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[1] Dhammo sanantano (Skt. santna dharma). comm.
pornako dhammo, the doctrine of the early tradition.
[2] See "Psalms of the Brethren," p. 177, trans. Mrs. C.A. Rhys
Davids.
"People can really never understand
That we are here but for a little spell."
'Others' means all except the wise.
[3] A play on words, anikkasvo (one who has not removed the sava's, taints of lust, anger, delusion) and ksvam, the yellow robe. See note to v.21 re the use of the word 'monk'
[4] 'hell': 'duggati, 'the evil path or destiny', a purgatorial state of rebirth.
[5] Texts of the sacred books, learned by heart by the Brahmins.
21.
Heedfulness leads to the Deathless;[1] heedlessness leads unto Death!
Heedful men live on for ever; they who heed not are as dead.
22.
Knowing this full surely, wise men take delight in heedfulness;
Heedfully they range with joy the pastures[2] of the Worthy Ones.
23.
Meditative, persevering, ever with strong might endowed,
Wise men reach the Blissful Haven, reach Security Supreme.[3]
24.
Heedful men's good name increaseth, if they strive with mind subdued
Pure in deed, with thoughts well-guarded, well-controlled of lawful lives.
25.
Let the wise man, striving, heedful, well-controlled and temperate,
Make himself an island which the flood shall never sweep away.
26.
Heedlessness the foolish follow, men of small intelligence;
As the best of treasures wise men guard the prize of Heedfulness.
27.
Cleave not thou to Heedlessness, cleave not thou to Passion's snares;
Strenuous and meditative, wisdom winneth widespread bliss.
28.
Lo! the sage that drives away the cloud of sloth by Heedfulness,
Climbing up the heights of wisdom, sorrowless looks down upon
All the miserable beings, as a hillman on the plains.[4]
29.
Strenuous amid the heedless, 'mid the sleepers wide awake,
As a racer beats the weak jade, so the wise outstrips the fools.
30.
Maghav by Heedfulness attained the kingship of the gods;[5]
Heedfulness is praised for ever; Heedlessness is ever blamed.
31.
Monks[6] whom Heedfulness delighteth, seeing fear in Heedlessness,
As the fire blazeth onwards, burn their fetters great and small.
32.
Monks whom Heedfulness delighteth, seeing fear in Heedlessness,
Cannot fall into destruction; they are near Nibbna's shore.
[1] 'amata-pada, 'the immortal lot', or simply 'the Ambrosial (nibbaa): the word 'immortality' in Buddhism does not imply 'a deathless Ego'.
[2] 'the sphere or range, gocara'.
[3] Nibbna.
[4] 'literally,' as one standing on a mountain looks down on those standing on the level'.
[5] Maghav, a name of Indra, the "sky-god," Jupiter. Human beings by great tapas, will power exercised, can attain this office.
[6] "Monks" does not convey the real meaning of bhikkhu, a mendicant ascetic wearer of the yellow robe.
33.
The fugitive, flickering mind,
Hard to guard and hard to bind,
The wise men train as they choose,
As a fletcher fashions a shaft to his use.
34.
Like a fish flung out on the bank;
Drawn from its watery home in a tank,[1]
Flutters this fugitive mind
To leave the realm of Mra behind.[2]
35.
Impalpable, hard to seize,
Eagerly rushing wherever it please,
Good is the taming of mind;
A mind well-tamed is a treasure to find.
36.
Invisible, subtle indeed,
Eagerly rushing its passions to feed,
Let the wise man guard this mind;
A guarded mind is a treasure to find.
37.
Wandering, dwelling apart,
Bodiless there in the cave of the heart,[3]
They who subdue this mind
Leave all the fetters of Mra behind.
38.
If he know not the Doctrine Pure,
If he waver in faith and be not sure,
If his mind be not strong-willed,
The cup of his wisdom is never fulfilled.
39.
If his mind be free from desire,
If his thought be free from anger's fire,
If evil and good he forsake,
There is no fear in the man that's awake.
40.
"Body's a vessel of clay;
Mind must be made like a fort," if he say,
Let him give battle to Mara, arrayed
In the weapons of wisdom, unafraid
Let him conquer and guard him and passionless stay.
41.
Soon, ah! soon on the earth
Will this body lie, a thing of no worth,
Neglected, void of the six
Workings of sense, a mere bundle of sticks.
42.
Whatever the ill that a foe
Doth a foe, whatever the grudge he may owe.
Greater by far will he find
The ill that is done by an ill-trained mind.
43.
Nay, not a father or mother
Could do so much; not a kinsman or other;
Greater by far will he find
The good that is done by a well-trained mind.
