7. Virtuous Conduct (UV-KG7)

He who casts away wickedness in the body for a virtuous bodily course of life will be secure in his body if he is guarded against the great sins of the body.

He who casts away wickedness in speech for virtuous speech will be secure in his speech if he is guarded against the great sins of speech.

He who has cast away wickedness in thought for virtuous thoughts will be secure in his thoughts if he is guarded against the great sins of thought.

He who has cast away wickedness in the body, who has cast away wickedness in speech, who has cast away wickedness in (his) thoughts, has cast away likewise all other stains.

He who does what is virtuous in the body, he who is virtuous in his speech, he who is virtuous in his thoughts, will possess the four immeasurables.

He who is virtuous in body, speech, and mind, obtains unceasing happiness here and in the other world.

The sage whose body is well controlled can be harmed by nothing; he goes to an immortal dwelling-place, where there is no sorrow.

The sage whose speech is well controlled can be harmed by nothing; he goes to an immortal dwelling-place, where there is no sorrow.

The sage whose thoughts are always controlled can be harmed by nothing; he goes to an immortal dwelling-place, where there is no sorrow.

The steadfast control their bodies, the steadfast control their speech, the steadfast control their minds; when the steadfast are well controlled in everything, they go to an immortal dwelling-place, where there is no sorrow.

It is good to control the body, it is good to control the tongue (speech), it is good to control the mind; to have everything controlled is good: the Bhixu who is entirely controlled is freed from all sorrows.

Watching over his speech, his mind well controlled, doing nothing that is evil with his body, by observing these three ways of doing one finds the way spoken by the Rischi.

Chapter on Virtuous Conduct, the Seventh.

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.