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Chapter XV
Happiness
197.
Let us live happily then, not hating those who hate us! among men
who hate us let us dwell free from hatred!
198.
Let us live happily then, free from ailments among the ailing!
among men who are ailing let us dwell free from ailments!
199.
Let us live happily then, free from greed among the greedy! among
men who are greedy let us dwell free from greed!
200.
Let us live happily then, though we call nothing our own! We
shall be like the bright gods, feeding on happiness!
201.
Victory breeds hatred, for the conquered is unhappy. He who has
given up both victory and defeat, he, the contented, is
happy.
202. There is no fire like passion; there is no losing throw like
hatred; there is no pain like this body;
there is no happiness higher
than rest.
203. Hunger is the worst of diseases, the body the greatest of pains;
if
one knows this truly, that is Nirvana, the highest happiness.
204. Health is the greatest of gifts, contentedness the
best riches;
trust is the best of relationships, Nirvana the highest happiness.
205. He who has tasted the sweetness
of solitude and tranquillity, is
free from fear and free from sin, while he tastes the sweetness of
drinking in the
law.
206. The sight of the elect (Arya) is good, to live with them is
always happiness; if a man does not see fools,
he will be truly happy.
207. He who walks in the company of fools suffers a long way; company
with fools, as with
an enemy, is always painful; company with the wise
is pleasure, like meeting with kinsfolk.
208. Therefore, one
ought to follow the wise, the intelligent, the
learned, the much enduring, the dutiful, the elect; one ought to
follow
a good and wise man, as the moon follows the path of the stars.
Chapter XVI
Pleasure
209. He who gives
himself to vanity, and does not give himself to
meditation, forgetting the real aim (of life) and grasping at
pleasure,
will in time envy him who has exerted himself in meditation.
210. Let no man ever look for what is pleasant, or what
is unpleasant.
Not to see what is pleasant is pain, and it is pain to see what is
unpleasant.
211. Let, therefore,
no man love anything; loss of the beloved is
evil. Those who love nothing and hate nothing, have no fetters.
212.
From pleasure comes grief, from pleasure comes fear; he who is
free from pleasure knows neither grief nor fear.
213.
From affection comes grief, from affection comes fear; he who is
free from affection knows neither grief nor fear.
214.
From lust comes grief, from lust comes fear; he who is free from
lust knows neither grief nor fear.
215. From love
comes grief, from love comes fear; he who is free from
love knows neither grief nor fear.
216. From greed comes
grief, from greed comes fear; he who is free
from greed knows neither grief nor fear.
217. He who possesses virtue
and intelligence, who is just, speaks the
truth, and does what is his own business, him the world will hold
dear.
218.
He in whom a desire for the Ineffable (Nirvana) has sprung up,
who is satisfied in his mind, and whose thoughts are not
bewildered by
love, he is called urdhvamsrotas (carried upwards by the stream).
219. Kinsmen, friends, and lovers
salute a man who has been long away,
and returns safe from afar.
220. In like manner his good works receive him
who has done good, and
has gone from this world to the other;--as kinsmen receive a friend on
his return.
Chapter
XVII
Anger
221. Let a man leave anger, let him forsake pride, let him overcome
all bondage! No sufferings
befall the man who is not attached to name
and form, and who calls nothing his own.
222. He who holds back rising
anger like a rolling chariot, him I call
a real driver; other people are but holding the reins.
223. Let a man overcome
anger by love, let him overcome evil by good;
let him overcome the greedy by liberality, the liar by truth!
224.
Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked
for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the
gods.
225. The sages who injure nobody, and who always control their body,
they will go to the unchangeable place
(Nirvana), where, if they have
gone, they will suffer no more.
226. Those who are ever watchful, who study day and
night, and who
strive after Nirvana, their passions will come to an end.
227. This is an old saying, O Atula, this
is not only of to-day: `They
blame him who sits silent, they blame him who speaks much, they also
blame him who
says little; there is no one on earth who is not
blamed.'
228. There never was, there never will be, nor is there
now, a man who
is always blamed, or a man who is always praised.
229, 230. But he whom those who discriminate praise
continually day
after day, as without blemish, wise, rich in knowledge and virtue, who
would dare to blame him, like
a coin made of gold from the Gambu
river? Even the gods praise him, he is praised even by Brahman.
231. Beware
of bodily anger, and control thy body! Leave the sins of
the body, and with thy body practise virtue!
232.
Beware of the anger of the tongue, and control thy tongue! Leave
the sins of the tongue, and practise virtue with
thy tongue!
233. Beware of the anger of the mind, and control thy mind! Leave the
sins of the mind, and practise
virtue with thy mind!
234. The wise who control their body, who control their tongue, the
wise who control their
mind, are indeed well controlled.
Chapter XVIII
Impurity
235. Thou art now like a sear leaf, the messengers
of death (Yama)
have come near to thee; thou standest at the door of thy departure,
and thou hast no provision for thy
journey.
236. Make thyself an island, work hard, be wise! When thy impurities
are blown away, and thou art
free from guilt, thou wilt enter into the
heavenly world of the elect (Ariya).
237. Thy life has come to an end,
thou art come near to death (Yama),
there is no resting-place for thee on the road, and thou hast no
provision for thy
journey.
238. Make thyself an island, work hard, be wise! When thy impurities
are blown away, and thou art
free from guilt, thou wilt not enter
again into birth and decay.
239. Let a wise man blow off the impurities of
his self, as a smith
blows off the impurities of silver one by one, little by little, and
from time to time.
240.
As the impurity which springs from the iron, when it springs from
it, destroys it; thus do a transgressor's own works lead
him to the
evil path.
241. The taint of prayers is non-repetition; the taint of houses, non-
repair; the taint
of the body is sloth; the taint of a watchman,
thoughtlessness.
242. Bad conduct is the taint of woman, greediness
the taint of a
benefactor; tainted are all evil ways in this world and in the next.
243. But there is a taint worse
than all taints,--ignorance is the
greatest taint. O mendicants! throw off that taint, and become
taintless!
244.
Life is easy to live for a man who is without shame, a crow hero,
a mischief-maker, an insulting, bold, and wretched fellow.
245.
But life is hard to live for a modest man, who always looks for
what is pure, who is disinterested, quiet, spotless, and
intelligent.
246. He who destroys life, who speaks untruth, who in this world takes
what is not given him, who goes
to another man's wife;
247. And the man who gives himself to drinking intoxicating liquors,
he, even in this world,
digs up his own root.
248. O man, know this, that the unrestrained are in a bad state; take
care that greediness
and vice do not bring thee to grief for a long
time!
249. The world gives according to their faith or according
to their
pleasure: if a man frets about the food and the drink given to others,
he will find no rest either by day or
by night.
250. He in whom that feeling is destroyed, and taken out with the very
root, finds rest by day and by
night.
251. There is no fire like passion, there is no shark like hatred,
there is no snare like folly, there is
no torrent like greed.
252. The fault of others is easily perceived, but that of oneself is
difficult to perceive;
a man winnows his neighbour's faults like
chaff, but his own fault he hides, as a cheat hides the bad die from
the gambler.
253.
If a man looks after the faults of others, and is always inclined
to be offended, his own passions will grow, and he is
far from the
destruction of passions.
254. There is no path through the air, a man is not a Samana by
outward
acts. The world delights in vanity, the Tathagatas (the
Buddhas) are free from vanity.
255. There is no path
through the air, a man is not a Samana by
outward acts. No creatures are eternal; but the awakened (Buddha) are
never
shaken.
Chapter XIX
The Just
256, 257. A man is not just if he carries a matter by violence; no, he
who
distinguishes both right and wrong, who is learned and leads
others, not by violence, but by law and equity, and who is
guarded by
the law and intelligent, he is called just.
258. A man is not learned because he talks much; he who is
patient,
free from hatred and fear, he is called learned.
259. A man is not a supporter of the law because he talks
much; even
if a man has learnt little, but sees the law bodily, he is a supporter
of the law, a man who never neglects
the law.
260. A man is not an elder because his head is grey; his age may be
ripe, but he is called `Old-in-vain.'
261.
He in whom there is truth, virtue, love, restraint, moderation,
he who is free from impurity and is wise, he is called
an elder.
262. An envious greedy, dishonest man does not become respectable by
means of much talking only, or by
the beauty of his complexion.
263. He in whom all this is destroyed, and taken out with the very
root, he, when
freed from hatred and wise, is called respectable.
264. Not by tonsure does an undisciplined man who speaks falsehood
become
a Samana; can a man be a Samana who is still held captive by
desire and greediness?
265. He who always quiets the
evil, whether small or large, he is
called a Samana (a quiet man), because he has quieted all evil.
266. A man is
not a mendicant (Bhikshu) simply because he asks others
for alms; he who adopts the whole law is a Bhikshu, not he who
only
begs.
267. He who is above good and evil, who is chaste, who with knowledge
passes through the world, he
indeed is called a Bhikshu.
268, 269. A man is not a Muni because he observes silence (mona, i.e.
mauna), if he
is foolish and ignorant; but the wise who, taking the
balance, chooses the good and avoids evil, he is a Muni, and is a
Muni
thereby; he who in this world weighs both sides is called a Muni.
270. A man is not an elect (Ariya) because
he injures living
creatures; because he has pity on all living creatures, therefore is a
man called Ariya.
271,
272. Not only by discipline and vows, not only by much learning,
not by entering into a trance, not by sleeping alone,
do I earn the
happiness of release which no worldling can know. Bhikshu, be not
confident as long as thou hast not attained
the extinction of desires.
Chapter XX
The Way
273. The best of ways is the eightfold; the best of truths
the four
words; the best of virtues passionlessness; the best of men he who has
eyes to see.
274. This is the
way, there is no other that leads to the purifying of
intelligence. Go on this way! Everything else is the
deceit of Mara
(the tempter).
275. If you go on this way, you will make an end of pain! The way was
preached
by me, when I had understood the removal of the thorns (in
the flesh).
276. You yourself must make an effort.
The Tathagatas (Buddhas) are
only preachers. The thoughtful who enter the way are freed from the
bondage of Mara.
277.
`All created things perish,' he who knows and sees this becomes
passive in pain; this is the way to purity.
278.
`All created things are grief and pain,' he who knows and sees
this becomes passive in pain; this is the way that leads
to purity.
279. `All forms are unreal,' he who knows and sees this becomes
passive in pain; this is the way that
leads to purity.
280. He who does not rouse himself when it is time to rise, who,
though young and strong, is full
of sloth, whose will and thought are
weak, that lazy and idle man will never find the way to knowledge.
281. Watching
his speech, well restrained in mind, let a man never
commit any wrong with his body! Let a man but keep these three
roads
of action clear, and he will achieve the way which is taught by the
wise.
282. Through zeal knowledge is
gotten, through lack of zeal knowledge
is lost; let a man who knows this double path of gain and loss thus
place himself
that knowledge may grow.
283. Cut down the whole forest (of lust), not a tree only! Danger
comes out of the
forest (of lust). When you have cut down both the
forest (of lust) and its undergrowth, then, Bhikshus, you will
be rid
of the forest and free!
284. So long as the love of man towards women, even the smallest, is
not destroyed,
so long is his mind in bondage, as the calf that drinks
milk is to its mother.
285. Cut out the love of self, like
an autumn lotus, with thy hand!
Cherish the road of peace. Nirvana has been shown by Sugata (Buddha).
286. `Here
I shall dwell in the rain, here in winter and summer,' thus
the fool meditates, and does not think of his death.
287.
Death comes and carries off that man, praised for his children
and flocks, his mind distracted, as a flood carries off
a sleeping
village.
288. Sons are no help, nor a father, nor relations; there is no help
from kinsfolk for one
whom death has seized.
289. A wise and good man who knows the meaning of this, should quickly
clear the way that
leads to Nirvana.
Chapter XXI
Miscellaneous
290. If by leaving a small pleasure one sees a great pleasure,
let a
wise man leave the small pleasure, and look to the great.
291. He who, by causing pain to others, wishes to
obtain pleasure for
himself, he, entangled in the bonds of hatred, will never be free from
hatred.
292. What
ought to be done is neglected, what ought not to be done is
done; the desires of unruly, thoughtless people are always
increasing.
293. But they whose whole watchfulness is always directed to their
body, who do not follow what ought
not to be done, and who steadfastly
do what ought to be done, the desires of such watchful and wise people
will come
to an end.
294. A true Brahmana goes scatheless, though he have killed father and
mother, and two valiant kings,
though he has destroyed a kingdom with
all its subjects.
295. A true Brahmana goes scatheless, though he have killed
father and
mother, and two holy kings, and an eminent man besides.
296. The disciples of Gotama (Buddha) are always
well awake, and their
thoughts day and night are always set on Buddha.
297. The disciples of Gotama are always well
awake, and their thoughts
day and night are always set on the law.
298. The disciples of Gotama are always well
awake, and their thoughts
day and night are always set on the church.
299. The disciples of Gotama are always well
awake, and their thoughts
day and night are always set on their body.
300. The disciples of Gotama are always well
awake, and their mind day
and night always delights in compassion.
301. The disciples of Gotama are always well
awake, and their mind day
and night always delights in meditation.
302. It is hard to leave the world (to become
a friar), it is hard to
enjoy the world; hard is the monastery, painful are the houses;
painful it is to dwell with
equals (to share everything in common) and
the itinerant mendicant is beset with pain. Therefore let no man be
an
itinerant mendicant and he will not be beset with pain.
303. Whatever place a faithful, virtuous, celebrated, and wealthy
man
chooses, there he is respected.
304. Good people shine from afar, like the snowy mountains; bad people
are
not seen, like arrows shot by night.
305. He alone who, without ceasing, practises the duty of sitting
alone and
sleeping alone, he, subduing himself, will rejoice in the
destruction of all desires alone, as if living in a forest.
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