34. The śramaṇa (T210.34)

Upright with regard to eye, ear, nose and mouth,
And ever restrained in body and mind;
A bhikṣu who practices thus
Can be free from all suffering.

Transgress not with hand or foot
Restrain speech and be cautious in action
Always delight in meditation within,
Practice solitude and be silent.

Learn to be controlled in tongue,
Moderate in speed, and not excited,
Bound to [expounding] the meaning and Dharma;
Make sure to be gentle in speech.

One who is fond of the Dharma, delight in the Dharma,
Ponders over and confides in Dharma,
—Such a bhikṣu, following the Dharma,
Is upright [in the Dharma], and wastes no effort.

In training one should not seek gain,
Nor should one course coveting others’.
A bhikṣu who covets others’
Cannot attain to concentration.

A bhikṣu who seeks little,
And accumulates not with what he gets
Is praised by gods and men,
Having a pure ife, untainted.

A bhikṣu who practices kindness,
Who loves and respects the Buddha’s Teaching,
Who is deep into concentration and insight;
Attains happiness when the conditions cease.

All mental and physical objects
Are unreal; don’t be deluded.
He who greives not when they are not near,
Is truly a bhikṣu.

Bhikṣu! bail water out from the boat!
When empty within, it becomes light.
When greed hatred and ignorance are removed,
This is Nirvāṇa.

Abandon five, cut off five,
And meditate on the five faculties.
He who can analyze the five [fetters]
Thereby crosses over the river.

Meditate without being heedless.
Do not let desires disperse [your mind].
Do not swallow a [red-hot] copper,
And then be vexed at the body being burnt.

There is no meditation for one without wisdom;
No wisdom for one without meditation.
Enlightenment is born of meditation and wisdom;
[With them] one can reach Nirvāṇa.

One should learn to enter into the empty;
Go into retreat to calm the mind;
Delight in solitude;
And one-mindedly contemplate on the Dharma.

One should subdue the five skandhas;
And overcome the mind to be like water,
Peaceful and calm,
—This is the taste of ambrosia.

He who accepts not what he [already] has,
—This is a wise bhikṣu.
He is controlled in the senses, and content,
And observes all the disciplinary rules.

Let his life be pure in conduct;
Let him seek spiritual friends;
Let the wise fulfill others’ [need];
[Thereby] transcending suffering to find bliss.

Just like Jasmine flowers,
Which fall off themselves on withering;
When greed, hatred, and ignorance are removed,
Transmigration is automatically transcended.

Calm in body, and speech,
Mind ever remainning quiescent;
A bhikṣu who loathes the worldly
Is said to have experienced tranquility.

One should command one’s body,
And within, struggle with one’s mind.
Guarding his body and mindful of the Truth,
A bhikṣu lives happily.

One is one’s own Self.
The non-existent being reckoned [as real], the self exists.
Therefore subdue the self;
When tamed it will be like a fine [horse].

[A bhikṣu] joyful in the Buddha’s teaching,
Will, with much joy,
Attain to quiescence,
The cessation of conditionings and eternal bliss.

He who still young practices
In accordance with the Buddha’s Teaching;
Illumines the world,
Like the sun free from clouds.

Completely without conceit and deceit;
Untainted like a lotus in water,
He learns to give up this and that,
knowing this to be the superior way.

Craving removed, without longings,
Not liable to being tainted, like a lotus;
A bhikṣu will thereby cross the river,
*For, desires being conquered understanding arises.

Stop the stream [of desire] and reflect yourself
Turn back your mind from desire,
Unless you cut off desire,
Your one-mindedness will still slip away.

Do it, do it—[persevere];
Control yourself with strength.
If, having left home you get slack,
Your mind will get defiled again.

He who is slack in his practice,
Not ending the tiring thoughts,
Is not living a life of purity
—How then can he reach the Great Gem?

Śramaṇa, where are you going?
If your mind is not controlled,
Step by step you’ll get stuck,
Being dragged on only by [lustful] thoughts.

He who, though with the robe over the shoulders,
Restrains not his evil acts;
He is the worst of evil doers,
And will fall into evil destinies.

[Mind] being untamed, discipline becomes difficult;
One is [helpless] as a rotten tree against the wind.
What one does is for one’s own sake
—So why not strive hard!

A “ceased-mind” is not one with a shaven head,
While being arrogant and unruly.
Giving up greed and mindful of the Way,
One becomes worthy of being a “ceased-mind’.

A “ceased-mind” is not one [simply] with a shaven head
While being heedless and faithless.
He who can end all sufferings,
Is a superior śramaṇa.

Translated from the Chinese by Bhikkhu Kuala Lumpur Dhammajoti

From his book The Chinese Version of Dharmapada, Translated with introduction and annotations.

Published here with the kind permission of the author.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Ayya Vimala.