Dhammapada

Bhikkhuvaggo
25. The Chapter about Monastics

Cakkhunā saṁvaro sādhu, sādhu sotena saṁvaro,
Restraint of eye is good, restraint of ear is good,

ghāṇena saṁvaro sādhu, sādhu jivhāya saṁvaro, [360]
restraint of nose is good, restraint of tongue is good,

kāyena saṁvaro sādhu, sādhu vācāya saṁvaro,
restraint of body is good, Note that restraint of body at this point forms a bridge between categories, on the one hand it is the last of the five-fold sense-spheres; and on the other it is the first of the three courses of action. restraint of speech is good,

manasā saṁvaro sādhu, sādhu sabbattha saṁvaro,
restraint of mind is good, restraint is everywhere good,

sabbattha saṁvuto bhikkhu sabbadukkhā pamuccati. [361]
a monastic who is restrained everywhere is liberated from all suffering.

 

Hatthasaṁyatŏ pādasaṁyato,
One who controls his hands, controls his feet,

vācāya saṁyatŏ saṁyatuttamo,
controls his speech, controls the (mind) supreme,

ajjhattarato samāhito,
with inner delight The comm. explains it to mean one who personally delights in cultivating his meditation object. and composure,

eko santusito: tam-āhu bhikkhuṁ. [362]
solitary, content: that one is called a monastic.

 

Yo mukhasaṁyato bhikkhu, mantabhāṇī anuddhato,
That monastic who restrains the mouth, who speaks well, and who is modest,

atthaṁ Dhammañ-ca dīpeti, madhuraṁ tassa bhāsitaṁ. [363]
who explains the meaning of the Dhamma, his speech is sweet.

 

Dhammārāmo Dhammarato, Dhammaṁ anuvicintayaṁ,
The one who finds pleasure in the Dhamma, delights in Dhamma, reflects on Dhamma,

Dhammaṁ anussaraṁ bhikkhu, Saddhammā na parihāyati. [364]
the monastic who remembers Dhamma, does not abandon the Good Dhamma.

 

Salābhaṁ nātimaññeyya, nāññesaṁ pihayaṁ care,
One should not despise one’s own gains, one should not live envious of others,

aññesaṁ pihayaṁ bhikkhu samādhiṁ nādhigacchati. [365]
the monastic who is envious of others does not attain concentration.

 

Appalābho pi ce bhikkhu salābhaṁ nātimaññati,
Even if a monastic gains little he should not despise his gains,

taṁ ve devā pasaṁsanti suddhājīviṁ atanditaṁ. [366]
even the very gods praise the one of pure life who is diligent.

 

Sabbaso nāmarūpasmiṁ yassa natthi mamāyitaṁ,
The one who does not have fondness at all for mind and body,

asatā ca na socati, sa ve bhikkhū ti vuccati. [367]
and who grieves not for what does not exist, is surely called a monastic.

 

Mettāvihārī yo bhikkhu, pasanno Buddhasāsane,
That monastic who dwells in loving-kindness, with faith in Buddha’s dispensation,

adhigacche padaṁ santaṁ, saṅkhārūpasamaṁ sukhaṁ. [368]
should attain the state of peace, the joy in stilling of (all) conditions.

 

Siñca bhikkhu imaṁ nāvaṁ, sittā te lahum-essati,
Please bail out this boat, monastic, when bailed out it will go lightly,

chetvā rāgañ-ca dosañ-ca, tato Nibbānam-ehisi. [369]
cutting off passion and hatred, from here one will go to Nibbāna.

 

Pañca chinde, pañca jahe, pañca cuttaribhāvaye,
One should cut off five, one should abandon five, one should cultivate five more,

pañca saṅgātigo bhikkhu oghatiṇṇo ti vuccati. [370]
the monastic who surmounts five attachments is called a flood-crosser. The comm. explains it thus: one should cut off the five lower destinations, abandon the five lower fetters, cultivate five spiritual faculties; the five attachments are through passion, hatred, delusion, conceit and views.

 

Jhāya, bhikkhu, mā ca pāmado,
Meditate, monastic, do not be heedless,

mā te kāmaguṇe bhamassu cittaṁ,
do not let your mind swirl around in strands of desire,

mā lohaguḷaṁ gilī, pamatto,
do not, heedless, swallow a (hot) iron ball,

mā kandi: ‘Dukkham-idan’-ti ḍayhamāno. [371]
do not, while burning, cry: ‘This is suffering.’

 

Natthi jhānaṁ apaññassa, paññā natthi ajhāyato,
There is no concentration for one without wisdom, there is no wisdom for one without concentration,

yamhi jhānañ-ca paññā ca sa ve Nibbānasantike. [372]
the one who has both concentration and wisdom is indeed in the presence of Nibbāna.

 

Suññāgāraṁ paviṭṭhassa, santacittassa bhikkhuno,
For the one who has entered an empty place, a monastic with a peaceful mind,

amānusī ratī hoti sammā Dhammaṁ vipassato. [373]
there is superhuman delight from insight into true Dhamma.

 

Yato yato sammasati khandhānaṁ udayabbayaṁ
Whoever has right mindfulness regarding the rise and fall of the components (of mind and body)

labhatī pītipāmojjaṁ, amataṁ taṁ vijānataṁ. [374]
gains joy and happiness, that is the deathless state for the one who knows.

 

Tatrāyam-ādi bhavati idha paññassa bhikkhuno:
This is the very beginning for the wise monastic here:

indriyagutti santuṭṭhī: pātimokkhe ca saṁvaro. [375]
contentment, guarding the senses, and restraint in the regulations.

 

Mitte bhajassu kalyāṇe suddhājīve atandite,
One should resort to spiritual friends, ones of pure life, ones who are diligent,

paṭisanthāravuttassa ācārakusalo siyā,
one should be of friendly disposition, one who will be skilful in his conduct,

tato pāmojjabahulo, dukkhassantaṁ karissati. [376]
rejoicing frequently because of that, one will make an end to suffering.

 

Vassikā viya pupphāni maddavāni pamuñcati,
Just as striped jasmine casts off its withered flowers,

evaṁ rāgañ-ca dosañ-ca vippamuñcetha bhikkhavo. [377]
so, monastics, cast off (all) passion and hatred.

 

Santakāyo santavāco, santavā susamāhito,
Calm in body and calm in speech, having calmness and composure,

vantalokāmiso bhikkhu upasanto ti vuccati. [378]
having thrown off worldly gain the monastic is called one at peace.

 

Attanā codayattānaṁ, paṭimāsettam-attanā,
By oneself one should censure self, by oneself one should be controlled,

so attagutto satimā sukhaṁ bhikkhu vihāhisi. [379]
he who guards himself, mindful, will live happily, monastic.

Attā hi attano nātho, attā hi attano gati,
Self is the protector of self, self is the refuge Not given in this meaning in PED, it is noticed by DP. of self,

tasmā saṁyamayattānaṁ assaṁ bhadraṁ va vāṇijo. [380]
therefore one should restrain oneself, as a merchant his noble horse.

 

Pāmojjabahulo bhikkhu, pasanno Buddhasāsane,
The monastic, having much happiness, with faith in the dispensation of the Buddha,

adhigacche padaṁ santaṁ, saṅkhārūpasamaṁ sukhaṁ. [381]
could attain to the state of peace, happy in the stilling of (all) conditions.

 

Yo have daharo bhikkhu yuñjati Buddhasāsane,
That young monastic who is devoted to the Buddha’s dispensation,

sŏ imaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti, abbhā mutto va candimā. [382]
shines forth in this world, like the moon freed from a cloud.

Bhikkhuvaggo Pañcavīsatimo
The Chapter about Monastics, the Twenty-Fifth

 

Related Verses from the Dhammapada

Appamādarato bhikkhu, pamāde bhayadassivā,
A monastic delighting in heedfulness, seeing danger in heedlessness,

saṁyojanaṁ aṇuṁ-thūlaṁ ḍahaṁ aggīva gacchati. [31]
advances like burning fire against the fetter, small or large.

 

Appamādarato bhikkhu, pamāde bhayadassivā,
A monastic who delights in heedfulness, seeing danger in heedlessness,

abhabbo parihānāya: Nibbānasseva santike. [32]
is unable to fall away: he is well-nigh to Nibbāna.

 

Aññā hi lābhūpanisā, aññā Nibbānagāminī,
For the means to gains is one thing, the (path) going to Nibbāna another,

evam-etaṁ abhiññāya bhikkhu Buddhassa sāvako
thus knowing this the monastic disciple of the Buddha

sakkāraṁ nābhinandeyya, vivekam-anubrūhaye. [75]
should not delight in honours, (but) practise in solitude.

 

Alaṅkato ce pi samaṁ careyya,
Even if he were to adorn himself,

santo danto niyato brahmacārī,
(but) is peaceful, trained, settled, spiritual,

sabbesu bhūtesu nidhāya daṇḍaṁ,
and has put aside the stick towards all beings,

so brāhmaṇo so samaṇo sa bhikkhu. [142]
he is a brahmin, an ascetic, a monastic.

 

Na tena bhikkhu hoti yāvatā bhikkhate pare,
One is not a monastic merely through eating others’ almsfood,

vissaṁ Dhammaṁ samādāya bhikkhu hoti na tāvatā. [266]
the one who undertakes a false Dhamma to that extent is not a monastic.

 

Yodha puññañ-ca pāpañ-ca bāhetvā brahmacariyavā,
* If he is one who lives the holy life here, warding off both merit and demerit,

saṅkhāya loke carati sa ce, bhikkhū ti vuccati. [267]
and wanders with discrimination in the world, that one is said to be a monastic.

 

Na sīlabbatamattena, bāhusaccena vā pana,
Not merely through virtue or vows, or through great learning,

atha vā samādhilābhena, vivittasayanena vā, [271]
or through the attainment of concentration, or through a secluded dwelling,

phusāmi nekkhammasukhaṁ, aputhujjanasevitaṁ;
do I attain the happiness of renunciation, not practised by worldly people;

bhikkhu vissāsa’ māpādi appatto āsavakkhayaṁ. [272]
let a monastic not be confident (as long as) the destruction of the pollutants is unattained.

 

Tasiṇāya purakkhatā pajā
People surrounded by craving

parisappanti saso va bādhito,
crawl round like a hare in a trap,

tasmā tasiṇaṁ vinodaye –
therefore he should remove craving –

bhikkhu ākaṅkha’ virāgam-attano. [343]
the monk who longs for dispassion for himself.