The mind, set on demolition,
has reached the end of cravings.
When young they spurned the spiritual path
and failed to earn any wealth.
Now they brood like old cranes
in a pond bereft of fish.
When young they spurned the spiritual path
and failed to earn any wealth.
Now they lie like spent arrows,
bemoaning over things past.
Minor Collection
Sayings of the Dhamma 157–166
12. The Self
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
If you knew your self as beloved,
you’d look after it so well.
In one of the night’s three watches,
an astute person would remain alert.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
The astute would avoid being corrupted
by first grounding themselves
in what is suitable,
and then instructing others.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
If one were to treat oneself
as one instructs another,
the well-tamed indeed would tame:
for the self, it seems, is hard to tame.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
One is indeed the lord of oneself,
for who else would be one’s lord?
By means of a well-tamed self,
one gains a lord that’s rare indeed.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
For the evil that is done by oneself,
born and produced in oneself,
grinds down a simpleton,
as diamond grinds a lesser gem.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
One choked by immorality,
as a sal tree by a creeper,
does to themselves
what a foe only wishes.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
It’s easy to do bad things
harmful to oneself,
but good things that are helpful
are the hardest things to do.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
On account of wicked views—
scorning the guidance
of the perfected ones,
the noble ones living righteously—
the idiot begets their own self’s demise,
like the bamboo bearing fruit.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
For it is by oneself that evil’s done,
one is corrupted by oneself.
It’s by oneself that evil’s not done,
one is purified by oneself.
Purity and impurity are personal matters,
no one can purify another.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
Never neglect what is good for yourself
for the sake of another, however great.
Knowing well what is good for yourself,
be intent upon your heart’s goal.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
Minor Collection
Sayings of the Dhamma 167–178
13. The World
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
Don’t resort to lowly things,
don’t abide in negligence,
don’t resort to wrong views,
don’t perpetuate the world.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
Get up, don’t be heedless,
live by principle, with good conduct.
For one of good conduct sleeps at ease,
in this world and the next.
Live by principle, with good conduct,
don’t conduct yourself badly.
For one of good conduct sleeps at ease,
in this world and the next.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
Look upon the world
as a bubble
or a mirage,
then the King of Death won’t see you.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
Come, see this world decked out
like a fancy royal chariot.
Here fools founder,
but the discerning are not chained.
මෙම ගැළපූ ඛණ්ඩයට පරිවර්තන පාඨයක් සපයා නැත
He who once was heedless,
but turned to heedfulness,
lights up the world
like the moon freed from clouds.