4.15. “Assuming Forcefulness” and so on (SNP4.15)

Fear’s born assuming forcefulness—
see how the people fight!
I’ll tell you how I’m deeply moved,
how I have felt so stirred.

Seeing how people flounder
as fish in little water
attacking one the other
its fearfulness appeared.

Once I wished a place to stay,
but all the world is essenceless,
turmoil in every quarter,
I saw no place secure.

Folks’ never-ending enmity
I saw, took no delight,
but then I saw the hard-to-see,
the dart within the heart.

Affected by this dart
one runs in all directions
but with the dart pulled out
one neither runs nor sinks.

On this, the training’s chanted thus:
Whatever bonds within the world
they should not be pursued
knowing in depth all sense-desires
for Nirvāṇa train.

Truthful and not arrogant,
deceit none, slander, hate,
rid of greed’s evil, avarice
beyond them all’s the sage.

Not sleepy, drowsy, slothful not,
living not with negligence,
taking no stand on arrogance:
that mind inclines to Nibbana.

Be not into lying led,
for forms have no affection,
know thoroughly conceit,
violence avoid fare thus.

Delight not in the past,
nor be content with newness,
sad not with disappearance,
nor crave for the attractive.

Greed I say’s “the great flood”,
its torrent the rush of lust,
lust’s objects an imagining,
the swamp of lust is hard to cross.

The sage on firm ground stands,
not swayed from truth, a paragon,
having relinquished All,
“peaceful” that one’s called.

The wise indeed, all wisdom won,
on dharma not dependant,
wanders perfected in this world,
and envies none herein.

Who sense-desires has crossed beyond,
undone worldly ties
and bondless, cut across the stream,
no longer grieves or broods.

Let what’s “before” just wither up,
“after” for you be not a thing,
if then “between” you will not grasp,
You will fare at peace.

For whom with mind-and-bodily forms
there is no “making-mine” at all,
grieves not when they are not,
and suffers here no loss.

For whom there is no “this is mine”
nor no “To others it belongs”,
in whom “myself” cannot be found,
Grieves not that “I have none”.

Asked upon one unshakeable,
I tell of this one’s goodness:
Not harsh, not covetous at all,
Steadfast, impartial everywhere.

For one who’s steadfast, Knows,
That one does not accumulate,
Unattached to making effort,
Sees security everywhere.

A sage speaks not as though
’Mong equal, low or high,
Serene, devoid of avarice,
Does not accept or reject.

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.