32. The Bhixu (UV-KG32)

A Bhixu who is satisfied with what alms are given him, and who frets not about what is given to others, who is protected by continual passionlessness and reflection, him the gods do delight in.

A Bhixu who is satisfied with what alms are given him, and who frets not about what is given to others, who is protected (by passionlessness and reflection), and in whom the gods delight, in such a one there is no desire for honours, riches, and fame.

A Bhixu who has cast off all desires, is free from passions, though having before him (the objects of desire); the steadfast one, who is without selfishness and is controlled, ought not to hold intercourse with others.

Hurt by the words of uncontrolled men, and listening to the words of the ill-natured, the Bhixu is without anger what ere occurs, like the elephant pierced by arrows on the battlefield.

Hurt by words of uncontrolled men, and listening to the words of the ill-natured, the Bhixu is equally composed what ere occurs, like the elephant pierced by arrows on the battlefield.

Not exercising any handicraft for the gratification of the self, his senses under control, perfectly emancipated, without fondness for a home, without selfishness, having cast off desires and living all alone, that man is a Bhixu.

Associating only with men whose lives are pure and who are without slothfulness, observing the different prescriptions, one will learn the necessary rules to follow in life (to acquire nirvāṇa).

He who controls his hands, who controls his feet, who controls his speech, who controls his senses, who finds all his pleasure in solitude, who is contented, him I call a Bhixu.

The Bhixu who finds perfect joy in the law, who delights in the law, who meditates on the law, who bears in mind the law, will never depart from the law.

The Bhixu having entered an empty abode and seeing the innermost (part of the law), will experience divine joy on perceiving the law rightly.

As soon as he has rightly understood the creation and destruction of the skandhas, he will find joy and ravishment; the Bhixu filled with joy will find the way to put an end to suffering.

As a rocky mountain is unshaken by the wind, so likewise the Bhixu who has put an end to passions is immovable.

As a rocky mountain is unshaken by the wind, so likewise the Bhixu who has put an end to ignorance is immovable.

As a rocky mountain is unshaken by the wind, so likewise the Bhixu who has put an end to selfishness is immovable.

As a rocky mountain is unshaken by the wind, so likewise the Bhixu who has put an end to lust is immovable.

As a rocky mountain is unshaken by the wind, so likewise the Bhixu who has put an end to affection is immovable.

He who is without worldly goods, who cares not for self, for whom there is no affliction in anything, he is called a Bhixu.

They who only beg of others must not be considered as Bhixus; they who are attached to the ways of the world must not be considered as Bhixus.

He who has cast off virtue and vice, who leads a life of holiness, who lives away from the society of men, he is called a Bhixu.

The Bhixu who is kind, who has perfect faith in the teaching of the Buddha, will find the perfection of peace (amatam padam), of which one can never weary.

The Bhixu who is kind, who has perfect faith in the teaching of the Buddha, will find the perfection of peace, the peace from the sanskāra (body).

The Bhixu who is kind, who has perfect faith in the teaching of the Buddha, will arrive by degrees at the complete destruction of all attachment.

The Bhixu who is kind, who has perfect faith in the teaching of the Buddha, will pull himself out of the evil way, as the elephant does himself out of the mire.

The Bhixu who is kind, who has perfect faith in the teaching of the Buddha, will shake off all wickedness, as does the wind the leaves of a tree.

The Bhixu who is kind, who has perfect faith in the teaching of the Buddha, is so near nirvāṇa that he cannot possibly fall away from it.

The Bhixu who has subdued what charms the heart, what is agreeable to the mind, what delights and what does not delight (i.e., passions), is full of delight, and will find the end of suffering.

His body at rest and dispassionate, his mind perfectly composed, having cast off all worldly affairs, the Bhixu is (then) in peace, I declare.

Without meditation (samādhi) there is no knowledge; without knowledge there is no meditation: he who possesses knowledge and meditation, he shall be called a Bhixu.

They who are wise devote themselves to meditation and knowledge; the first thing therefore for an intelligent Bhixu is to acquire these.

Learn contentment and to control the senses; consider well what is necessary to salvation, learn to be moderate in your food, live in a secluded spot, and seek peace of mind in spiritual insight (vipaśyana); this is the doctrine of the Buddha.

He who has not sinned in either body, speech, or mind, his conduct is virtuous, his mind is chaste, he is a Bhixu.

He who meditates on the seven constituent parts of sambodhi, has the greatest of virtues, perfect composure, he is a Bhixu.

He who in this world has learned how to put an end to his suffering, who is pure and wise and without corruption (āsrava), he is called a Bhixu.

He who, though virtuous, or an ascetic, or one who has heard much, has not been able to put an end to sinfulness though he lives in solitude, if he becomes wearied of seeking to obtain samadhi, and gives it up through want of confidence, he is not a Bhixu.

The elements of being (skandha), that are called the individual, are the afflictions of this world; perfect enlightenment (samyak sambodhi) is happiness; to it the elect must devote themselves.

According to the way one has thought, so shall he become in another (life); they will come back again to this world, they who love existence, who delight in existence, who long for worldly goods, who consider but existence (in their theories), who delight in existence itself.

Their joy is but suffering, their happiness but trembling with fear; they who would free themselves of existence, devote themselves to a life of purity (brahmacharya).

Śramanas and Brahmans all do teach that existence is deliverance from existence; they none of them know deliverance from existence, I declare.

Śramanas and Brahmans all do teach that existence is deliverance from existence; they none of them know real emancipation from existence, I declare.

Suffering is the outcome of attachment to existence (upādāna), and from suffering proceeds attachment: if all attachments are destroyed there will not be produced any more suffering.

“To whatever form of existence one has attachment, it is impermanent, miserable, subject to change;” he who by perfect knowledge regards them all in this light, will cast off all fondness for existence, and will find delight in the destruction of existence.

Then the Bhixu who has left sorrow behind (nibbuta) is safe, (for) being without attachment to another (existence), he will put an end to existence; subduing Māra, conquering in the fight, he will then be delivered from all existences: this is the end of suffering.

The Bhixu who has cut himself off from existence (bhava), who is dispassionate, whose mind is at peace, will not experience existence again, having fallen out of the orb of regeneration.

The Bhixu who has cut himself off from existence, who is dispassionate, whose mind is at peace, is freed from the bonds of Māra, having fallen out of the orb of regeneration.

The Bhixu who has cut himself off from existence, whose mind has become without sin (āsrava), will not experience existence again, having fallen out of the orb of regeneration.

The Bhixu who has cut himself off from existence, whose mind has become without sin, is freed from the bonds of Māra, having fallen out of the orb of regeneration.

The Bhixu who has cut himself off from existence, who has cut to pieces fondness for existence, will not experience existence again, and has fallen out of the orb of regeneration.

The Bhixu who has cut himself off from existence, who has cut off fondness for existence, is freed from the bonds of Māra, having fallen out of the orb of regeneration.

He who, having crossed the swamp (of desire), and being (no longer) pricked by the thorns of worldliness, has found the way to put an end to passions, he is (truly) called a Bhixu.

He who, having crossed the swamp, and being (no longer) pricked by the thorns of worldliness, has found the way to put an end to hatred, he is (truly) called a Bhixu.

He who has put an end* to reviling, killing, hurting, and to the thorns of worldliness, who is as immovable as a mountain, whom pleasure does not disturb, he is a Bhixu.

The Bhixu who does not revile or exaggerate, who perceives that this world is like a mirage, casts off what is and is not of the other shore, as a snake shuffles off its old worn-out skin.

As the physician cures the poison of the snake, so the Bhixu who conquers rising passions casts off what is and is not of the other shore, as a snake shuffles off its old worn-out skin.

The Bhixu who eradicates every particle of the passions as does the mighty river the weak embankment, casts off what is and is not of the other shore, as a snake shuffles off its old worn-out skin.

The Bhixu who casts off all the qualities of desire, who frees himself from all the bonds of holding on to desire, casts off what is and is not of the other shore, as a snake shuffles off its old worn-out skin.

The Bhixu who, having cast off all mental obscurities, is without sin, whose mind is severed from the grief of misery, casts off what is and is not of the other shore, as a snake shuffles off its old worn-out skin.

The Bhixu whose judgment is clear, who sees clearly into everything, casts off what is and is not of the other shore, as a snake shuffles off its old worn-out skin.

The Bhixu who has eradicated the whole forest of sinfulness, casts off what is and is not of the other shore, as a snake shuffles off its old worn-out skin.

The Bhixu who has eradicated all the plagues, etc. of sinfulness, casts off what is and is not of the other shore, as a snake shuffles off its old worn-out skin.

The Bhixu who has eradicated every sinful inclination, casts off what is and is not of the other shore, as a snake shuffles off its old worn-out skin.

The Bhixu who observes the law, who is in contemplation (dhyāna) of the void (of all substances), who has continual peace of mind, who has left sorrow behind (nibbuta), is happy.

The Bhixu who, speaking neither pleasantly nor unpleasantly, takes up his abode in remote places, living in purity, entirely drives out love of existence and (sinful) inclinations.

Chapter on the Bhixu, the Thirty-second.

Translated by Woodville Rockhill.

1975, Udânavarga: a collection of verses from the Buddhist canon compiled by Dharmatrâta, Oriental Press, Amsterdam (reprint of original from 1883).

Translated (into Tibetan) by the Indian Pandit Vidyaprabhakara and the Lotsāva Bande-rin-tchen-mtchog; revised and arranged by the corrector, the Lotsāva Bande-dpal-brtsegs.

Original taken from University of Oslo, faculty of humanities.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Yasoj and Ayya Vimala.