6. Morality (Śīla) (UV-KG6)

The sage, for the sake of acquiring the three kinds of happiness, praiseworthiness, treasures, and to go to the abode of happiness in the other world, watches well his conduct.

The sage, besides these objects, watches well his conduct for the sake of acquiring saintliness, most perfect sight, and worldly peace.

Morality brings happiness; the body is free from pain; at night one's rest is peaceful, and on awakening one is still happy.

The wise, who are charitable, and who observe the (other) moral precepts, acquire by the merit of charity endless happiness in this world and in the other.

It is well for him who observes, even unto old age, morality and virtue, and who is a believer: wisdom is the greatest treasure of man; 'twould be hard indeed for a robber to steal away the merit (of one's good works).

The Bhixu who observes the moral laws, whose senses are controlled, who is sober in his food, who gives not himself up to sleep; he who is thus diligent, who is never lazy day and night, is so near nirvāṇa that he cannot possibly fail (to reach it).

Observing the moral laws, his mind and understanding diligent in meditation, by such a life will the Bhixu arrive at the destruction of misery.

He consequently who is careful to observe the moral laws and meditation will acquire supernatural sight and discriminate according to knowledge.

Then he will, having destroyed all his attachments, enfranchised his mind, be separated from all things, and, possessed of knowledge, he goes beyond an incalculable quantity of sorrows.

He who devotes himself to these three things, morality, meditation, and knowledge, arrives finally at perfect purity, and puts an end to pain and also to existence.

He who is released from the bonds of the passions, who has cast away the body and who has wisdom, has passed beyond the kingdom of Māra, and shines in splendour as does the sun.

A Bhixu who outwardly and inwardly is impure and arrogant will not arrive at the perfection of morality, meditation, and wisdom.

The rain falls from a sky covered by clouds, it falls not from a clear sky; remove then that which obscures (the mind) and the rain will not fall.

He who always sees and keeps the moral laws of the Bhixu does speedily arrive on the road to nirvāṇa at perfect purity.

The odour of the flower travels not against the wind, nor does that of aloe-wood, of incense, or of tchandana. The odour of the holy travels even against the wind; all regions are pervaded by the fragrance of the perfect man.

Incense, tchandana, utpala, and mallika, among these sweet perfumes the sweet odour of morality (or virtue) is unsurpassed.

How mean is the sweet odour that comes from incense (tagara) and tchandana; the sweet odour of those who possess morality penetrates even heaven.

They therefore who live in thoughtfulness, who are perfectly purified by their moral conduct, and who are emancipated by the perfectness of their knowledge, will not meet with the road of Māra.

This is the road that leads to happiness; he who has entered on this road of perfect purity will by keeping to it cast off the bonds of Māra.

Chapter on Morality, the Sixth.

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.