935
The Buddha
Violence breeds fear.
Looking at people in conflict, I will tell you of my dismay,
How moved I was.
Attadaṇḍā bhayaṃ jātaṃ janaṃ passatha medhagaṃ
Saṃvegaṃ kittayissāmi yathā saṃvijitaṃ mayā
936
I saw people writhing,
Feuding with each another like fish in a small pool.
When I realised this, dread arose in me.
Phandamānaṃ pajaṃ disvā macche appodake yathā
Aññamaññehi byāruddhe disvā maṃ bhayamāvisi
937
The world is entirely worthless.
Every quarter is in turmoil.
Wanting somewhere for myself,
I saw nowhere that wasn’t taken.
Samantamasāro loko disā sabbā sameritā
Icchaṃ bhavanamattano nāddasāsiṃ anositaṃ
938
Seeing nothing in the end but competition, I became disgusted.
Then I saw a spike,
Hard to see, embedded in people’s hearts.
Osānetveva byāruddhe disvā me aratī ahu
Athettha sallamaddakkhiṃ duddasaṃ hadayanissitaṃ
939
A person affected by this spike rushes about in all directions.
But on pulling it out he neither rushes about nor falls away.
Yena sallena otiṇṇo disā sabbā vidhāvati
Tameva sallamabbuyha na dhāvati na sīdati
940
Now follows the recitation of the training rules:
Whatever is binding in the world you should not pursue it.
Having wisely seen sensual pleasures,
You should train yourself for Nibbana.
Tattha sikkhānugīyanti
Yāni loke gadhitāni na tesu pasuto siyā
Nibbijjha sabbaso kāme sikkhe nibbānamattano
941
A sage should be truthful,
Unassuming, and not deceitful;
He should be rid of malicious speech
And free of anger.
He should overcome greed and acquisitiveness.
Sacco siyā appagabbho amāyo rittapesuṇo
Akkodhano lobhapāpaṃ vevicchaṃ vitare muni
942
He should conquer sleepiness, weariness and sloth.
He should not live negligently.
The man whose heart is set on Nibbana should not be arrogant.
Niddaṃ tandiṃ sahe thīnaṃ pamādena na saṃvase
Atimāne na tiṭṭheyya nibbānamanaso naro
943
He should not sink to false speech,
Nor should he cultivate lust for physical forms.
He should comprehend pride
And should abstain from impetuous behaviour.
Mosavajje na nīyetha rūpe snehaṃ na kubbaye
Mānañca parijāneyya sāhasā virato care
944
He should not be nostalgic about the past.
Nor relish what is new.
He should not grieve for what is lost
Nor be bound to whatever comes forth.
Purāṇaṃ nābhinandeyya nave khantiṃ na kubbaye
Hiyyamāne na soceyya ākāsaṃ na sito siyā
945
I call greed the ‘great deluge’.
Lust I call the ‘torrent’.
Concocted religious teachings are the ‘foothold’.
Sense pleasure is ‘hard-to-cross mud’.
Gedhaṃ brūmi mahoghoti ājavaṃ brūmi jappanaṃ
Ārammaṇaṃ pakappanaṃ kāmapaṅko duraccayo
946
Not falling away from Truth,
The sage, the Brahman, stands on high ground.
Having detached from everything
He is truly called peaceful.
Saccā avokkamma muni thale tiṭṭhati brāhmaṇo
Sabbaṃ so paṭinissajja sa ve santoti vuccati
947
He indeed is wise.
He is of perfect insight.
Having found Truth, he is untethered.
Wandering through the world in the right way
He does not envy anyone here.
Sa ve vidvā sa vedagū ñatvā dhammaṃ anissito
Sammā so loke iriyāno na pihetīdha kassaci
948
Whoever here transcends sensual pleasure -
An attachment hard to overcome -
Is free of sorrow and anxiety.
He has cut the stream of wishes.
He is free of bonds.
Yodha kāme accatari saṅgaṃ loke duraccayaṃ
Na so socati nājjheti chinnasoto abandhano
949
Let wither what is gone.
Let there not be for you anything to come.
If you do not grasp at what is in between
You will live at peace.
Yaṃ pubbe taṃ visosehi pacchā te māhu kiñcanaṃ
Majjhe ce no gahessasi upasanto carissasi
950
For whom there is nothing beloved in this body/mind complex
And who does not grieve because of what does not exist,(1)
He suffers no loss in the world.
Sabbaso nāmarūpasmiṃ yassa natthi mamāyitaṃ
Asatā ca na socati sa ve loke na jīyati
951
For whoever there is no thought “This is mine”
Or “This belongs to others”,
Who has no feelings of possessiveness,
He does not grieve for anything, thinking:
“It is not mine”.
Yassa natthi idaṃ meti paresaṃ vāpi kiñcanaṃ
Mamattaṃ so asaṃvindaṃ natthi meti na socati
952
Being free of cruelty, greed and lust,
And being everywhere tranquil:
When asked,
I say that these are the blessings for those who are unshakeable.
Aniṭṭhurī ananugiddho anejo sabbadhī samo
Tamānisaṃsaṃ pabrūmi pucchito avikampinaṃ
953
For a person without lust,
One of discernment,
There is no accumulation of kamma.
He abstains from initiating new kamma.
He sees safety everywhere.
Anejassa vijānato natthi kāci nisaṅkhiti
Virato so viyārambhā khemaṃ passati sabbadhi
954
The sage does not speak of himself as someone equal, inferior or superior.
At peace, unselfish,
He neither clings nor relinquishes.
Na samesu na omesu na ussesu vadate muni
Santo so vītamaccharo nādeti na nirassatī ti
Notes for Readers:
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