219Seeking purity the wrong way,
I worshipped the sacred fire in a grove.
Not knowing the path to purity,
I mortified my flesh in search of immortality.

220I’ve gained this happiness by means of happiness:
See the excellence of the Dhamma!
I’ve attained the three knowledges,
And fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.

221In the past I was related to Brahmā,
But now I’m really a brahmin:
I have the three knowledges, I’m cleansed,
I’m an initiate, and I’m accomplished in sacred knowledge.

222I went forth five days ago,
A trainee, with my heart’s goal unfulfilled.
I entered my dwelling,
And an aspiration arose in my mind.

223I won’t eat; I won’t drink;
I won’t leave my dwelling;
Nor will I lie down on my side —
Until the dart of craving is pulled out.

224See my energy and effort
As I practice this way!
I’ve attained the three knowledges,
And fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.

225Whoever wishes to do afterwards
What they should have done before
They’ve lost the causes for happiness,
And afterwards they’re tormented with remorse.

226You should only say what you would do;
You shouldn’t say what you wouldn’t do.
The wise will recognize
One who talks without doing.

227Oh! nibbāna is so very blissful,
As taught by the fully awakened Buddha:
Sorrowless, stainless, secure;
Where suffering all ceases.

228One who hopes for the ascetic life,
Wishing to live in happiness,
Should not look down on the Saṅgha’s robe,
Or its food and drinks.

229One who hopes for the ascetic life,
Wishing to live in happiness,
Should stay in the Saṅgha’s lodgings,
Like a snake in a mouse hole.

230One who hopes for the ascetic life,
Wishing to live in happiness,
Should be satisfied with whatever is offered,
Developing this one quality.

231"It’s too cold, too hot,
Too late," they say.
Those who neglect their work like this —
Opportunities pass them by.

232But one who considers hot and cold
To be nothing more than a blade of grass;
He does his manly duty,
And his happiness never fails.

233With my chest I’ll thrust aside
The grasses, vines, and creepers,
And devote myself to seclusion.

234"One of those monks who live in Pāṭaliputta —
Such brilliant speakers, and very learned —
Stands at the door:
The old man, Khujjasobhita.

235One of those monks who live in Pāṭaliputta —
Such brilliant speakers, and very learned —
Stands at the door:
An old man, trembling in the wind."

236"By war well fought, by sacrifice well made,
By victory in battle;
By living the spiritual life:
That’s how this person flourishes in happiness."

237Anyone among men
Who harms other creatures:
From this world and the next,
That person will fall.

238But someone with a mind of loving-kindness,
Compassionate for all creatures:
That sort of person
Gives rise to merit in abundance.

239One should train in good speech,
In attending closely to ascetics,
In sitting alone in hidden places,
And in calming the mind.

240I was the only one in my family
Who had faith and wisdom.
It’s good for my relatives that I’m
Firm in Dhamma, and my conduct is virtuous.

241I rebuked my family out of compassion,
Reprimanding them because of my love
For my family and relatives.

242They performed a service for the monks
And then they passed away,
To find happiness in the heaven of the Thirty-three.
There, my brothers and mother rejoice
With all the pleasures they desire.

243"With knobbly knees,
Thin, with veins matted on his skin,
Eating and drinking in moderation —
This person’s spirit is undaunted."

244"Pestered by gadflies and mosquitoes
In the awesome wilderness;
One should mindfully endure,
Like an elephant at the head of the battle.

245A monk alone is like Brahmā;
A pair of monks are like devas;
Three are like a village;
And more than that is a rabble."

246In the past you had faith,
Today you have none.
What’s yours is yours alone;
I’ve done nothing wrong.

247Faith is impermanent, fickle —
So I have seen.
People’s passions wax and wane:
Why should a sage grow old worrying about that?

248The meal of a sage is cooked
Bit by bit, in this family or that.
I’ll walk for alms,
For my legs are strong.

249One newly gone forth,
Who has left their home out of faith,
Should associate with spiritual friends,
Whose livelihood is pure, and who are not lazy.

250One newly gone forth,
Who has left their home out of faith,
A monk who stays with the Saṅgha,
Being wise, would train in monastic discipline.

251One newly gone forth,
Who has left their home out of faith,
Skilled in what is appropriate and what is not,
Would wander undistracted.

252Sadly, I was intelligent and peaceful,
But only enough to critically analyse the meaning.
The five kinds of sensual pleasure in the world,
So delusory, were my downfall.

253Entering into Māra’s domain,
I was struck by a powerful dart;
But I was able to free myself
From the trap laid by the king of death.

254All sensual pleasures have been abandoned,
Rebirth in all states of existence is torn apart,
Transmigration through births is finished,
Now there is no more rebirth into any state of existence.

255All my family gathered here,
Listen to me,
I’ll teach you Dhamma!
Being born again and again is suffering.

256Rouse yourselves, let go!
Devote yourselves to the teachings of the Buddha!
Crush the army of death,
Like an elephant crushes a hut of reeds.

257Whoever will live heedfully
In this Dhamma and discipline,
Will abandon transmigration through births,
And make an end to suffering.

258Transmigrating, I went to hell;
Again and again, I went to the ghost realm;
Many times I dwelt long
In the suffering of the animal realm.

259I was also reborn as a human;
From time to time I went to heaven;
I’ve stayed in the corporeal realms and the incorporeal,
Among the percipient-nor-non-percipient, and the non-percipient.

260I understood these states of existence to be worthless:
Conditioned, unstable, always in motion.
When I understood the origin of rebirth within myself,
Mindful, I found peace.

261Whoever wishes to do afterwards
What they should have done before,
They’ve lost the causes for happiness,
And afterwards they’re tormented with remorse.

262You should only say what you would do;
You shouldn’t say what you wouldn’t do.
The wise will recognize
One who talks without doing.

263Oh! nibbāna is so very blissful,
As taught by the Buddha:
Sorrowless, stainless, secure;
Where suffering all ceases.

264Avoiding bad friends,
You should associate with the best of people.
Stick to the advice that he gave you,
Aspiring for unshakable happiness.

265If someone lost in the middle of the ocean,
Were to clamber up on a little log, they’d sink;
In the same way, even a good person would sink
If they rely on a lazy person.
So avoid those who are lazy, lacking energy.

266Instead, dwell with the wise —
Secluded, noble,
Resolute, practising jhāna,
And always energetic.

219 p_19Th1_434"Ayoni suddhimanvesaṁ,
aggiṁ paricariṁ vane;
Suddhimaggaṁ ajānanto,

220p_19Th1_435Taṁ sukhena sukhaṁ laddhaṁ,
passa dhammasudhammataṁ;
Tisso vijjā anuppattā,
kataṁ buddhassa sāsanaṁ.

221p_19Th1_436Brahmabandhu pure āsiṁ,
idāni khomhi brāhmaṇo;
Tevijjo sottiyo camhi vedagū"ti.

222p_19Th1_438"Pañcāhāhaṁ pabbajito,
sekho appattamānaso;
Vihāraṁ me paviṭṭhassa,
cetaso paṇidhī ahu.

223p_19Th1_439Nāsissaṁ na pivissāmi,
Napi passaṁ nipātessaṁ,
taṇhāsalle anūhate.

224p_19Th1_440Tassa mevaṁ viharato,
passa vīriyaparakkamaṁ;
Tisso vijjā anuppattā,
kataṁ buddhassa sāsanan"ti.

225p_19Th1_442"Yo pubbe karaṇīyāni,
pacchā so kātumicchati;
Sukhā so dhaṁsate ṭhānā,
pacchā ca manutappati.

226p_19Th1_443Yañhi kayirā tañhi vade,
yaṁ na kayirā na taṁ vade;
Akarontaṁ bhāsamānaṁ,
parijānanti paṇḍitā.

227p_19Th1_444Susukhaṁ vata nibbānaṁ,
sammāsambuddhadesitaṁ;
Asokaṁ virajaṁ khemaṁ,
yattha dukkhaṁ nirujjhatī"ti.

228p_19Th1_446"Sukhañce jīvituṁ icche,
sāmaññasmiṁ apekkhavā;
Saṁghikaṁ nātimaññeyya,
cīvaraṁ pānabhojanaṁ.

229p_19Th1_447Sukhañce jīvituṁ icche,
sāmaññasmiṁ apekkhavā;
Ahi mūsikasobbhaṁva,
sevetha sayanāsanaṁ.

230 p_19Th1_448Sukhañce jīvituṁ icche,
sāmaññasmiṁ apekkhavā;
Itarītarena tusseyya,
ekadhammañca bhāvaye"ti.

231p_19Th1_450"Atisītaṁ atiuṇhaṁ,
atisāyamidaṁ ahu;
Iti vissaṭṭhakammante,
khaṇā accenti māṇave.

232p_19Th1_451Yo ca sītañca uṇhañca,
tiṇā bhiyyo na maññati;
Karaṁ purisakiccāni,
so sukhā na vihāyati.

233p_19Th1_452Dabbaṁ kusaṁ poṭakilaṁ,
usīraṁ muñjapabbajaṁ;
Urasā vivekamanubrūhayan"ti.

234p_19Th1_454"Ye cittakathī bahussutā,
Samaṇā pāṭaliputtavāsino;
Tesaññataroyamāyuvā,
Dvāre tiṭṭhati khujjasobhito".

235p_19Th1_455"Ye cittakathī bahussutā,
Samaṇā pāṭaliputtavāsino;
Tesaññataroyamāyuvā,
Dvāre tiṭṭhati māluterito".

236p_19Th1_456"Suyuddhena suyiṭṭhena,
saṅgāmavijayena ca;
Brahmacariyānuciṇṇena,
evāyaṁ sukhamedhatī"ti.

237p_19Th1_458"Yodha koci manussesu,
parapāṇāni hiṁsati;
Asmā lokā paramhā ca,
ubhayā dhaṁsate naro.

238p_19Th1_459Yo ca mettena cittena,
sabbapāṇānukampati;
Bahuñhi so pasavati,
puññaṁ tādisako naro.

239p_19Th1_460Subhāsitassa sikkhetha,
Ekāsanassa ca raho,
cittavūpasamassa cā"ti.

240p_19Th1_462"Ekopi saddho medhāvī,
assaddhānīdha ñātinaṁ;
Dhammaṭṭho sīlasampanno,
hoti atthāya bandhunaṁ.

241p_19Th1_463Niggayha anukampāya,
coditā ñātayo mayā;
Ñātibandhavapemena,
kāraṁ katvāna bhikkhusu.

242p_19Th1_464Te abbhatītā kālaṅkatā,
pattā te tidivaṁ sukhaṁ;
Bhātaro mayhaṁ mātā ca,
modanti kāmakāmino"ti.

243p_19Th1_466"Kālapabbangasaṅkāso,
kiso Mattaññū annapānamhi,
adīnamānaso naro".

244 p_19Th1_467"Phuṭṭho ḍaṁsehi makasehi,
araññasmiṁ brahāvane;
Nāgo saṅgāmasīseva,
sato tatrādhivāsaye.

245p_19Th1_468Yathā brahmā tathā eko,
yathā devo tathā duve;
Yathā gāmo tathā tayo,
kolāhalaṁ tatuttarin"ti.

246p_19Th1_470"Ahu tuyhaṁ pure saddhā,
sā te ajja na vijjati;
Yaṁ tuyhaṁ tuyhamevetaṁ,
natthi duccaritaṁ mama.

247p_19Th1_471Aniccā hi calā saddhā,
evaṁ diṭṭhā hi sā mayā;
Rajjantipi virajjanti,
tattha kiṁ jiyyate muni.

248p_19Th1_472Paccati munino bhattaṁ,
Thokaṁ thokaṁ kule kule;
Piṇḍikāya carissāmi,
Atthi

249p_19Th1_474"Saddhāya abhinikkhamma,
navapabbajito navo;
Mitte bhajeyya kalyāṇe,
suddhājīve atandite.

250p_19Th1_475Saddhāya abhinikkhamma,
navapabbajito navo;
Saṁghasmiṁ viharaṁ bhikkhu,
sikkhetha vinayaṁ budho.

251p_19Th1_476Saddhāya abhinikkhamma,
navapabbajito navo;
Kappākappesu kusalo,
careyya apurakkhato"ti.

252p_19Th1_478"Paṇḍitaṁ vata maṁ santaṁ,
alamatthavicintakaṁ;
Pañca kāmaguṇā loke,
sammohā pātayiṁsu maṁ.

253p_19Th1_479Pakkhando māravisaye,
daḷhasallasamappito;
Asakkhiṁ maccurājassa,
ahaṁ pāsā pamuccituṁ.

254p_19Th1_480Sabbe kāmā pahīnā me,
bhavā sabbe Vikkhīṇo jātisaṁsāro,
natthi dāni punabbhavo"ti.

255p_19Th1_482"Suṇātha ñātayo sabbe,
yāvantettha samāgatā;
Dhammaṁ vo desayissāmi,
dukkhā jāti punappunaṁ.

256p_19Th1_483Yuñjatha buddhasāsane;
Dhunātha maccuno senaṁ,
Naḷāgāraṁva kuñjaro.

257p_19Th1_484Yo imasmiṁ dhammavinaye,
appamatto Pahāya jātisaṁsāraṁ,
dukkhassantaṁ karissatī"ti.

258 p_19Th1_486"Saṁsaraṁ hi nirayaṁ agacchissaṁ,
Petalokamagamaṁ punappunaṁ;
Dukkhamamhipi Nekadhā hi vusitaṁ ciraṁ mayā.

259p_19Th1_487Mānusopi ca bhavobhirādhito,
Saggakāyamagamaṁ sakiṁ sakiṁ;
Rūpadhātusu arūpadhātusu,
Nevasaññisu asaññisuṭṭhitaṁ.

260p_19Th1_488Sambhavā suviditā asārakā,
Saṅkhatā pacalitā saderitā;
Taṁ viditvā mahamattasambhavaṁ,
Santimeva satimā samajjhagan"ti.

261p_19Th1_490"Yo pubbe karaṇīyāni,
pacchā so kātumicchati;
Sukhā so dhaṁsate ṭhānā,
pacchā ca manutappati.

262p_19Th1_491Yañhi kayirā tañhi vade,
yaṁ na kayirā na taṁ vade;
Akarontaṁ bhāsamānaṁ,
parijānanti paṇḍitā.

263.p_19Th1_492Susukhaṁ vata nibbānaṁ,
sammāsambuddhadesitaṁ;
Asokaṁ virajaṁ khemaṁ,
yattha dukkhaṁ nirujjhatī"ti.

264p_19Th1_494"Pāpamitte vivajjetvā,
bhajeyyuttamapuggalaṁ;
Ovāde cassa tiṭṭheyya,
patthento acalaṁ sukhaṁ.

265p_19Th1_495Parittaṁ dārumāruyha,
yathā sīde mahaṇṇave;
Evaṁ kusītamāgamma,
sādhujīvīpi sīdati;
Tasmā taṁ parivajjeyya,
kusītaṁ hīnavīriyaṁ.

266p_19Th1_496Pavivittehi ariyehi,
pahitattehi jhāyibhi;
Niccaṁ āraddhavīriyehi,
paṇḍitehi sahāvase"ti.