If there’s aught that should be done
let it be done then steadily,
in truth a slack monastic life
all the more stirs up the dust.
Explanation: If you do an act of merit do it with a sense of commitment and concern. But, if the practice of monastic life is casual, instead of reducing the dust, much dust will be smeared. Continue reading “Verse 313. Do Merit With Commitment”
Whatever of kammas slacks,
whatever of vows corrupt,
a faltering in the holy life
never brings ample fruit.
Explanation: Some act of merit may get committed casually. The practice of religious rite may be tainted. Higher life may get led dubiously. All these will not yield high results. Continue reading “Verse 312. Three Things That Will Not Yield Good Results”
As blady grass when wrongly grasped
the hand does lacerate
so a mishandled monastic life
drags one off to hell.
Explanation: The blade of the kusa grass, if held wrongly, will cut one’s hand. In the same way, if one were to handle monastic life in the wrong way – against the grain – it will pull the person down into hell. Continue reading “Verse 311. Wrong Monastic Life Leads To Bad States”
Demerit’s gained and evil birth,
scared man and women – brief their joy,
the king decrees a heavy doom:
so none should sleep with one who’s wed.
Explanation: Demerits will be acquired. The lowly state of hell, will be his lot. Since both man and the woman are frightened, their embrace will generate little pleasure. The king’s law will impose severe punishment. Because of all these, a man will not covet another’s wife. Continue reading “Verse 310. Shun Adultery”
Four things befall that heedless one
sleeping with one who’s wed:
demerit gained but not good sleep,
third is blame while fourth is hell.
Explanation: A thoughtless person, who goes to another man’s wife, will suffer four evil results. Firstly, he will acquire demerit – what is not meritorious. Secondly, he will not get enough comfortable sleep. Thirdly, he will be disgraced. Fourthly, he will be born in hell. Continue reading “Verse 309. The Man Who Covets Another’s Wife”
Better to eat a ball of iron
glowing as flame of fire
than one should eat country’s alms
immoral and unrestrained.
Explanation: It is better for one to eat a red-hot lump of iron burning like a flame than to eat alms-food offered by the people, if one is without morality (sila) and unrestrained in thought, word and deed. Continue reading “Verse 308. Food Fit For Sinners”
Many who wear the yellow robe
are unrestrained in evil things,
these evil ones by evil deeds,
in hell do they arise.
Explanation: Many men wearing the yellow robe up to their necks who have an evil disposition and are unrestrained in thought, word and deed are reborn in hell on account of their evil deeds. Continue reading “Verse 307. Evil Men Get Born In Bad States”
With one denying truth there goes to hell
that one who having done says ‘I did not’.
Both of them are making kammas base
are equal after death.
Explanation: One who tells lies about others goes to hell; one who has done evil and says “I did not do it”, also goes to hell. Both of them are evil doers, suffer alike in their next existence. Continue reading “Verse 306. Liars Suffer Tortures Of Hell”
Alone one sits, alone one lies,
alone one walks unweariedly,
in solitude one tames oneself
so in the woods will one delight.
Explanation: He who sits alone, lies down alone, walks alone, in diligent practice, and alone tames himself, should find delight in living in the forest. Continue reading “Verse 305. Discipline Yourself In Solitude”
Afar the true are manifest
like Himalayan range,
yet even here the false aren’t seen,
they’re arrows shot by night.
Explanation: Like the Himalayas, the good are visible even from afar; like arrows shot in the night, the wicked are not seen even though they may be near. Continue reading “Verse 304. The Virtuous Are Seen”
