish whatever wishes he finds within.
Mūlaṃ papañcasaṅkhāya mantā asmīti sabbamuparundhe
Yā kāci taṇhā ajjhattaṃ tāsaṃ vinayā sadā sato sikkhe
917
Whatever religious teaching he knows,
Either his own or that of others,
He should not allow it to be a cause of obstinacy,(1)
For this is not called ‘peaceful’ by the good.
Yaṃ kiñci dhammamabhijaññā ajjhattaṃ athavāpi bahiddhā
Na tena thāmaṃ kubbetha na hi sā nibbuti sataṃ vuttā
918
He should not think himself as better, inferior or equal on account of anything.
Although affected by a variety of experiences
He should not acquiesce in the thought of Self.
Seyyo na tena maññeyya nīceyyo athavāpi sarikkho
Phuṭṭho anekarūpehi nātumānaṃ vikappayaṃ tiṭṭhe
919
A monk should find peace within.
He should not seek it from some auxiliary basis of attachment.
For one who is peaceful within,
Having clung to nothing,
How could he relinquish anything?
Ajjhattamevupasame na aññato bhikkhu santimeseyya
Ajjhattaṃ upasantassa natthi attā kuto nirattā vā
920
In the depths of the ocean there is no ebb and flow,
Nor do waves swell up.
So in the monk, there should be neither the ebb and flow of lust
Nor swellings of conceit about anything.
Majjhe yathā samuddassa ūmi no jāyatī ṭhito hoti
Evaṃ ṭhito anejassa ussadaṃ bhikkhu na kareyya kuhiñci
921
Questioner
The Seer, the Witness of Truth, has proclaimed the removal of danger.
Now, venerable sir, speak about the path of practice,
About monastic discipline,
And also about samadhi.
Akittayī vivaṭacakkhu sakkhidhammaṃ parissayavinayaṃ
Paṭipadaṃ vadehi bhaddante pātimokkhaṃ athavāpi samādhiṃ
922
The Buddha
A person should not have covetous eyes.
He should close his ears to ordinary chatter.
He should not be greedy for flavours.
He should not cherish anything in the world.
Cakkhūhi neva lolassa gāmakathāya āvaraye sotaṃ
Rase ca nānugijjheyya na ca mamāyetha kiñci lokasmiṃ
923
In whatever way he is affected by sense contact
He should not lament over anything.
He should not long for continued existence.
He should not tremble amidst danger.
Phassena yadā phuṭṭhassa paridevaṃ bhikkhu na kareyya kuhiñci
Bhavañca nābhijappeyya bheravesu ca na sampavedheyya
924
He should not store up what is given to him
Whether it is food or snacks, drinks or clothing;
Nor should he be concerned if he gets nothing.
Annānamatho pānānaṃ khādanīyānaṃ athopi vatthānaṃ
Laddhā na sannidhiṃ kayirā na ca parittase tāni alabhamāno
925
He should be meditative, not foot-loose.
He should desist from worry.
He should not be indolent.
He should live in lodgings where there is little noise.
Jhāyī na pādalolassa virame kukkuccā nappamajjeyya
Athāsanesu sayanesu appasaddesu bhikkhu vihareyya
926
He should not sleep too much.
He should be devoted to wakefulness and keen endeavour.
He should abandon laziness, deception, merriment,
Various kinds of amusements, sexual matters, and anything else like it.
Niddaṃ na bahulīkareyya jāgariyaṃ bhajeyya ātāpī
Tandiṃ māyaṃ hassaṃ khiḍḍaṃ methunaṃ vippajahe savibhūsaṃ
927
A disciple of mine should not practise sorcery
Nor interpret dreams, tell fortunes, practise astrology, or interpret animal cries.
Neither should he treat infertility, nor practise medicine.
Āthabbaṇaṃ supinaṃ lakkhaṇaṃ no vidahe athopi nakkhattaṃ
Virutañca gabbhakaraṇaṃ tikicchaṃ māmako na seveyya
928
A monk should not fear blame,
Nor should he be conceited when praised.
He should drive out greed, selfishness, anger and malicious speech.
Nindāya nappavedheyya na uṇṇameyya pasaṃsito bhikkhu
Lobhaṃ saha macchariyena kodhaṃ pesuṇiyañca panudeyya
929
A monk should not engage in buying and selling.
He should not abuse anyone for any reason.
He should not linger in the village.
He should not chatter with people in the hope of gain.
Kayavikkaye na tiṭṭheyya upavādaṃ bhikkhu na kareyya kuhiñci
Gāme ca nābhisajjeyya lābhakamyā janaṃ na lapayeyya
930
A monk should not be a boaster.
He should not speak scheming words.
He should not cultivate impudence.
He should not utter quarrelsome speech.
Na ca katthitā siyā bhikkhu na ca vācaṃ payuttaṃ bhāseyya
Pāgabbhiyaṃ na sikkheyya kathaṃ viggāhikaṃ na kathayeyya
931
He should not be drawn into telling lies.
He should not be deliberately treacherous.
He should not despise others for their lowly way of life,
Or wisdom, or precepts and practices.
Mosavajje na nīyetha sampajāno saṭhāni na kayirā
Atha jīvitena paññāya sīlabbatena nāññamatimaññe
932
If ascetics or ordinary people irritate him with their talkativeness
He should not respond harshly.
For the peaceful do not retaliate.
Sutvā rusito bahuṃ vācaṃ samaṇānaṃ vā puthujanānaṃ
Pharusena ne na paṭivajjā na hi santo paṭisenikaronti
933
Knowing the Buddha’s teaching,
An ever attentive monk who investigates it should train himself in it.
Knowing the extinguishing of the illusion of Self as Peace,
He should not be negligent in applying Gotama’s teaching.
Etañca dhammamaññāya vicinaṃ bhikkhu sadā sato sikkhe
Santīti nibbutiṃ ñatvā sāsane gotamassa na pamajjeyya
934
The unconquered Conqueror realised Truth through his own insight,
Not through hearsay.
So, with regards to the Sublime One’s teaching,
One who is diligent should constantly venerate it by following his example.
Abhibhū hi so anabhibhūto sakkhidhammamanītihamadassī
Tasmā hi tassa bhagavato sāsane appamatto sadā namassamanusikkheti
Notes for Readers:
Notes on Translation:
