The Monk (DHP360-382)

Restraint of the eye is good.
Good is restraint of the ear.
Restraint of the nose is good.
Good is restraint of the tongue.

Restraint of the body is good.
Good is restraint of speech.
Restraint of the mind is good.
Good is restraint everywhere.
The monk, restrained in every way,
Is released from all suffering.

The one restrained in hand, foot, and speech
the fully restrained—
Who is composed, solitary, and contented,
Who delights within:
This one is truly proclaimed a monk

Sweet is the speech of the humble monk,
Who restrains his mouth, recites the sacred texts,
And illuminates the Dhamma and its meaning.

The monk, delighting in the Dhamma,
Devoted to the Dhamma,
Pondering the Dhamma, and
Remembering the Dhamma,
Does not fall from the true Dhamma.

Scorn not what you have obtained,
Nor be envious of others.
The jealous monk does not attain samādhi.

The monk who never scorns what he has obtained,
Even if little,
Who is unwearied and lives the pure life,
Is praised, even by the gods.

The one who is not fond of mine,
Of anything of name-and-form;
Who does not grieve for what is not:
Truly, he is called monk.

The monk abiding in loving-kindness and
Pleased in the Buddha’s teaching,
Acquires the peaceful state,
The quieting of all conditioned things:
Happiness.

O monk, bail out this boat!
Emptied, it will go quickly for you.
Having destroyed passion and ill will,
You will go to Nibbāna.

Five (gross fetters) one should cut off.
Five (subtle fetters) one should abandon.
And further five (faculties) one should develop.
The monk who has overcome the five attachments
Is called one who has crossed over the torrent.

Meditate O monk! Do not be negligent!
Do not let your mind whirl in sensual pleasure;
Do not, being negligent, swallow the molten ball;

There is no meditative depth for the one without
discernment,
And no discernment for the one who does not
practice meditation.
But one with both wisdom and concentration
Is indeed close to Nibbāna.

For the monk who enters solitude,
With mind at peace,
Penetrating the Dhamma thoroughly,
There is heavenly delight.

When one penetrates the arising and dissipation of
the aggregates,
One obtains joy and delight.
For those who know,
This is the Deathless.

For the wise monk, here is the beginning:
Guarding one’s senses, contentment,
Restraint by the monastic precepts,
Association with virtuous friends
Whose way of life is pure and unwearied.

Be friendly and of good will;
Be skillful in conduct.
Thus would you end suffering
And be filled with joy.

Just as the jasmine sheds its withered flowers,
So, O monks, you should shed passion and ill will.

The monk who is calm in body and speech,
Tranquil and centered,
Caring not for worldly gain:
He is called at peace.

You yourself ought to exhort yourself.
You yourself ought to scrutinize yourself.
The monk who is self-guarded and mindful
Will dwell happily.

You are your own protector;
You are your own guide.
Therefore, restrain yourself,
Like a merchant a fine horse.

The monk, full of joy, pleased in the Buddha’s
teaching,
Acquires the peaceful state,
The quieting of all conditioned things:
Happiness.

Engaged in the Buddha’s teaching,
Even a novice monk illumines this world,
Like the moon released from a cloud.

© Peter Feldmeier, 2013.

First published in Dhammapada — The Way of Truth : A Fresh Translation and Commentary on Buddhism’s Most Beloved Text by Buddhist Publication Society.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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