4.10. “Before Breaking-up”: a Muni’s Qualities (SNP4.10)

Question
Please Gotama, do you speak to me
upon the person perfected:
how’s their insight and their conduct
so that they can be called “Peaceful One”?

Buddha
One who is craving-free
before the body’s breaking-up,
not dependent on the past
in the present is prepared,
(and in future) has nought preferred,

gone anger and gone fear as well,
gone boasting, gone remorse,
wise-speaker with no arrogance,
a Sage restrained in speech,

no hopes for what’s to come,
no mourning for the past,
not led astray by views,
the singled seer “mid senses” touch

one not concealing, not deceitful,
not hankering and neither mean,
not stuck-up, nor contemptuous,
and not to slander given,

to pleasures not addicted
and not to pride inclined,
gentle, ready witted, not
credulous and not attached,

training not in hope of gain,
nor disturbed by getting none,
by cravings unobstructed,
hankering not for tastes,

ever mindful and equanimous,
so, who as “equal” thinks not of themselves,
nor as better nor as worse,
has no of inflation any sense.

And for whom there’s no “dependence”,
not dependent, Dharma having known,
for such exists no craving for
existence, non-existence.

That one I call the Peaceful,
who no sensual pleasures seeks;
who therefore has no ties,
crossed entanglement.

He does not bring up any sons,
and has no fields or lands;
for him there is nothing at all
that is taken up or put down

on account of which, the people
with monks and Brahmins might accuse.
That one is undisturbed,
and by such words unmoved,

gone greediness and never mean,
not speaking of themselves as “high”
not “equal”, nor “inferior”
so the unfittable does not fit,

for whom is nothing owned in the world
and having nothing does not grieve,
who ’mong Dharmas ventures not
is truly called a Peaceful One!

Translated by Laurence Khantipalo Mills.

This translation was edited by Bhikkhu Sujato as part of the full translation of the Sutta Nipāta with commentary prepared from a draft handwritten and typed manuscript of Laurence Khantipalo Mills in 2015. The project was managed by Laurence’s students Michael Wells and Gary Dellora, and initial digitizing of the text was by Sean Read. Full text is available at https://suttacentral.net/downloads

In addition to the suttas noted, Bhikkhu Sujato also translated verses 46, 78, 232, 465, 500, 589–597, 865, 885–890, 894–5, 897–901, 902–916, and 919–921.

This text is released dedicated to the Public Domain by way of Creative Commons Zero. No rights reserved.