4: The Book of the Fours
V. With Rohitassa — AN 4.47: Very Far Apart
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato. (More copyright information)
1“Mendicants, these four things are very far apart. What four? The sky and the earth. … The near and the far shore of the ocean. … Where the sun rises and where it sets. … The teaching of the virtuous and the teaching of the wicked. … These are the four things very far apart.
2The sky is far from the earth;
they say the other shore of the ocean is far;
and where the sun rises is far
from where that shining one sets.
But even further apart than that, they say,
is the teaching of the virtuous from the wicked.
3The company of the virtuous is reliable;
as long as it remains, it stays the same.
But the company of the wicked is fickle,
and so the teaching of the virtuous is far from the wicked.”
1"Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, suvidūravidūrāni. Katamāni cattāri? Nabhañca, bhikkhave, pathavī ca; idaṁ paṭhamaṁ suvidūravidūre. Orimañca, bhikkhave, tīraṁ samuddassa pārimañca; idaṁ dutiyaṁ suvidūravidūre. Yato ca, bhikkhave, verocano abbhudeti yattha ca atthameti; idaṁ tatiyaṁ suvidūravidūre. Satañca, bhikkhave, dhammo asatañca dhammo; idaṁ catutthaṁ suvidūravidūre. Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri suvidūravidūrānīti.
2Nabhañca dūre pathavī ca dūre,
Pāraṁ samuddassa tadāhu dūre;
Yato ca verocano abbhudeti,
Pabhaṅkaro yattha ca atthameti;
Tato have dūrataraṁ vadanti,
Satañca dhammaṁ asatañca dhammaṁ.
3Abyāyiko hoti sataṁ samāgamo,
Yāvāpi tiṭṭheyya tatheva hoti;
Khippañhi veti asataṁ samāgamo,
Tasmā sataṁ dhammo asabbhi ārakā"ti.
Sattamaṁ.