955
Venerable Sariputta
Never before have I seen or heard
Of a teacher coming from the host of Tusita heaven,
One having such lovely speech.
Na me diṭṭho ito pubbe na suto uda kassaci
Evaṃ vagguvado satthā tusitā gaṇimāgato
956
For the sake of the world with its gods
The Seer appears thus.
Having dispelled all Darkness,
He alone has attained delight.
Sadevakassa lokassa yathā dissati cakkhumā
Sabbaṃ tamaṃ vinodetvā ekova ratimajjhagā
957
To that Buddha,
Unentangled,
Of such good qualities,
Sincere,
Come with his following,
I come with a question on behalf of the many here who are fettered.
Taṃ buddhaṃ asitaṃ tādiṃ akuhaṃ gaṇimāgataṃ
Bahūnamidha baddhānaṃ atthi pañhena āgamaṃ
958-959
For a monk repelled by the world,
Resorting to lonely sitting places -
The foot of a tree, a cemetery, a mountain cave -
Or to various sleeping places:
How many fearful things are there at which he need not tremble,
There in his quiet abode?
Bhikkhuno vijigucchato bhajato rittamāsanaṃ
Rukkhamūlaṃ susānaṃ vā pabbatānaṃ guhāsu vā
Uccāvacesu sayanesu kīvanto tattha bheravā
Yehi bhikkhu na vedheyya nigghose sayanāsane
960
For the monk going where he never before has gone,
How many are the difficulties that he should bear,
There, in his secluded abode?
Katī parissayā loke gacchato agataṃ disaṃ
Ye bhikkhu abhisambhave pantamhi sayanāsane
961
What should be his manner of speech?
What should be the field of his conduct?
What should be that energetic monk’s precepts and practices?
Kyāssa byappathayo assu kyāssassu idha gocarā
Kāni sīlabbatānāssu pahitattassa bhikkhuno
962
For one composed, prudent and attentive,
Undertaking what training could he remove his inner dross
Like a silversmith purifying molten silver?
Kaṃ so sikkhaṃ samādāya ekodi nipako sato
Kammāro rajatasseva niddhame malamattano
963
The Buddha
As one who knows,
I will explain to you what comfort is for someone repelled by the world,
For someone resorting to lonely lodgings,
Desiring awakening in accordance with Truth.
Vijigucchamānassa yadidaṃ phāsu rittāsanaṃ sayanaṃ sevato ce
Sambodhikāmassa yathānudhammaṃ taṃ te pavakkhāmi yathā pajānaṃ
964
A resolute monk,
One who is attentive,
Living a circumscribed lifestyle,
Need not tremble at five fears:
Horseflies, mosquitoes, snakes,
And interactions with humans and animals.
Pañcannaṃ dhīro bhayānaṃ na bhāye bhikkhu sato sapariyantacārī
Ḍaṃsādhipātānaṃ sarīsapānaṃ manussaphassānaṃ catuppadānaṃ
965
He need not fear followers of other religious teachings -
Even on seeing their manifold threat.
He should bear other difficulties too, as he seeks what is wholesome.
Paradhammikānampi na santaseyya disvāpi tesaṃ bahubheravāni
Athāparāni abhisambhaveyya parissayāni kusalānu-esī
966
Affected by illness or hunger,
By cold or suffocating heat,
He should bear it.
That homeless one,
Affected in many ways,
Should make an effort,
Resolutely applying himself.
Ātaṅkaphassena khudāya phuṭṭho sītaṃ atuṇhaṃ adhivāsayeyya
So tehi phuṭṭho bahudhā anoko vīriyaṃ parakkammadaḷhaṃ kareyya
967
He should not steal.
He should not lie.
He should touch beings with good-will,
Both the timid and the mettlesome.
When he is conscious that his mind is disturbed
He should dispel it with the thought:
“It is part of Darkness”.
Theyyaṃ na kāre na musā bhaṇeyya mettāya phasse tasathāvarāni
Yadāvilattaṃ manaso vijaññā kaṇhassa pakkhoti vinodayeyya
968
He should not fall under the control of anger or arrogance;
He should abide having uprooted them.
Then he should master what is loved and hated.
Kodhātimānassa vasaṃ na gacche mūlampi tesaṃ palikhañña tiṭṭhe
Athappiyaṃ vā pana appiyaṃ vā addhā bhavanto abhisambhaveyya
969
Esteeming wisdom,
Delighted by what is morally good,
He should conquer his difficulties.
He should overcome discontent in his secluded resting place.
He should overcome four lamentations:
Paññaṃ purakkhatvā kalyāṇapīti vikkhambhaye tāni parissayāni
Aratiṃ sahetha sayanamhi pante caturo sahetha paridevadhamme
970
“What will I eat?”
“Where will I eat?”
“How uncomfortably I slept!”
“Where will I sleep tonight?”
The person in training,
Wandering homeless,
Should subdue such wailing thoughts.
Kiṃsū asissāmi kuvaṃ vā asissaṃ dukkhaṃ vata settha kvajja sessaṃ
Ete vitakke paridevaneyye vinayetha sekho aniketacārī
971
When offered food and clothing at the appropriate time
He should know how much is enough for contentment.
Self-controlled in this respect,
Acting carefully in the village,
Even when provoked, he should not speak a harsh word.
Annañca laddhā vasanañca kāle mattaṃ so jaññā idha tosanatthaṃ
So tesu gutto yatacāri gāme rusitopi vācaṃ pharusaṃ na vajjā
972
He should restrain his eyes.
He should not be footloose.
He should apply himself to jhana.
He should be very wakeful.
He should practise equanimity and composure.
He should cut off the tendency to doubt and worry.
Okkhittacakkhu na ca pādalolo jhānānuyutto bahujāgarassa
Upekkhamārabbha samāhitatto takkāsayaṃ kukkucciyūpachinde
973
If receiving reproval, remaining attentive, he should welcome it.
He should destroy any unfriendliness he might have for his fellows in the holy life.
He should speak words that are skilful and timely.
He should not think about things which are matters of gossip.
Cudito vacībhi satimābhinande sabrahmacārīsu khilaṃ pabhinde
Vācaṃ pamuñce kusalaṃ nātivelaṃ janavādadhammāya na cetayeyya
974
Furthermore, there are five stains in man
For the removal of which he should attentively train himself:
He should overcome lust for forms,
Sounds, tastes, smells, and tactile sensations.
Athāparaṃ pañca rajāni loke yesaṃ satīmā vinayāya sikkhe
Rūpesu saddesu atho rasesu gandhesu phassesu sahetha rāgaṃ
975
Being attentive,
With a well-liberated mind,
A monk should remove his longing for these things.
Examining the Buddha’s teachings at suitable times,
In suitable ways,
With a composed mind,
He should put an end to Darkness.
Etesu dhammesu vineyya chandaṃ bhikkhu satimā suvimuttacitto
Kālena so sammā dhammaṃ parivīmaṃsamāno
Ekodibhūto vihane tamaṃ so ti
Notes on Translation:
