772 Trapped in a cave, thickly overspread,
sunk in delusion they stay.
A person like this is far from seclusion,
for sensual pleasures in the world are not easy to give up.

773 The chains of desire, the bonds of life’s pleasures
are hard to escape, for one cannot free another.
Looking to the past or the future,
they pray for these pleasures or former ones.

774 Greedy, fixated, infatuated by sensual pleasures,
they are incorrigible, habitually immoral.
When led to suffering they lament,
“What will become of us when we pass away from here?”

775 That’s why a person should train in this life:
should you know that anything in the world is wrong,
don’t act wrongly on account of that;
for the wise say this life is short.

776 I see the world’s population floundering,
given to craving for future lives.
Base men wail in the jaws of death,
not rid of craving for life after life.

777 See them flounder over belongings,
like fish in puddles of a dried-up stream.
Seeing this, live unselfishly,
forming no attachment to future lives.

778 Rid of desire for both ends,
having completely understood contact, free of greed,
doing nothing for which they’d blame themselves,
the wise don’t cling to the seen and the heard.

779 Having completely understood perception and having crossed the flood,
the sage, not clinging to possessions,
with dart plucked out, living diligently,
does not long for this world or the next.

772Satto guhāyaṁ bahunābhichanno,
Tiṭṭhaṁ naro mohanasmiṁ pagāḷho;
Dūre vivekā hi tathāvidho so,
Kāmā hi loke na hi suppahāyā.

773 Icchānidānā bhavasātabaddhā,
Te duppamuñcā na hi aññamokkhā;
Pacchā pure vāpi apekkhamānā,
Ime va kāme purime va jappaṁ.

774 Kāmesu giddhā pasutā pamūḷhā,
Avadāniyā te visame niviṭṭhā;
Dukkhūpanītā paridevayanti,
Kiṁsū bhavissāma ito cutāse.

775 Tasmā hi sikkhetha idheva jantu,
Yaṁ kiñci jaññā visamanti loke;
Na tassa hetū visamaṁ careyya,
Appañhidaṁ jīvitamāhu dhīrā.

776 Passāmi loke pariphandamānaṁ,
Pajaṁ imaṁ taṇhagataṁ bhavesu;
Hīnā narā maccumukhe lapanti,
Avītataṇhāse bhavābhavesu.

777 Mamāyite passatha phandamāne,
Maccheva appodake khīṇasote;
Etampi disvā amamo careyya,
Bhavesu āsattimakubbamāno.

778 Ubhosu antesu vineyya chandaṁ,
Phassaṁ pariññāya anānugiddho;
Yadattagarahī tadakubbamāno,
Na lippatī diṭṭhasutesu dhīro.

779 Saññaṁ pariññā vitareyya oghaṁ,
Pariggahesu muni nopalitto;
Abbūḷhasallo caramappamatto,
Nāsīsatī lokamimaṁ parañcāti.