法句經
Chinese title:法句經
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CHAPTER 22: THE BUDDHA
The Chapter on the Buddha contains 21 verses. The main purport of this chapter is to speak of the Buddha’s spiritual power, majestic virtue, and beneficial deliverance of sentient beings. He is the radiant lamp of the world.
[1]
Having conquered afflictions himself,
None in the world surpasses him;
His unobstructed wisdom comprehends all,
And leads the deluded into the Path.
[2]
Having severed doubt, he is unobstructed;
Craving exhausted, it has nowhere to abide.
The Buddha-Dharma is profoundly deep;
Those who have not cultivated it should now practice.
[3]
Courageous, with a concentrated mind,
Having gone forth, practice day and night;
Depart from desire and sever ignorance,
Study the Dharma with luminous mindfulness.
[4]
Seeing the Dharma, pure and undefiled,
Having left behind the five evil destinies,
The Buddha appears and illuminates the world,
Eliminating the suffering of sentient beings.
[5]
It is difficult to be born human;
It is difficult to obtain a long life;
It is difficult to encounter a Buddha appearing in the world;
It is difficult to hear the Buddha’s Dharma.
[6]
Awakened by himself, with no teacher to instruct him,
Alone, without a companion,
Single-mindedly cultivating the True Dharma,
He naturally penetrated the Buddha Path.
[7]
A helmsman skillfully steers his vessel;
Diligence serves as a bridge.
One beset by the bonds of kinship—
Whoever escapes is a true hero.
[8]
Destroy evil and cultivate the Buddha Path;
Still delusion and practice purity.
Remove greed and study the True Dharma;
Those who sever afflictions are the Buddha’s disciples.
[9]
Patient endurance is foremost;
Nirvana is supreme.
Renounce evil and become a śramaṇa;
Do not trouble or harm others.
[10]
Neither afflicting nor disturbing others,
Uphold all the precepts;
Abandon greed and eat simple fare;
Dwell secluded in tranquil places.
From right mindfulness, wisdom arises:
This is skillfully practicing the Buddha’s words.
[11]
Commit no evil deeds;
Faithfully perform every wholesome act;
Purify your own mind—
This is the teaching of all Buddhas.
[12]
The Buddha is the Honored One;
His outflows exhausted, he has utterly severed lust.
The Hero of the World, of the Śākya clan,
Is revered and taken as refuge by all sentient beings.
[13]
Excellent is the reward of great merit;
All aspirations are perfectly fulfilled.
Swiftly attaining the foremost cessation,
One gradually enters nirvana.
[14]
Many people seek refuge
In spirits of trees, rivers, and mountains;
They build shrines and paint sacred images,
Making offerings and sacrifices in quest of blessings.
[15]
Refuges such as these
Are neither secure nor supreme,
For such spirits cannot come
And eliminate our suffering.
[16]
If anyone takes refuge in the Buddha,
Takes refuge in the Dharma and the Sangha,
And cultivates the Four Noble Truths,
They will surely behold true wisdom.
[17]
Birth and death are realms of hardship;
Deliverance is attained through the Four Truths.
The Noble Eightfold Path delivers the world
And eliminates every suffering.
[18]
Taking refuge in the Three Jewels
Is the supreme and most auspicious refuge.
Only the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
Can eliminate every suffering.
[19]
If anyone cultivates the True Path
And seeks the Dharma without stinginess,
That person obtains wholesome benefit:
This indeed is taking refuge in the Buddha.
[20]
A wise person is exceedingly difficult to encounter
And is not easily approached.
Wherever such a person is born,
Their kin receive blessings through their virtue.
[21]
Joyful is the appearance of a Buddha in the world;
Joyful is the preaching of the Dharma;
Joyful is the harmony of the Sangha;
Rejoicing in harmony, they ever dwell in peace and happiness.
CHAPTER 23: PEACE AND HAPPINESS
The Chapter on Peace and Happiness contains 14 verses. The main purport of this chapter is to explain the distinct gradations of security and danger. By abandoning evil and turning toward goodness, one will attain happiness and not fall into the lower realms.
[1]
We dwell in peace,
Harboring no hatred.
Among those filled with hatred,
We live without enmity.
[2]
We dwell in peace,
Unafflicted by the illness of defilements.
Among those afflicted by defilements,
We live free from affliction.
[3]
We dwell in peace,
Without anxiety or sorrow.
Among those burdened by anxiety,
We live without care.
[4]
We dwell in peace,
Pure and free from contrivance.
We feed upon joy,
Like the devas of Radiant Sound Heaven.
[5]
We dwell in peace,
Content and free from trouble.
Even were all the nation’s firewood brought forth,
It could never set us aflame.
[6]
Surpassing others gives rise to resentment;
Being surpassed brings us shame.
Cast aside the thought of victory and defeat;
Without contention, one naturally rests at peace.
[7]
What fire equals lust?
What poison equals anger?
What suffering equals affliction?
What happiness equals quiescent cessation?
[8]
Do not delight in petty pleasures,
Petty wisdom, and petty arguments.
Seek instead great wisdom;
Only then will you attain great peace and happiness.
[9]
I am the Blessed One,
Forever liberated and free from sorrow;
Having transcended the three realms,
Alone I subdue the hosts of Māra.
[10]
Joyful is the sight of noble ones;
Joyful is attaining refuge.
Stay far away from deluded fools;
Cultivate goodness and naturally dwell in joy.
[11]
Joyful is upholding the True Path;
Joyful is preaching the Dharma.
Contending with no one in the world,
One who observes the precepts always dwells in joy.
[12]
Dwelling together with saints and sages
Is as joyful as meeting loved ones.
Draw near to those endowed with wisdom,
Great learning, and profound virtue.
[13]
Few are those who live long,
While many die before their time.
Cultivate the Path and preserve its essentials;
Then even in old age, one remains at peace.
[14]
Those who wish to attain the Dharma’s ambrosia
Must sever and extinguish craving.
Those who wish to escape the suffering of birth and death
Must drink the flavor of ambrosia.
CHAPTER 24: AFFECTION
The Chapter on Affection contains 12 verses. The main purport of this chapter is to teach us not to be excessively attached through deluded love. If one can refrain from giving rise to lust and craving, there will surely be no anxiety or calamity.
[1]
To oppose the Path is to follow oneself;
To follow the Path is to oppose oneself.
To depart from the Path and cling to desire—
That is to follow craving.
[2]
Do not become entangled in affection,
Nor should you harbor hatred.
Not meeting those one loves brings distress;
Seeing those one hates brings sorrow.
[3]
Therefore, do not become attached through affection,
For from affection, hatred arises.
For one who has cast off all fetters,
Love and hatred have nowhere to arise.
[4]
From affection, anxiety arises;
From affection, fear arises.
If affection did not exist,
How could anxiety and fear arise?
[5]
From longing, anxiety arises;
From longing, fear arises.
If longing did not exist,
How could anxiety and fear arise?
[6]
From lust, anxiety arises;
From lust, fear arises.
If lust did not exist,
How could anxiety and fear arise?
[7]
Uphold the Dharma and perfect the precepts;
Be sincere and possess a sense of shame.
One whose practice draws near to the Path
Is cherished by everyone.
[8]
Do not recklessly indulge in lust;
Reflect carefully before speaking.
When the mind is free from lust and craving,
One will surely cut through samsara.
[9]
Just as one who has journeyed for a long time
Returns safely from afar,
Their relatives come forth to welcome them,
Warmly rejoicing at their return.
[10]
One who skillfully cultivates merit and virtue,
Passing from this world to the next,
Will personally enjoy blessed happiness,
As though welcomed with joy by relatives.
[11]
Practice according to the noble teaching
And prevent and eliminate unwholesome deeds.
Honor and cherish those who are near the Path;
Do not associate closely with those far from the Path.
[12]
The True Path determines what is near and what is far,
And their destinations are different.
Those near the Path are born in heaven;
Those far from the Path fall into hell.
CHAPTER 25: ANGER
The Chapter on Anger contains 26 verses. The main purport of this chapter is to teach us to respond to anger with gentleness, forbearance, and compassion. If we can do so, the devas will surely protect us, and everyone will cherish us.
[1]
In anger, one does not see the Dharma;
In anger, one does not understand the Path.
Whoever skillfully eliminates anger
Will always be accompanied by blessed happiness.
[2]
Through lust, one does not see the Dharma;
Delusion is likewise.
Depart from delusion and sever desire;
Such merit is foremost.
[3]
Restrain anger within yourself,
As one halts a speeding chariot.
Such a person is a skilled charioteer,
Leaving darkness and advancing into light.
[4]
Patient endurance conquers anger;
Virtuous goodness conquers wickedness.
The wise skillfully practice generosity;
Sincerity conquers deceit.
[5]
When lust and anger,
And delusion as well, are absent,
If one cultivates these three matters thus,
At death one will be born in heaven.
[6]
Always restrain your own body and mind;
With loving-kindness, neither kill nor harm.
You will surely be born in heaven,
Reaching a realm without sorrow.
[7]
Keep the mind ever wakeful;
Diligently study and practice morning and evening.
With the outflows exhausted and the mind liberated,
You will realize the Path of nirvana.
[8]
People of the world criticize one another,
As they have from ancient times until now.
They criticize those who speak much,
And also criticize those who speak little;
They even criticize those who speak in moderation—
No one escapes criticism.
[9]
Thoughts of desire are not noble
And cannot be restrained by themselves.
Now praising, now slandering,
They arise solely for gain and fame.
[10]
As for the praise bestowed by noble ones,
They praise only those of worthy virtue.
A wise person who observes the precepts
Gives no grounds for slander.
[11]
Pure as a Worthy One,
Do not slander them.
All people offer praise
Shakra and Brahma also praise him
[12]
Ever guard the body well
And tame the nature of anger;
Eliminate evil bodily deeds
And diligently perform good deeds.
[13]
Ever guard speech well
And tame the nature of anger;
Eliminate evil words
And recite and study the words of Dharma.
[14]
Ever guard the mind well
And tame the nature of anger;
Eliminate thoughts of wickedness
And contemplate the Path with right mindfulness.
[15]
Guard your speech and protect the body;
Guard the mind and restrain your thoughts.
Abandon anger and practice the Right Path;
Patient endurance is the firmest of all.
[16]
Abandon anger and relinquish pride;
Stay far from all conditions of craving.
Clinging neither to name nor form,
Through the unconditioned, suffering is extinguished.
[17]
When anger arises, eliminate it at once;
When lust arises, restrain yourself.
Cast away deluded thoughts,
And you will surely attain peace.
[18]
With anger abandoned, one sleeps in peace;
With wrath extinguished, one is free from sorrow.
Rage is a poisonous root;
Gentleness makes the mind pure.
Wholesome words win praise;
Eliminate evil, and calamity will not arise.
[19]
Those whose aims accord easily draw close;
But if they persist in doing evil,
They will later incur anger,
Like fire setting afflictions ablaze.
[20]
Knowing no sense of shame,
Acting recklessly and then growing enraged—
Those who are led by anger
Never tire of committing evil deeds.
[21]
Rage draws one near to weapons of war;
Gentleness draws one near to peace.
The practice of patience is supreme;
Therefore, one must always be patient.
[22]
The wrathful are scorned by others;
Those prone to anger should learn patience.
The practice of patience is supreme;
Therefore, one must always be patient.
[23]
Whether it concerns oneself or another,
One must beware of greed, anger, and delusion.
If you know that another is giving rise to evil,
You should first extinguish it in your own mind.
[24]
For one’s own benefit and that of others,
We offer them admonition.
If you know that another is giving rise to evil,
You should first extinguish it in your own mind.
[25]
The wisdom of patience overcomes foolishness;
The fool speaks evil words.
If you wish always to prevail over them,
You need only remain silent.
[26]
Those who commit evil deeds
Give rise through rage to enmity.
If anger does not arise,
That itself is victory over them.
CHAPTER 26: DEFILEMENTS
The Chapter on Defilements contains 19 verses. Its general meaning concerns the distinction between purity and impurity. Those who cultivate the Path must train in purity and refrain from defiled and shameful deeds.
[1]
If one does no good during life,
At death one falls into evil realms,
Enduring suffering without respite,
Arriving there with no provisions.
[2]
Diligently seek wisdom;
Cultivate with steadfast resolve.
Depart from defilement and remain unstained,
And you will surely escape the tribulations of suffering.
[3]
The wise are always diligent,
Peacefully advancing little by little,
Cleansing the stains from their minds,
As a smith refines pure gold.
[4]
Just as rust arising on iron
Returns to consume the iron itself,
Evil arising from the mind
Returns to destroy that very person.
[5]
Words not recited become corrupted;
A house not diligently tended becomes dirty;
An unkempt appearance becomes sullied;
Negligence makes one’s work impure.
[6]
Stinginess defiles generosity;
Evil defiles conduct.
In this life and in the future,
Evil ways are always defiled.
[7]
Among all impurities,
None surpasses delusion.
Those who train should eliminate evil;
A bhikkhu should be free of defilement.
[8]
Careless and shameless,
Like a long-beaked bird,
Brazenly enduring humiliation—
This is called living in impurity.
[9]
Though living with integrity may be difficult,
One preserves the radiant purity of righteousness;
Free from deceit and humiliation—
This is called living in purity.
[10]
Fools delight in killing;
Their words are untruthful.
They steal what is not given
And delight in violating another’s wife.
[11]
They take pleasure in breaking the precepts
And are addicted to intoxicating drink.
Such people, life after life,
Dig graves in which to bury themselves.
[12]
Those who understand what is right
Should not give rise to evil thoughts.
Fools draw near to what is contrary to Dharma
And gradually burn and drown themselves.
[13]
If one gives out of faith
While desiring widespread renown,
And constantly boasts before others,
One cannot enter right concentration.
[14]
Sever all desires
And eradicate them from the mind at their root.
Maintain right mindfulness day and night,
And you will surely enter right concentration.
[15]
Attachment brings the stain of sensory dust;
Through such defilement, the outflows arise.
One who is unattached creates no impurity;
Pure, one is free from delusion.
[16]
Seeing others defile themselves with sensory dust,
May my own mind remain ever awakened.
To create impurity is to deceive oneself;
With the outflows exhausted, one is undefiled.
[17]
No fire burns hotter than lust;
Nothing strikes faster than anger.
No net is tighter than delusion;
No river flows more swiftly than craving.
[18]
The sky leaves no tracks;
A shramana harbors no defiled thoughts.
Worldly people delight in doing evil;
Only the Buddha is pure and undefiled.
[19]
The sky leaves no tracks;
A shramana harbors no defiled thoughts.
All the world is impermanent;
The Buddha is free from self and what belongs to self.
CHAPTER 27: UPHOLDING THE DHARMA
The Chapter on Upholding the Dharma contains 17 verses. Its general meaning explains the meaning of the Path. In studying and practicing the Buddha-Dharma, virtue is the most precious thing. The mind should neither be greedy nor delight in luxurious pleasures.
[1]
Those who delight in upholding the scriptures and the Path
Do not contend for profit or fame.
Whether there is gain or no gain,
They are neither greedy nor deluded.
[2]
Always cherish study and cultivation;
Practice with an upright mind.
Embrace the treasure of wisdom—
Such is a person devoted to the Path.
[3]
One is not called wise
Because of clever speech.
One who is fearless and unafraid
And cultivates goodness is called wise.
[4]
One is not called an upholder of the Dharma
Merely because one recites much.
Even if one has heard only a little,
If one personally practices in accordance with the Dharma,
Upholding the Path without forgetting it,
One is an upholder of the Dharma.
[5]
One is not called an elder
Merely because one is advanced in years.
Though old, with hair turned white,
One may be foolish and unaware of wrongdoing.
[6]
One who always embraces the true Dharma,
Is gentle and compassionate,
Broad in understanding and pure in mind—
Such a one is called an elder.
[7]
One is not called upright and noble
Merely for being beautiful as a flower.
One may be miserly and jealous,
And one’s speech may be blameworthy.
[8]
One who skillfully abandons evil,
Having severed it at the root,
Who is wise and free from anger—
Such a one is upright and noble.
[9]
One is not called a shramana
Merely because one shaves the beard and hair.
One may speak falsely and harbor much craving,
Desiring pleasures like an ordinary person.
[10]
One who skillfully brings evil to an end,
Widely proclaims the Dharma of the Path,
Whose mind is peaceful and deluded thoughts extinguished—
Such a one is called a shramana.
[11]
One is not called a bhikkhu
Merely because one goes on almsround.
One may engage in wrong conduct and place expectations on others,
Seeking profit and seeking fame.
[12]
One who clearly knows wrongdoing and merit,
Always cultivating pure conduct,
And uses wisdom to eliminate evil—
Such a one is called a bhikkhu.
[13]
One is not called a sage
Merely because one remains silent.
The mind within may be impure,
While the body without is stained by sensory dust.
[14]
Unstained, with a mind resting in the unconditioned,
Pure as empty space,
That person attains quiescent cessation—
Such a one is called a sage.
[15]
One is not called a practitioner of the Path
Merely for saving a single person.
One who broadly delivers all sentient beings
And causes no harm practices the Path.
[16]
In teaching others, do not use many words;
Speak truthfully and act rightly.
Those who wish to attain concentration and wisdom
Need only shut out and eliminate delusion.
If the mind desires to seek peace and happiness,
Do not engage in the deeds of ordinary people.
While the fetters have not been completely eliminated,
One still cannot attain liberation.
CHAPTER 28: THE RIGHT PATH
The Chapter on the Right Path contains 28 verses. Its general meaning concerns the essential Dharma for attaining liberation. This is the supreme and wondrous Path.
[1]
Supreme is the Noble Eightfold Path;
The Dharma seal is the Four Noble Truths.
Freedom from desire is most exalted;
By offering lamps, one obtains clear vision.
[2]
On this Path there is no more fear;
Only by seeing purity can one deliver the world.
Destroy the armies of Mara;
Strive in practice to extinguish wrongness and suffering.
[3]
I have revealed the Right Path,
Manifesting light for all beings.
Having heard it, practice it yourselves;
Through practice, cast off the bonds of wrongness.
[4]
Birth and death are impermanent and suffering;
Thus insight contemplates and clearly sees.
If you wish to leave all suffering behind,
Practice the Path and eliminate it all.
[5]
Birth and death are impermanent and empty;
Thus insight contemplates and clearly sees.
If you wish to leave all suffering behind,
You need only diligently practice the Path.
[6]
When it is time to practice, you should practice;
Do not be like a foolish person
Who falls into ruin without concern,
Lingering and failing to seek the Path.
[7]
Mindfulness that accords with truth is right;
Scattered mindfulness is wrong.
The wise do not give rise to wrongness;
By cultivating the Path, wisdom will be perfected.
[8]
Guard your speech and watch your thoughts;
Do no unwholesome deed with the body.
Thus purify the three kinds of karma;
The Buddha taught that this is attainment of the Path.
[9]
If a tree is cut down without uprooting it,
Its roots remain, and it will grow again.
Only when the roots are severed does the tree cease to be;
The bhikkhu attains nirvana.
[10]
Unable to cut down the tree,
One remains attached to and longs for family and loved ones;
A covetous mind binds itself
Like a calf yearning for its mother’s milk.
[11]
Skillfully sever the root of thought,
Remove the frontier of birth and death;
This is to draw near the Path,
And one will swiftly attain nirvana.
[12]
Craving leads to aging,
Anger leads to illness,
Delusion leads to death;
Remove these poisons and one will attain the Path.
[13]
Release what came before and cast off what follows,
Be liberated and cross to the other shore;
When every thought has ceased,
There will be no more birth, aging, or death.
[14]
People of the world nurture wives and children,
Yet do not contemplate impermanence;
Death suddenly arrives,
Like a swift and raging torrent.
[15]
Neither father nor son can save one another;
What hope is there in relatives?
When life ends, relying upon one’s kin
Is like a blind man holding a bright lamp.
[16]
The wise understand the meaning above;
They should cultivate and uphold the sutras and precepts,
Diligently practice to deliver the world,
And extinguish every form of suffering.
[17]
Keep far away from every abyss,
As wind scatters the clouds;
When false thoughts have been extinguished,
That is right view.
[18]
Wisdom is the treasure of the world;
Peace and bliss are realized in the unconditioned.
Whoever knows and receives the true teaching
Forever severs birth, aging, and death.
[19]
Knowing that all conditioned phenomena are empty,
One thereby sees with wisdom;
Becoming disenchanted with worldly suffering—
This is the Path that removes suffering.
[20]
Knowing that all conditioned phenomena are suffering,
One thereby sees with wisdom;
Becoming disenchanted with worldly suffering—
This is the Path that removes suffering.
[21]
All conditioned phenomena are without self,
As one thereby sees with wisdom;
Becoming disenchanted with worldly suffering—
This is the Path that removes suffering.
[22]
I have taught the marks of the Path;
Sensual desire is like a flying arrow.
You should therefore encourage yourselves
And receive and uphold the Buddha’s teaching.
[23]
I have extinguished every thought of desire,
And ended the cycle of birth and death;
Having cast off every bond,
With the Dharma eye I expound the Dharma.
[24]
As rushing streams pour into the sea,
Its waters swiftly become full;
When the Path is taught to the wise,
They skillfully come to drink the ambrosia.
[25]
The Dharma wheel, never heard before,
Was turned out of compassion for sentient beings.
Whoever reverently serves and cultivates it,
And pays homage, transcends the three realms.
[26]
When the three thoughts are directed toward goodness,
The three thoughts will depart from evil;
From thought, action arises;
Removing defilement is right abandoning.
[27]
The three samadhis transform the three thoughts;
Abandon self and practice the immeasurables.
Attaining samadhi, remove the three fetters;
To untie the bonds, one should be mindful.
[28]
Know how to use the precepts to restrain evil;
Contemplate wisdom and delight in mindfulness.
Know the formation and dissolution of the world;
When the mind comes to rest, all is liberated.
CHAPTER 29: EXTENSIVE EXPLANATION
The Chapter on Extensive Explanation contains 14 verses. The main meaning of this chapter is that, whether deeds are good or evil, all great things accumulate from small beginnings, and one should realize the Dharma meaning of every passage and phrase.
[1]
Though the happiness given may be slight,
Its later karmic reward is very great;
Though one bestows but a little wisdom,
The blessings received are inconceivable.
[2]
One casts sorrow and distress upon others,
Yet desires a wholesome reward;
Calamity returns to oneself,
And one encounters profound enmity and hatred.
[3]
Having undertaken a great many things,
One also goes on doing what is wrong;
Indulging in amusements, singing, and dancing,
One’s evil karma increases day by day.
[4]
Always practice with diligence;
In cultivation and study, faults must be abandoned.
Cultivate yourself and awaken yourself—
This is called right action.
[5]
Having yourself gained profound understanding,
And also acquired broad learning,
You will gradually become ever more expansive,
Like milk poured into water.
[6]
Being yourself without wisdom,
And also too indolent to study,
You will gradually become ever more diminished,
Like butter poured into water.
[7]
Near to the Path, one’s good renown is fragrant,
Like the lofty Snow Mountains;
Far from the Path, one is obscure and dark,
Like shooting an arrow at night.
[8]
As disciples of the Buddha,
You should always awaken yourselves;
By day and night, be ever mindful of the Buddha,
And contemplate the Dharma and Sangha.
[9]
As disciples of the Buddha,
You should always awaken yourselves;
Morning and evening, contemplate and cultivate,
Practicing meditation with a concentrated mind.
[10]
As human beings, you should remain mindful;
When eating, know contentment yourselves.
Then your desires will diminish;
Through moderation, you will surely live long.
[11]
Cultivation is difficult; abandoning evil is difficult;
Living the household life is also difficult.
It is difficult for those assembled to share common interests;
Most difficult of all is transcending the three realms.
[12]
It is difficult for a bhiksu to live on alms;
Why not exert yourself?
Through diligence, one gains freedom,
And afterward need depend upon no one.
[13]
With faith, the precepts will be perfected;
From the precepts come abundant riches and treasures.
Through the precepts, one accords with the Path,
And everywhere people make offerings.
[14]
Whether walking, lying down, or sitting,
Alone, do not be heedless.
You should subdue your own mind,
Your heart rejoicing among mountains and forests.
CHAPTER 30: HELL
The Chapter on Hell contains 16 verses. The main meaning of this chapter is to describe the deeds that cause one to fall into hell. Whoever commits evil will certainly undergo its evil results; sinful karma drags one away and does not relent.
[1]
False speech brings one near to hell:
Having done something, one says one did not.
Both offenses will later bear their fruits;
That karma itself drags one away.
[2]
Though one wears the Dharma robe upon one’s body,
One commits evil without ever ceasing.
Whoever carelessly commits evil
Falls into hell at death.
[3]
Breaking the precepts while receiving offerings—
Does this not harm oneself?
After death, one swallows red-hot iron balls,
Burning into charcoal amid raging flames.
[4]
Heedlessness has four consequences:
One delights in violating another’s wife,
Encounters calamity and gains no merit,
Is reviled, and lust increases.
[5]
Without merit, one falls into an evil destiny;
One fears the evil yet covets a little pleasure.
The law punishes adultery,
And at death one falls into hell.
[6]
It is like pulling kusa grass:
If grasped loosely, it will cut the hand.
A sramana who does not observe the precepts
Is seized and dragged away by hell.
[7]
Whoever practices negligently
Cannot remove the defilements.
When pure conduct is deficient,
One will never receive great blessings.
[8]
What is right should always be done;
Do it with all your strength.
Keep far away from non-Buddhist paths;
Do not become stained by worldly defilements.
[9]
What is wrong should not be done,
For afterward one undergoes suffering.
Doing good always brings well-being;
Wherever one goes, there will be no regret.
[10]
Among all evil deeds,
Whether about to be done or already done,
This suffering cannot be removed;
Once tightened, the bonds of guilt are hard to escape.
[11]
Speaking falsely and coveting bribes,
Acting without integrity,
Slandering virtuous people,
And unjustly punishing good persons—
Guilt binds such people,
And they themselves fall into a perilous abyss.
[12]
Just as a city is defended,
Made secure both within and without,
Whoever guards their own mind
Will not allow what is contrary to Dharma to arise.
Errors give rise to sorrow
And cause one to fall into hell.
[13]
Not ashamed of what is shameful,
Yet ashamed of what is not shameful,
Such people give rise to wrong views
And at death fall into hell.
[14]
Not fearing what should be feared,
Yet fearing what should not be feared,
Because they follow wrong views,
At death they fall into hell.
[15]
Not avoiding what should be avoided,
Yet approaching what should not be approached,
Because they are habituated to wrong views,
At death they fall into hell.
[16]
Avoid what should be avoided;
Keep far from what should be kept far away.
Always preserve right view,
And at death be born in a good destination.
CHAPTER 31: THE SIMILE OF THE ELEPHANT
The Chapter on the Simile of the Elephant contains 18 verses. The main meaning of this chapter is to teach people to maintain right bodily conduct; by doing good, they will obtain good and enjoy the blissful rewards of merit.
[1]
Like an elephant in battle,
Unafraid of being struck by arrows,
Always use a heart of sincere faith
To deliver those without virtue or precepts.
[2]
Just as only a tamed elephant
Is allowed to carry the king,
Only one well trained as a virtuous person
Is worthy of words of trust.
[3]
Though one may excel at training,
Skillfully training horses
And skillfully training elephants,
None of this equals taming oneself.
[4]
Those animals cannot carry one there,
Nor can they themselves reach it;
Only those who tame themselves
Can reach the place of peace and well-being.
[5]
Like the elephant named Protector of Wealth,
Fierce and difficult to tame,
Its feet bound and given no food,
Yet it still remains exceedingly violent.
[6]
Whoever continually devotes themselves to evil
Is always bound by craving.
Like an elephant that never knows contentment,
One therefore repeatedly enters the womb.
[7]
When the original mind has become well trained
And always abides in peace,
One will surely cast off all bonds,
As chains are used to subdue an elephant.
[8]
In cultivating the Path, do not be heedless;
Always guard your mind well.
You will surely escape the yoke of suffering,
Like an elephant emerging from the mud.
[9]
If you find a good friend,
Together cultivate goodness extensively;
Thoroughly understand what you have heard,
And proceed to the place of right mindfulness.
[10]
If you do not find a good friend,
Do not join with others in causing harm.
Stay far away from noisy places;
Alone, commit no evil.
[11]
Do good alone;
Do not associate with fools.
Avoid evil alone,
Like an elephant that vigilantly guards itself.
[12]
Happy is a life of benefit;
Happy are gentle friends;
Happy is a peaceful death;
Happy is the one who commits no evil.
[13]
Happy is one who has a mother to cherish them;
Happy is one who has a father on whom to rely;
Happy is one who has a sramana
Joyful indeed is the Noble Path.
[14]
Joyful indeed is constant observance of the precepts.
Joyful indeed is right faith.
Joyful indeed is the attainment of wisdom.
Joyful indeed is abstaining from evil.
[15]
Like riding a well-trained horse,
One goes wherever one wishes.
With faith, morality, and diligence,
Concentration and wisdom will be perfected.
[16]
When the Dharma of morality is established,
Patience and harmony bring the mind to composure.
All suffering will be ended,
And one’s wishes will be fulfilled.
[17]
Thence one enters meditative concentration,
Like a horse that has been thoroughly trained.
Ending anger, one attains the undefiled
And will surely enjoy the bliss of heaven.
[18]
Diligent among the heedless,
Awake among those who sleep,
Like a horse that has been thoroughly trained,
One abandons evil and becomes noble and wise.
CHAPTER 32: CRAVING
The Chapter on Craving contains 32 verses. The main purport of this chapter is to teach that attachment born of craving must be left far behind. Because of it, worldly people bring countless dangers and calamities upon themselves.
[1]
When the mind is unrestrained in sensual lust,
Craving puts forth ever more branches;
It spreads and flourishes ever more luxuriantly,
Like a monkey leaping about to pluck fruit.
[2]
For the sake of craving, one endures suffering;
Through desire, one clings to the world.
Sorrow increases day and night,
Growing long like a creeping vine.
[3]
Those deluded by intimate attachment
Cannot relinquish their passions.
Therefore, their many sorrows
Trickle forth until they fill a pond.
[4]
Ordinary people are burdened by sorrow;
The world is filled with suffering.
This is only because craving conditions existence;
Freed from craving, one is free from sorrow.
[5]
The peaceful mind is free from sorrow;
When craving ends, the world ends.
Without sorrow and without longing,
One who has no craving surely attains peace.
[6]
At death, the heart is filled with sorrow;
Relatives grieve and long for the departed.
Pain and sadness abide within samsara;
The suffering of craving forever casts one into peril.
[7]
One who cultivates the Noble Path
Must not consort with craving.
First sever the root of craving,
So that its roots have nowhere to grow.
Do not be like one who merely cuts reeds,
Allowing the mind to arise anew.
[8]
Like a tree whose roots are deep and firm,
Though cut down, it grows again;
If craving in the mind is not wholly removed,
One will immediately suffer once more.
[9]
Like an ape that leaves one tree
Only to go to another,
Ordinary people are just the same:
Escaping one prison, they enter another.
[10]
The currents of desire flow on without cease;
Evil habits are joined with arrogance.
Thoughts cling to sensual desire,
Veiling themselves so they cannot see.
[11]
All the currents of thought flow on;
Craving entwines them like kudzu vines.
Only wisdom discerns and sees them,
Skillfully severing the root of thought.
[12]
Those drenched by craving
Let their thoughts spread ever farther.
Craving is profound and bottomless;
Old age and death only increase.
[13]
Craving arises without end,
Feeding only upon sensual desire.
It nourishes enmity and profits the graveyard;
Fools labor at it without cease.
[14]
Although prisons have hooks and chains,
The wise do not regard these as the strongest bonds.
Fools behold their wives and children,
And their defiled attachment binds them more tightly than prison.
[15]
The Buddha said that craving is a prison,
So strong that escape is difficult.
Therefore, one should sever and remove it,
Attaining peace and bliss, free from desire.
[16]
Seeing forms, the mind becomes deluded
And does not contemplate their impermanence.
Fools regard them as beautiful,
Not knowing that they are unreal.
[17]
Enclosing oneself within craving
Is like a silkworm spinning its cocoon.
The wise skillfully sever and remove it;
Without regret, they eliminate manifold suffering.
[18]
When a person’s mind is forever heedless,
They see lust and deem it pure.
Their thoughts of intimate attachment increase,
And thence they enter prison.
[19]
Those whose minds eliminate lust
Constantly contemplate the impurity of desire.
Thence they escape the prison of error
And skillfully end the suffering of old age and death.
[20]
One entangles oneself in the net of desire
And covers oneself beneath the canopy of craving.
Heedlessness binds one within prison,
Like a fish entering the mouth of a trap.
Old age and death continually press upon one,
Like a calf yearning for its mother’s milk.
[21]
Leaving desire, one destroys the root of craving;
Tearing through the net, one is imprisoned no more.
Cultivating the Path, one escapes the prison of bondage
And removes every obstruction.
Having crossed to the other shore,
One is a person of great wisdom.
[22]
Do not draw near to those estranged from the Dharma,
Nor allow yourself to be defiled by craving.
Those who fail to sever it throughout the three times
Must still fall into birth and death.
[23]
If one awakens to all dharmas
And clings to none of them,
The mind is freed from every craving;
This is to understand the intent of the Noble Ones.
[24]
The gift of Dharma surpasses every gift;
The taste of the Path surpasses every taste.
Delight in the Dharma surpasses every delight;
The end of craving ends all suffering.
[25]
Fools are bound by greed
And do not aspire to cross to the other shore.
Through craving for wealth and affection,
They harm others and also harm themselves.
[26]
The mind of craving is the field;
Greed, anger, and delusion are the seeds.
Those who practice generosity to deliver the world
Gain immeasurable blessed rewards.
[27]
When men are few and goods are many,
Merchants become fearful.
Craving is a robber that destroys life;
The wise have no craving.
[28]
The mind’s longing born of craving—
How could it be limited to the five desires?
Quickly depart from and utterly relinquish the five desires;
Only then is one truly courageous.
[29]
Without desire, there will be no fear;
Living simply, one is free from sorrow.
When desire is removed, the fetters are undone;
This is escape from the abyss.
[30]
The root of craving
Arises from deluded thoughts.
If the mind does not form such thoughts,
Craving will not arise.
[31]
Cut down the tree and suddenly all ceases;
The tree gives rise to every evil dharma.
Cut down the tree and uproot it as well,
And the bhiksu attains nirvana.
[32]
Ordinary people do not cut down the tree;
Whether their relatives are few or many,
Their minds remain bound to them,
Like a calf yearning for its mother.
CHAPTER 33: GAINS AND HONORS
The Chapter on Gains and Honors contains 20 verses. The main purport of this chapter is to encourage oneself to be diligent and guard against greed. Upon seeing a virtuous person, one should learn, reflect, and not allow defiled thoughts to arise.
[1]
When a bunch of bananas ripens, the plant withers;
Reeds and bamboo are likewise.
A mule dies when it becomes pregnant;
A person dies because of greed.
[2]
Thus greed brings no benefit;
Know that it arises from delusion.
Because of greed, fools harm the virtuous,
And their heads and necks fall to the ground.
[3]
Though heaven should rain down the seven treasures,
The greedy would still not be satisfied.
Pleasures are few, while worldly sufferings are many;
One who awakens becomes noble and wise.
[4]
Though heavenly blessings and pleasures may be enjoyed,
The wise relinquish them without craving.
They have no desire for intimate attachment;
Such are disciples of the Buddha.
[5]
Far from the Path and following corrupt evil,
A bhiksu craves gains and honors.
His heart is filled only with stinginess,
And he attends solely to himself.
[6]
Do not, out of greed for gains and honors,
Seek offerings from worldly people.
Such conduct does not accord with the Path;
Of what benefit could it be?
[7]
Fools think in foolish ways,
And their desire and conceit increase daily.
Unlawfully craving gains and honors,
They cannot reach nirvana.
[8]
One who skillfully knows the truth,
A bhiksu who is a true disciple of the Buddha,
Takes no delight in craving gains and honors,
But dwells at ease and dispels distracted thoughts.
[9]
Realizing the truth oneself, one does not depend upon others,
Nor does one seek anything from them.
A bhiksu who seeks favors from others
Will not attain right concentration.
[10]
Those who desire peace and happiness in body and mind
Cease deluded thoughts and awaken themselves.
They neither concern themselves with nor calculate over
Clothing, drink, and food.
[11]
Those who desire peace and happiness in body and mind
Cease deluded thoughts and awaken themselves.
Content and free from greed,
They always remember to cultivate wholesome Dharma.
[12]
Those who desire peace and happiness in body and mind
Cease deluded thoughts and awaken themselves.
Like a mouse within a hidden burrow,
They dwell in seclusion and cultivate the true teaching.
[13]
Do not pursue gains and honors;
Reflect upon and uphold the precepts.
Then the wise will praise you;
Remain pure and do not be indolent.
[14]
One who fully possesses the Three Knowledges
Attains liberation and becomes undefiled.
Those of little wisdom, deluded and confused,
Will neither remember nor understand anything.
[15]
Regarding food and drink
Received from other people,
One gives rise to evil dharmas,
Becoming jealous over gains and honors.
[16]
Gains and honors engender many enmities.
Though one wears the three Dharma robes,
One only longs for delicious food
And does not obey the Buddha’s teaching.
[17]
One should recognize this fault:
Gains and honors are greatly to be feared.
Free from greed, one is free from sorrow;
Bhiksus, relinquish such thoughts.
[18]
Without food, life is difficult to sustain;
Who has no need of food?
Others regard food as most important;
Knowing this, one should not be jealous.
[19]
Jealousy first harms oneself
And only afterward harms others.
One who strikes others will be struck in return;
This cannot be avoided.
[20]
Better to swallow a red-hot iron ball
And, when thirsty, drink molten copper
Than to violate the precepts with this body
And accept offerings.
CHAPTER 34: THE ASCETIC
The Chapter on the Ascetic contains 32 verses. The main purport of this chapter is to instruct disciples that if they uphold and cultivate the true Dharma, they will attain liberation and realize the pure Path.
[1]
Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body—
Keep them upright and always guard the mind.
A bhiksu who cultivates in this way
Will surely remove the yoke of suffering.
[2]
Let bodily karma commit no transgression;
Let verbal karma be gentle and harmonious;
Let mental karma always remain composed;
Through cultivation, one attains serene quiescence.
[3]
Those who train in cultivation must guard their speech;
Their words should always be peaceful and harmonious.
Their meaning and principles should accord with the Dharma;
Such words are sweet, gentle, and soothing.
[4]
Delighting in the Dharma and joyfully cherishing the Dharma,
One contemplates the Dharma and dwells in peace.
A bhikshu practices in accordance with the Dharma
And must not neglect cultivation
[5]
Cultivate and study without seeking gain
And give rise to no attachment toward others
A bhikshu who gives rise to attachment
Will not attain right concentration
[6]
When a bhikshu goes for alms
Whatever he receives, he must not hoard
Gods and humans praise him
For his life is pure and undefiled
[7]
A bhikshu is ever compassionate
And reveres the Buddha’s teachings
Deeply penetrating wondrous calm and insight
He finds peace only when defilements are destroyed
[8]
All name and form
Are unreal; do not be deluded
Without drawing near, attachment will not arise
Such is a true bhikshu
[9]
A bhikshu steers his boat
An empty boat glides lightly
Destroying greed, anger, and delusion
He will then reach nirvana
[10]
Abandon five and cut off five
Contemplate the five faculties
When one skillfully discerns the five
One then crosses the deep river
[11]
Practice meditation without heedlessness
Do not let desire disturb the mind
Do not drink molten copper
Lest it burn and destroy your body
[12]
Without meditation, there will be no wisdom
Without wisdom, there will be no meditation
The Path arises from meditation and wisdom
Bringing one near the road to nirvana
[13]
Cultivate and enter the concentration on emptiness
A bhikshu is ever peaceful
Delighting in secluded places
He contemplates the impartiality of dharmas
[14]
Skillfully subdue the five skandhas
And regulate the mind like flowing water
Ever pure, harmonious, and joyful
This is to drink the flavor of ambrosia
[15]
A bhikshu cultivates wisdom
Possessing no material things
Content, he restrains the six faculties
And observes all the precepts
[16]
Throughout life, practice pure conduct
And seek good teachers and spiritual friends
The wise attain the Path
Ending suffering and dwelling in peace and joy
[17]
Just as jasmine flowers
Fall away by themselves when withered
Destroy greed, anger, and delusion
And be naturally liberated from birth and death
[18]
When body and speech cease from evil
And the mind is restrained, tranquil, and silent
A bhikshu who has left the world behind
Has thereby attained quiescent cessation
[19]
Regarding this physical body
Be ever diligent in mind
Guard the body and remain mindful of the Right Path
Then a bhikshu dwells in peace and joy
[20]
One regards oneself as a self
Yet upon examination, no self is found
Therefore, eliminate the self
Subdue yourself and become a sage
[21]
Delight in the Buddha’s teachings
Cultivate and uphold them, increasing your peace and joy
Proceed directly to the Path of quiescence
Practice cessation and forever dwell in bliss
[22]
Though one may accomplish only a little
If it accords with the Buddha’s teachings
One illuminates the world
Like the sky unobscured by clouds
[23]
Utterly destroy self-conceit
Like a lotus rising above the water
Cultivate and study, leaving behind both here and there
Know this to be supreme conduct
[24]
Cut off attachment without lingering affection
Like a lotus unstained by mud
A bhikshu crosses the river of craving
And with supreme wisdom eliminates sensual desire
[25]
Emerge from the current of sensual desire
Restrain the mind and eliminate craving
Ordinary beings do not cut off desire
So their minds forever wander
[26]
In cultivation, do not commit evil
Diligently regulate your own mind
If one leaves home yet remains indolent
Defiled thoughts will arise again
[27]
If one cultivates indolently
One wearies the mind but does not end suffering
This is not pure conduct
How could one obtain the great treasure?
[28]
What Dharma does a shramana practice
If his mind is not restrained?
With every step, he is defiled by worldly afflictions
And merely follows his thoughts
[29]
Though wearing the kasaya upon his shoulders
He commits evil without cease
Whoever continually commits evil
Falls into hell at death
[30]
Heedless and difficult to admonish
Like a dry tree blown by the wind
One acts and oneself receives the result
Why, then, is one not diligent?
[31]
Merely shaving beard and hair
While unrestrained and without precepts does not suffice
One who abandons greed and contemplates the Path
Is a true bhikshu
[32]
Merely shaving beard and hair
While heedless and without sincere faith does not suffice
One who skillfully destroys all suffering and affliction
Becomes a great shramana
CHAPTER 35: PURE CONDUCT
The Chapter on Pure Conduct contains 40 verses. Its general meaning is this: only when one’s conduct, speech, and cultivation are pure and undefiled may one be called a person of the Path.
[1]
Emerge from the current of sensual desire
Free from desire like Brahma
When all conditioned activities have been eliminated
One is a practitioner of pure conduct
[2]
Skillfully cultivate calm and insight
Pure and undefiled
Cut off the bonds of sensual desire
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[3]
Neither there nor here
Both here and there are empty
Abandon the mind of greed and desire
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[4]
Contemplate without stain or defilement
Let one’s conduct be free from outflows
Give rise to no mind of seeking
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[5]
By day, the sun shines brightly
By night, the moon sheds its radiant light
Armor makes the troops resplendent
Meditative concentration illuminates the person of the Path
When a Buddha appears in the world
His radiance fills every place
[6]
A shaven head does not make a shramana
Being called virtuous does not make one pure in conduct
One who skillfully destroys all evil
Is a practitioner of pure conduct
[7]
To leave evil behind is pure conduct
Right conduct makes a shramana
To abandon self and eliminate defilements
Is truly called leaving the household life
[8]
If, in the face of sensual desire
The mind has no craving or attachment
Having renounced it and practiced rightly
One thereby eliminates suffering
[9]
When body, speech, and mind
Are pure and without fault
One who skillfully restrains these three karmas
Is a practitioner of pure conduct
[10]
If the mind clearly understands
The Dharma taught by the Buddhas
Contemplate the mind and take refuge within
Becoming pure like clear water
[11]
One who merely wears matted hair
Is not thereby called a practitioner of pure conduct
Sincerely cultivate the Dharma
And through purity become a sage
[12]
Though wearing matted hair, one may lack wisdom
And wear a grass garment merely for display
If inwardly one has not abandoned defilement
What benefit is outward renunciation?
[13]
One who wears coarse cloth
And genuinely practices the wholesome Dharma
Contemplating the Dharma in solitude
Is a practitioner of pure conduct
[14]
The Buddha did not teach anyone
To praise oneself
One who is truthful, free from deceit, and accords with the Dharma
Is a practitioner of pure conduct
[15]
Sever every sensual desire
Let the resolve be free from craving and attachment
Abandon every sensual pleasure
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[16]
Skillfully cut off the river of birth and death
Through skillful patience, transcend the world
Awaken yourself and escape the deep trench
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[17]
Though reviled and beaten
Patiently endure without anger
One who possesses the power of great patience
Is a practitioner of pure conduct
[18]
If one is oppressed by others
Remember to uphold the precepts and virtuous conduct
Keep the body upright and subdue yourself
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[19]
Inwardly abandon evil dharmas
Like a snake shedding its skin
One who is not defiled by desire
Is a practitioner of pure conduct
[20]
Awaken to the suffering of birth
And thereby eliminate thoughts of craving
Set down the heavy burden
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[21]
Profoundly understand wondrous wisdom
Clearly know the right and wrong paths
Comprehend the unsurpassed meaning
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[22]
Leave behind the ties of family life
Go forth without fear
Be content and seek nothing
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[23]
Abandon worldly livelihood
Give rise to no thought of killing
Cause neither affliction nor sorrow
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[24]
Avoid contention and do not compete
When offended, harbor no resentment
When met with evil, respond with goodness
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[25]
Destroy greed, anger, and delusion
Arrogance and every evil deed
Like a snake shedding its skin
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[26]
Sever all involvement in worldly affairs
Utter no cruel words
Contemplate the Noble Eightfold Path
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[27]
Whether the world praises something as good or bad
Long or short, great or small
Neither take nor give it
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[28]
Sow pure causes in this life
And the fruits in the next life will be undefiled
Commit no evil deeds
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[29]
Abandon the mind that relies on others
Do not study heterodox teachings
Utterly destroy evil dharmas
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[30]
Sinful karma and meritorious rewards
Both have been forever eliminated
Free from sorrow and worldly defilement
One is a practitioner of pure conduct
[31]
The joyful mind is free from worldly defilement
Bright and full like the moon at its fullest
All slander has been utterly eliminated
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[32]
Seeing fools come and go
Falling into a deep trench and suffering
If one wishes to cross to the other shore
One must not listen to false teachings
Destroy evil and do not let it arise
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[33]
Affection and attachment have been severed
One leaves home and abandons sensual desire
When sensual desire is utterly eliminated
One is a practitioner of pure conduct
[34]
Stay far from crowded places
Do not covet the enjoyment of heavenly blessings
Do not depend upon any such realm
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[35]
Abandon all love and hatred
In quiescent cessation, evil does not arise
Courageously cut off birth and death
Then one is a practitioner of pure conduct
[36]
What had to be done has been accomplished
At death, there will be no further birth
Peaceful, with nowhere to depend,
Only then is one a practitioner of pure conduct.
[37]
Having escaped the five destinies,
No longer falling into samsara,
Having cleansed away every evil habit,
Only then is one a practitioner of pure conduct.
[38]
To the past and the future,
And the present, one has no attachment;
Neither releasing nor holding fast,
Only then is one a practitioner of pure conduct.
[39]
Supremely heroic and supremely courageous,
Able to liberate oneself,
With wisdom and awakening unshaken,
Only then is one a practitioner of pure conduct.
[40]
Knowing for oneself the deeds of former lives,
And whence one originally came,
Utterly eradicating the root of birth and death,
Penetrating the profound and wondrous Way,
Serene, with wisdom bright,
Only then is one a practitioner of pure conduct.
CHAPTER 36: NIRVANA
The Nirvana Chapter contains 36 verses. The essential meaning of this chapter is to expound the great refuge of the Right Way, the peaceful stillness of cessation, and the transcendence of the fear of birth and death.
[1]
Patient endurance is foremost;
Nirvana is supreme.
One who has gone forth does not transgress the precepts;
With a tranquil mind, one harms nothing.
[2]
Freedom from illness is the greatest benefit;
Contentment is the greatest wealth;
Flesh and bone are the closest kin;
Nirvana is the greatest bliss.
[3]
Hunger and thirst are the greatest afflictions;
Conditioned phenomena are the greatest suffering.
Whoever knows this as it truly is
Finds nirvana the greatest peace and bliss.
[4]
Few reach the good destination;
Most proceed along evil paths.
Whoever knows this as it truly is
Finds nirvana the greatest peace and bliss.
[5]
Through causes, one is born in a good destination;
Through causes, one is born upon an evil path;
Through causes, one attains nirvana;
So too, while conditions remain.
[6]
Deer dwell in the wilderness;
Birds fly through empty space.
The myriad dharmas arise through causes and conditions;
Practitioners of the Way return to tranquil cessation.
[7]
The self appears to exist, yet is originally empty;
Formerly there was a self, but now there is none.
It is neither empty nor existent;
Just as now, it cannot be apprehended.
[8]
The mind and its thoughts are exceedingly difficult to see;
Habitual tendencies can be seen.
Only those who understand sensual craving
Can see completely and clearly.
When sensual pleasures have been left far behind,
Suffering will be eradicated.
[9]
Whoever clings to sensual craving
Only increases suffering.
With luminous wisdom, the mind remains undefiled,
Pure and skillfully disciplined.
If one does not draw near sensual craving,
Suffering will be eradicated.
[10]
Seeing as it truly is when seeing,
Hearing as it truly is when hearing,
Remembering as it truly is when remembering,
Knowing as it truly is when knowing;
Though seeing, one does not become attached,
And likewise even when knowing.
When everything is relinquished,
Suffering will be eradicated.
[11]
Without body, perception is eradicated;
Suffering is cooled.
All conditioned activities cease forever;
Consciousness and perception no longer arise.
Suffering will be eradicated.
[12]
A defiled mind creates conditioned action;
A pure mind is unconditioned.
Do not draw near sensual pleasure,
For it brings no peace or happiness.
When one does not associate with sensual craving,
The mind will become still.
When the mind has become still,
Coming and going will be no more.
[13]
When coming and going are cut off,
Birth and death will be no more.
When birth and death are cut off,
Neither here nor there will remain.
When here and there are cut off,
Clinging will be no more.
When clinging is utterly extinguished,
Suffering will come to an end.
[14]
Bhikkhus! Wherever there is birth,
There will necessarily be conditioned activity.
With the unborn, existence is no more;
With non-action, there is nowhere to proceed.
[15]
Only those who attain freedom from thought
Can reach nirvana.
With the unborn, existence is no more;
With non-action, there is nowhere to proceed.
[16]
Those who still engage in conditioned activity
Have not yet awakened to the essence of the Dharma.
If they have fully understood the unborn,
There is neither existence nor activity.
[17]
Because of existence, there is birth;
From birth, existence arises again.
Through volitional formations, there are birth and death,
Unfolding the myriad fruits of karma.
[18]
Through nutriment, causes and conditions give rise to birth;
Through nutriment, there are joy and sorrow.
Whoever eradicates this
Leaves no trace of conditioned activity.
When all suffering has been utterly eradicated
And conditioned activity has ceased, the mind rests in peace.
[19]
Bhikkhus! I have known
That there is no further entry into any sphere:
Neither the Sphere of Infinite Space, the Sphere of Infinite Consciousness,
Nor the Sphere of Nothingness.
[20]
There is no entry into the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception,
Neither this world nor the world beyond;
Nor is there any perception of sun or moon,
Neither coming nor going.
[21]
I return no more,
Neither departing nor arriving,
Neither dying nor being born:
That is the realm of nirvana.
[22]
Thus, it is without name or characteristic;
Joy and sorrow have been clearly understood.
Vision is no longer afraid;
Without doubt, there are no words.
[23]
Having struck down the arrow of the outflows,
Delusion has nowhere to depend.
That is the highest peace and bliss;
This Way is the unsurpassed stillness.
[24]
The patient mind is like the great earth;
The practice of patience is like a gate.
Stainless as clear water,
One no longer undergoes birth and death.
[25]
Victory is not yet sufficient grounds for reliance;
Even after victory, suffering remains.
Seek for yourself the victorious Dharma;
Once victorious, there will be no further birth.
[26]
With old karma exhausted, one creates no new karma;
Weary of the womb, one does not engage in sexual conduct.
A scorched seed can no longer sprout;
The extinguished mind is like a fire gone out.
[27]
The womb is a sea of filth;
Why still delight in sexual conduct?
Though there are supremely wholesome realms,
None can compare with nirvana.
[28]
Know that all must be cut off,
With no further attachment to the world.
Relinquish everything and enter cessation;
This is the supreme Way.
[29]
The Buddha expounds the true Dharma;
The wise and courageous skillfully receive and uphold it.
Pure and undefiled,
Through awakening they attain peace and bliss.
[30]
In learning the Way, first abandon desire;
From the outset, uphold the Buddha's sutras and precepts.
Eradicate every evil,
As effortlessly as a bird moves through the sky.
[31]
If one has understood these Dharma verses
And wholeheartedly cultivates the Right Way,
One crosses to the far shore of birth and death,
Ending suffering and every affliction.
[32]
The Dharma of the Way makes no distinction between stranger and friend,
Nor does it concern itself with the strong or the weak.
What matters is eradicating the defiled mind;
Through relinquishment, one becomes pure.
[33]
Those of highest wisdom grow weary of the outflow-ridden body,
Fragile and unreal,
With much suffering and little pleasure,
Its nine orifices all impure.
[34]
Wisdom turns danger into peace;
Abandoning craving, one escapes calamity and distress.
The body decays and dissolves like foam;
With wisdom's vision, one relinquishes it without craving.
[35]
Contemplate the body as containing only suffering:
Birth, aging, illness, and pain.
Depart from defilement and cultivate purity;
Only then does one attain great peace and bliss.
[36]
Relying upon wisdom, abandon wrong thoughts;
With the outflows exhausted, there is no further becoming.
Cultivating purity, one crosses beyond the world;
Devas and humans all pay homage.
CHAPTER 37: BIRTH AND DEATH
The Birth and Death Chapter contains 18 verses. The essential meaning of this chapter is that when a person dies, consciousness takes rebirth according to karma.
[1]
Life is like fruit ripening by itself,
Ever in danger of falling.
Whatever is born must surely die;
Who can ever escape?
[2]
Since ancient times, delighting in affection and desire,
Through craving one takes birth in a womb.
Life is like a flash of lightning;
Day and night it passes without cease.
[3]
The body is subject to death;
Consciousness has no visible form.
Though one dies and is then reborn,
Sin and merit are never lost.
[4]
Beginning and end are not confined to a single life;
They endure long through delusion and craving.
One personally undergoes pleasure and suffering;
Though the body dies, consciousness is not extinguished.
[5]
The body of four great elements is form;
Consciousness and the other four skandhas are name.
Faculties and objects comprise the eighteen dhatus;
The twelve links arise in dependence.
[6]
Consciousness depends upon the nine realms of ordinary beings;
Birth and death are not cut off.
The ignorant of the world do not hear this,
Veiled in darkness and lacking the divine eye.
[7]
Obscured by the three poisons,
Without the eye of wisdom, they see wrongly,
Regarding death as the same as birth,
Or believing that death is complete annihilation.
[8]
Consciousness creates the Three Realms;
Good and evil lead through the five destinies.
The skandha of volitional formations silently proceeds;
The destination answers like an echo.
[9]
The Desire Realm, Form Realm, and Formless Realm
All arise from causes in former lives.
As a shadow appears following its form,
Karmic recompense comes of itself.
[10]
Consciousness takes the body as its name,
As fire depends upon fuel.
Fire is used to kindle a bundle of torches;
When the flame dies down, they burn into charcoal.
[11]
When the mind arises, dharmas also arise;
When the mind ceases, dharmas also cease.
Flourishing and decline are like hailstones;
One wanders on without knowing it oneself.
[12]
Consciousness roams through the five destinies;
There is nowhere it does not reach.
Casting off one body, it takes another,
Like a wheel rolling over the ground.
[13]
As a person dwelling in a house
One day leaves the former dwelling,
Consciousness takes the body as its house;
When the body perishes, consciousness remains.
[14]
Consciousness dwells dependent upon the body,
Like a bird sheltered within a jar.
When the jar breaks, the sparrow flies away;
When the body perishes, consciousness takes rebirth.
[15]
The deluded constantly imagine impurity to be pure;
Craving for the body gives rise to doubt.
Deluded thoughts concerning what is contrary to the Dharma—
The Buddha calls these ignorance.
[16]
From one, two unfold in succession;
The three poisons and five skandhas spread forth.
The various seas comprise thirteen matters;
Escaping them, one reaches peace and bliss.
[17]
When three things are completely severed—
Breath, warmth, and consciousness—
Then one knows the body is no more;
One abandons the body and takes rebirth.
[18]
The corpse lies upon the ground,
Unknowing, like grass and trees;
Reflect and contemplate it thus.
Only fools crave illusory transformations
CHAPTER 38: BENEFIT OF THE WAY
The Chapter on the Benefit of the Way contains 20 verses. The principal meaning of this chapter concerns the conduct of the wise, the revelation of the Right Dharma, and the guidance of all people toward wholesome destinations.
[1]
Those who know to honor their superiors—
Practitioners of the Way, kings, parents, and teachers—
With faith, precepts, generosity, learning, and wisdom,
Will remain peaceful throughout their lives.
[2]
Those who cultivated merit in former lives
Are born at once into honor and nobility.
They use the Way to bring peace to the realm;
Upholding the Dharma, they are revered and followed.
[3]
The king is lord of the myriad people
And should always extend loving-kindness.
He personally upholds the sutras and precepts,
Teaching what is right and what is wrong.
[4]
When secure, do not forget danger;
By planning ahead, merit continually increases.
The recompense of meritorious virtue
Makes no distinction between noble and lowly.
[5]
A ruler of the world
Cultivates goodness without deceit.
He disciplines his mind and overcomes evil;
Such a one is an enlightened ruler.
[6]
With right view, he skillfully bestows kindness;
With benevolence, he skillfully benefits others.
He distributes benefits equally;
In such a one, the people place their trust.
[7]
As an ox strives to cross a river,
The whole herd depends upon its proper course.
When one reveres the Dharma with an upright mind,
The myriad people likewise dwell in peace.
[8]
Do not provoke the mighty elephant
And thereby bring suffering upon yourself.
Malicious intent will destroy you;
After death, you will not reach a wholesome destination.
[9]
Those well protected by the virtue of precepts
Are always accompanied by meritorious rewards.
Seeing the Dharma, they become teachers of humanity
And forever leave the three evil realms far behind.
[10]
Upholding the precepts dispels fear;
Such merit is revered throughout the Three Realms.
Ghosts, dragons, and harmful evil beings
Do not assail those who uphold the precepts.
[11]
Those who are unrighteous and untrustworthy,
Deceitful and fond of contention,
Should be recognized and avoided;
Drawing near fools only increases transgression.
[12]
Those who are wise, sincere in speech,
Learned, and complete in precepts,
Should be recognized and befriended;
Drawing near the wise increases goodness.
[13]
One who speaks well but does not uphold the precepts,
Whose mind is distracted and who performs no good,
Though dwelling in a secluded place,
Still does not cultivate or study the Dharma.
[14]
Truthful words are foremost;
Words of Dharma and meaning are second;
Words of loving-kindness are third;
Sincere and trustworthy words are fourth.
[15]
Useless words are like a blade
That can readily wound oneself.
Fools delight in speaking falsely,
Creating karma and enduring suffering.
[16]
Craving, anger, and delusion
Are the three kinds of evil karma.
One harms oneself with these three poisons;
Their retribution arises from attachment.
[17]
Cultivating merit brings birth among gods and humans;
Doing evil brings birth in the wretched realms.
Sages clearly understand karmic results
And therefore always cultivate the wholesome Dharma.
[18]
Those who cultivate wholesome karma through virtuous precepts
Are always accompanied by meritorious rewards.
Gods and humans praise their wholesome deeds;
With upright minds, they are always peaceful and joyful.
[19]
Those who commit evil without cease,
Suffering anguish yet feeling no remorse—
Life passes like flowing water;
Fear this well and uphold the precepts.
[20]
My hair has now turned white,
A sign that youth has passed away.
The heavenly messenger has come with tidings:
It is time for me to renounce the household life.
CHAPTER 39: AUSPICIOUS BLESSINGS
The Chapter on Auspicious Blessings contains 19 verses. The principal meaning of this chapter is a teaching on spiritual cultivation. If one abandons evil and turns toward goodness, one will later obtain great auspicious blessings.
[1]
The Buddha’s virtue surpasses that of all gods;
The Buddha constantly teaches the meaning of the Dharma.
A practitioner of the Way came and asked:
“What is the most auspicious blessing?”
[2]
The Buddha, moved by compassion,
Then taught the true Way:
“To accept with faith and cherish the Right Dharma—
This is the most auspicious blessing.
[3]
Not seeking fortune from gods or humans,
Nor hoping for strokes of good luck,
And not making offerings in worship of spirits—
This is the most auspicious blessing.
[4]
Having virtuous friends and dwelling in a wholesome place,
Always thinking of accumulating merit,
And keeping one’s bodily actions ever upright—
This is the most auspicious blessing.
[5]
Abandoning evil and cultivating wholesome deeds,
Renouncing intoxicants and knowing moderation,
And not being infatuated with sensual beauty—
This is the most auspicious blessing.
[6]
Being learned and diligently upholding the precepts,
Energetically studying the sutras and precepts,
And cultivating oneself without contention—
This is the most auspicious blessing.
[7]
Devotedly honoring one’s mother and father,
Caring for one’s family,
And not engaging in meaningless affairs—
This is the most auspicious blessing.
[8]
Being neither arrogant nor conceited,
Always reflecting upon oneself and knowing contentment,
And setting aside time to read the sutras—
This is the most auspicious blessing.
[9]
Patiently enduring unpleasant circumstances,
Gladly wishing to behold shramanas,
And always hearing and faithfully accepting the Dharma—
This is the most auspicious blessing.
[10]
Observing a vegetarian diet and cultivating pure conduct,
Always wishing to meet sages and noble ones,
And drawing near those endowed with wisdom—
This is the most auspicious blessing.
[11]
Having a faithful mind toward the Right Way,
Maintaining right intention without doubt,
And aspiring to escape the three evil realms—
This is the most auspicious blessing.
[12]
Practicing generosity with an impartial mind,
Serving those who have attained the Way,
And likewise honoring gods and humans—
This is the most auspicious blessing.
[13]
Always wishing to abandon craving,
Delusion, and an angry mind,
And cultivating well so as to perceive the Way—
This is the most auspicious blessing.
[14]
Abandoning all that is contrary to the Dharma,
Diligently cultivating the Right Way,
And always doing what ought to be done—
This is the most auspicious blessing.
[15]
For the sake of all beneath heaven,
Establishing a mind of great loving-kindness,
And cultivating goodness to bring peace to sentient beings—
This is the most auspicious blessing.
[16]
If you seek the merit of auspicious blessings,
Revere and trust in all Buddhas.
If you seek the merit of auspicious blessings,
Hear the meaning of the Dharma verses.
[17]
If you seek the merit of auspicious blessings,
Make offerings to the Sangha.
Whoever is complete in the pure precepts—
This is the most auspicious blessing.
[18]
Wise people dwelling in the world
Always perform auspicious deeds.
They accomplish true wisdom—
This is the most auspicious blessing.
[19]
The practitioner of the Way heard the Buddha’s teaching,
And his heart was filled with joy.
He bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet
And took refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
The Dharma Verse Sutra
End of the Second Volume
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