is truly one who has memorized the teaching,
for they can never forget it.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
You don’t become a senior
by getting some grey hairs;
for one ripe only in age,
is said to have aged in vain.
One who is truthful and principled,
harmless, restrained, and self-controlled,
attentive, purged of stains,
is said to be a senior.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
Not by mere enunciation,
or a beautiful complexion
does a person become holy,
if they’re jealous, stingy, and devious.
But if they’ve cut that out,
dug it up at the root, eradicated it,
that wise one, purged of vice,
is said to be holy.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
A liar and breaker of vows is no ascetic
just because they shave their head.
How on earth can one be an ascetic
who’s full of desire and greed?
One who stops all wicked deeds,
great and small,
because of stopping wicked deeds
is said to be an ascetic.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
You don’t become a mendicant
just by begging from others.
One who has undertaken domestic duties
has not yet become a mendicant.
But one living a spiritual life,
who has banished both merit and evil,
who wanders having appraised the world,
is said to be a mendicant.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
You don’t become a sage by being sagelike,
while still confused and ignorant.
The astute one who holds the scales,
taking only the best,
and shunning the bad—
that is a sage, and that is how one becomes a sage.
One who sagely weighs both in the world,
is thereby said to be a sage.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
You don’t become a noble one
by harming living beings.
One harmless towards all living beings
is said to be a noble one.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
Not by precepts and observances,
nor by much learning,
nor by meditative immersion,
nor by living in seclusion,
do I experience the bliss of renunciation
not frequented by ordinary people.
A mendicant cannot rest confident
without attaining the end of defilements.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
Minor Collection
Sayings of the Dhamma 273–289
20. The Path
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
Of paths, the eightfold is the best;
of truths, the four statements;
dispassion is the best of things,
and the Clear-eyed One is the best of humans.
This is the path, there is no other
for the purification of vision.
You all must practice this,
it is the way to baffle Māra.
When you all are practicing this,
you will make an end of suffering.
I have explained the path to you
for extracting the thorn with wisdom.
You yourselves must do the work,
the Realized Ones just show the way.
Meditators practicing absorption
are released from Māra’s bonds.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
All conditions are impermanent—
when this is seen with wisdom,
one grows disillusioned with suffering:
this is the path to purity.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
All conditions are suffering—
when this is seen with wisdom,
one grows disillusioned with suffering:
this is the path to purity.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
All things are not-self—
when this is seen with wisdom,
one grows disillusioned with suffering:
this is the path to purity.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
They don’t get going when it’s time to start;
they’re young and strong, but given to sloth.