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The Book of Fives 1. Verses of Elder Rājadatta 315. A monk, having gone to the charnel ground, saw a woman abandoned; Cast away in the cemetery, being eaten, swarming with worms. 316. Indeed, what some abhor, seeing the evil dead; Sexual lust arose, I was like a blind man flowing. 317. Before the cooking of rice, from that place I departed; Mindful, fully aware, I sat down in a secluded spot. 318. Then, proper attention arose in me; The danger became clear, dispassion was established. 319. Then my mind was liberated, see the well-taught Dhamma's excellence; The three knowledges attained, the Buddha's teaching done. ...Elder Rājadatta. 2. Verses of Elder Subhūta 320. A man, applying himself to what is not proper, desiring success; If, striving, he does not achieve it, (he thinks) 'that is my bad luck'. 321. Having pulled out the dart, gone to the unagitated, conquered, If he abandons one, he would be like a losing throw. If he abandons all, he would be like a blind man, Not seeing the even and uneven. 322. What one does, that one should say; what one does not do, that one should not say; The wise discern one who speaks but does not act. 323. Just as a beautiful flower, colorful but without fragrance; So too, a well-spoken word, is fruitless for one who does not act. 324. Just as a beautiful flower, colorful and fragrant; So too, a well-spoken word, is fruitful for one who acts. ...Elder Subhūta. 3. Verses of Elder Girimānanda 325. The sky god rains, as if well-sung, my hut is roofed, pleasant, sheltered from wind; In it I dwell, calmed; so if you wish, rain on, O sky god. 326. The sky god rains, as if well-sung, my hut is roofed, pleasant, sheltered from wind; In it I dwell, s With mind at peace, If you wish, rain, O deva. The deva rains... ... I dwell therein, without passion... The deva rains... ... I dwell therein, without hatred... The deva rains... ... I dwell therein, without delusion; If you wish, rain, O deva. What my preceptor desired in the Dhamma, And supported me in, Longing for the Deathless, That duty has been done by me. Attained, realized, The Dhamma itself, free from fault; With purified knowledge, without doubt, I declare it in your presence. I know my past lives, My divine eye is purified; My true aim is attained, The Buddha's teaching is accomplished. My training, diligent, Was well-heard in your teaching; All my defilements are destroyed, There is no more rebirth now. You instructed me with noble conduct, You had compassion, you supported me; Your counsel was not in vain, I, your disciple, have been trained. Indeed, my mother, Showed me the goad; Having heard her words, Instructed by my mother; With energy aroused, resolute, I attained the highest awakening. I am an Arahant, worthy of offerings, Possessing the three knowledges, seeing the Deathless; Having conquered the army of Namuci, I dwell without defilements. Within and without, Whatever defilements I had; All are utterly cut off, And will not arise again. My sister, confident, Spoke this matter: ‘Surely, for me too, There is no craving for you.’ Suffering is brought to an end, This is my last body; The cycle of birth and death, There is no more rebirth now. For my benefit, indeed, the Buddha Went to the river Nerañjarā; Having heard his Dhamma, I abandoned wrong view. I offered various sacrifices, I poured offerings into the fire; Thinking, ‘This is purity’... ignorant, blinded, a common person. 342. Entangled in the thicket of views, deluded by clinging; I thought impurity was purity, blinded, unknowing. 343. My wrong views are abandoned, all existences are shattered; I offer to the fire worthy of offerings, I bow to the Tathāgata. 344. All my delusions are abandoned, craving for existence is shattered; The cycle of birth is exhausted, there is no more rebirth. … Nadīkassapa the Elder…. 7. Gayākassapa the Elder’s Verses 345. Morning, noon, and evening, three times a day, I descended into the water, at Gayā, at Gayāphaggu. 346. “Whatever evil I have done, in previous births; That I now wash away here,” such was my view before. 347. Having heard the well-spoken word, a phrase connected with the Dhamma and its meaning; The true, actual meaning, I reflected upon it wisely. 348. I am one who has washed away all evil, immaculate, pure, clean; Pure, an heir of the Pure One, a true son of the Buddha. 349. Having plunged into the eightfold stream, I washed away all evil; I attained the three knowledges, the Buddha’s teaching is done. … Gayākassapa the Elder…. 8. Vakkali the Elder’s Verses 350. “Afflicted by a wind disease, dwelling in the forest grove; With meager, coarse food, how will you fare, bhikkhu? 351. Pervading my body with abundant joy and happiness; Enduring even the coarse, I will dwell in the forest grove. 352. Developing mindfulness foundations, and faculties and powers; And developing the enlightenment factors, I will dwell in the forest grove. 353. With aroused energy, resolute, always firmly striving; Seeing those united and harmonious, I will dwell in the forest grove. 354. Recollecting the Fully Awakened One, the foremost, tamed, composed; Untiring, day and night, I will dwell in the forest grove.” … Vakkali the Elder 9. The Verses of Elder Vijitasena 355. I will restrain you, mind, Like an elephant at the gate-post; I will not let you engage in evil, The body-born net of desires. 356. You, restrained, will not go, Like an elephant not finding the gate opening; And, O mind-strife, again and again, You will not be able to wander devoted to evil. 357. As an untamed elephant, A strong elephant-driver with a hook, Forcibly turns it against its will, So will I turn you. 358. As a skilled trainer of noble horses, An excellent charioteer tames a thoroughbred; So will I tame you, Established in the five powers. 359. With mindfulness I will bind you, Diligently I will tame you; Held back by the yoke of energy, You will not go far from here, O mind. … Elder Vijitasena…. 10. The Verses of Elder Yasadatta 360. A foolish person with a fault-finding mind, Listens to the teaching of the Victor; He is far from the True Dhamma, As the earth is from the sky. 361. A foolish person with a fault-finding mind, Listens to the teaching of the Victor; He declines from the True Dhamma, Like the moon in the dark fortnight. 362. A foolish person with a fault-finding mind, Listens to the teaching of the Victor; He withers in the True Dhamma, Like a fish in shallow water. 363. A foolish person with a fault-finding mind, Listens to the teaching of the Victor; He does not grow in the True Dhamma, Like a rotten seed in a field. 364. But one who with a joyful mind, Listens to the teaching of the Victor; Having exhausted all defilements, And realized the unshakeable; Having attained supreme peace, He, without defilements, attains final Nibbāna. … Elder Yasadatta…. 11. The Verses of Elder Soṇakuṭikaṇṇa 365. And I have received ordination, I am liberated and without defilements; And I have seen the Blessed One, And lived with him in the monastery. 366. For much of the night the Blessed One, Spent in the open air; The Teacher, skilled in dwelling, Then entered the monastery. 367. Having spread out his outer robe, Gotama lay down. Like a lion in a mountain cave, having abandoned fear and terror. 368. Then, with auspicious speech, the disciple of the Perfectly Enlightened One, Soṇa spoke the true Dhamma in the presence of the Foremost Buddha. 369. Having fully understood the five aggregates, and having developed the straight path, Having attained supreme peace, he will attain final Nibbāna, taintless. … Elder Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa. … 12. The Verses of Elder Kosiya 370. Whoever, wise, knows the words of teachers, and in that generates love, That one is called devoted and wise, and having known, will be distinguished in the teachings. 371. Whom great calamities, when arisen, do not make tremble, reflecting, That one is called strong and wise, and having known, will be distinguished in the teachings. 372. Whoever, like the ocean, stands unshaken, with deep wisdom, seeing subtle meanings, That one is called unshakeable and wise, and having known, will be distinguished in the teachings. 373. Much learned and a holder of the Dhamma, a practitioner in accordance with the Dhamma, Such a one is called wise, and having known, will be distinguished in the teachings. 374. And whoever knows the meaning of what is spoken, and having known the meaning, so acts, That one is called one who has penetrated the meaning and is wise, and having known, will be distinguished in the teachings. … Elder Kosiya. … The Fives Chapter is finished. Therein is the summary – Rājadatta and Subhūta, Girimānanda, Sumanā, And Vaḍḍha, Elder Kassapa, Gayākassapa, Vakkali. Vijita and Yasadatta, Soṇa, called Kosiya; Sixty-five verses, and twelve elders are here.