(25.1–23)
360. Restraint of the eye is good;
Good is restraint of the ear;
Restraint of the nose is good;
Good is restraint of the tongue;
361. Restraint of the body is good;
Good is restraint of speech;
Restraint of mind is good;
Good is restraint all round.
Restrained all round, a monk
Is freed from all suffering.
362. Restrained of hand, restrained of foot,
Restrained of speech, best of restrained ones,
Delighting inwardly, concentrated,
Alone, contented – that one they call a monk.
363. The monk who is restrained of mouth,
A gentle speaker, not puffed up,
Who illuminates the meaning and the Dhamma –
His speech is sweet.
364. Dwelling in Dhamma, delighting in Dhamma,
Contemplating Dhamma,
Mindful of Dhamma, a monk
Does not abandon the true Dhamma.
365. You should not despise your own gains,
Nor live envying those of others.
Envying others’ gains, a monk
Does not attain concentration.
366. If a monk, even with small gains,
Does not despise his own gains,
Him the gods praise
As one of pure livelihood, unwearied.
367. One who has no possessiveness at all
In regard to name or form,
And does not grieve for what is not,
He is called a monk.
368. The monk who dwells in loving kindness,
Confident in the Buddha’s teaching,
Attains the peaceful state,
The blissful stilling of conditioned things.
369. Monk, bail out this boat!
Once bailed, it will go lightly for you.
Cutting off both passion and hatred,
You will go to nibbāna.
370. Cut off five, give up five,
Develop five to the highest.
The monk who has gone beyond the five bonds
Is called ‘crosser of the flood’.
371. Monk, meditate! Don’t be unaware.
Don’t let your mind wander in the strand of sense-pleasure.
Don’t recklessly swallow an iron ball.
Don’t, as you burn, cry, ‘This is suffering!’
372. There’s no meditation in one without wisdom,
Or wisdom in one who doesn’t meditate.
The one in whom are both meditation and wisdom
Is close to nibbāna.
373. The monk who with calm mind
Has entered an empty house,
Who has right insight into dhammas,
Has joy beyond the human.
374. Whenever he contemplates
The arising and passing away of the aggregates
He gains joy and happiness.
That is the ‘deathless’ for those who know.
375. So this is how the wise monk
Can make a beginning here:
Guarding of the senses, contentment,
Restraint in the monastic rule.
Find friends who are good for you,
Of pure livelihood, unwearied.
376. You should have generous habits,
Be skilled in good conduct.
Then, rich in happiness,
You’ll make an end of suffering.
378. Peaceful in body, peaceful in speech,
Peaceful in mind, concentrated,
A monk who has rejected the world’s meat
Is called ‘at peace’.
379. By self urge on yourself;
By self examine yourself.
Then, self-guarded and mindful,
You’ll live happily, monk.
380. For self is the lord of self;
Self is the refuge of self.
So control yourself
As a merchant controls a fine horse.
381. The monk who’s rich in happiness,
Confident in the Buddha’s teaching,
Attains the peaceful state,
The blissful stilling of conditioned things.
382. The monk who, while still young,
Applies himself to the Buddha’s teaching
Illuminates this world
Like the moon freed from a cloud.