English
6. The Section of Sixes 1. Verses of the Elder Uruvela Kassapa 375. Seeing the miracles of Gotama, the renowned; I did not bow down then, deceived by pride and jealousy. 376. Knowing my thoughts, the charioteer of men admonished me; Then there arose in me a shock, a wondrous hair-raising one. 377. Before, as a matted-hair ascetic, whatever little power I had; Rejecting that then, I went forth in the Conqueror's teaching. 378. Before, content with sacrifice, focused on the sense-sphere; Afterwards, lust and hate, and delusion too, I uprooted. 379. I know my former lives, the divine eye is purified; I am mighty, know others' minds, and have attained the divine ear. 380. For the sake of which I went forth, from home to homelessness; That goal has been attained by me, the destruction of all fetters. ... The Elder Uruvela Kassapa. 2. Verses of the Elder Tekicchakāri 381. The rice is harvested, the paddy is in the threshing floor; But I get no alms, what shall I do? 382. Remember the immeasurable Buddha, with faith; Your body pervaded with joy, you will be ever uplifted. 383. Remember the immeasurable Dhamma, with faith; Your body pervaded with joy, you will be ever uplifted. 384. Remember the immeasurable Saṅgha, with faith; Your body pervaded with joy, you will be ever uplifted. 385. You dwell in the open air, these nights are cold, wintry; Do not be afflicted by the cold, enter the monastery with closed bolt. 386. I shall touch the four immeasurables, and with them I shall dwell happily; I shall not be afflicted by the cold, dwelling undisturbed. ... The Elder Tekicchakāri. 3. Verses of the Elder Mahānāga 387. He who among his fellow celibates, no respect is found; Declines from the true Dhamma, like a fish in shallow water. 388. He who among his fellow celibates, no respect is found; Does not grow in the true Dhamma, like a rotten seed in a field. 389. He who among his fellow celibates, respect is not found; Far is he from Nibbana, in the Dispensation of the Dhamma-King. 390. He in whom, among his fellow-celibates, respect is found; Does not decline from the True Dhamma, like a fish in abundant water. 391. He in whom, among his fellow-celibates, respect is found; He grows in the True Dhamma, like a good seed in a field. 392. He in whom, among his fellow-celibates, respect is found; Near is Nibbana to him, in the Dispensation of the Dhamma-King. 393. Kullo, having gone to the charnel ground, saw a woman abandoned; Cast away in the cemetery, being eaten, covered with worms. 394. See, Kullo, this mass, diseased, impure, putrid; Oozing, flowing, delighted in by fools. 395. Having taken the mirror of Dhamma, for the attainment of knowledge and insight; I examined this body, empty within and without. 396. As this, so that; as that, so this; As below, so above; as above, so below. 397. As day, so night; as night, so day; As before, so after; as after, so before. 398. With a five-limbed orchestra, there is no such delight; As for one with a concentrated mind, rightly discerning the Dhamma. 399. For a person living heedlessly, craving grows like a creeper; He wanders from existence to existence, like a monkey seeking fruit in the forest. 400. Whom this wretched, clinging craving in the world overcomes; His sorrows grow, like the Bīraṇa grass after rain. 401. But he who overcomes this wretched craving in the world, difficult to surmount; From him sorrows fall away, like water drops from a lotus leaf. 02. I tell you this, may you be well, all of you who are gathered here; Dig up the root of craving, as one seeking usīra digs up bīraṇa grass; Let not Māra break you again and again, like a current breaks a reed. 403. Do the Buddha's word, let not your moment pass by; For those who miss the moment grieve, consigned to hell. 404. Negligence is dust, negligence, dust follows negligence; With diligence, with wisdom, pull out the dart of self. ... Mālukyaputta the Elder ... 6. Sappadāsa the Elder's Verses 405. Twenty-five years, since I went forth; Not even for a snap of the fingers, did I find mental peace. 406. Unable to gain one-pointedness of mind, afflicted by sensual lust; Raising my arms, weeping, I left the monastery. 407. "I will bring a weapon, what is the use of life for me? How can one like me, who has renounced the training, make an end?" 408. Then I took a razor, and sat on the couch; The razor was sharpened, to cut my own artery. 409. Then a proper reflection, arose in me; The danger became clear, disenchantment was established. 410. Then my mind was liberated, see the well-taught Dhamma's excellence; The three knowledges were attained, the Buddha's teaching was done. ... Sappadāsa the Elder ... 7. Kātiyāna the Elder's Verses 411. Arise, sit down, Kātiyāna, do not be full of sleep, be awake; Let not the king of death conquer you, lazy and negligent, with a snare. 412. Just as a great ocean wave, so birth and old age pass you by; So make a good island for yourself, for there is no other refuge for you. 413. The Teacher indeed conquered this path, free from the bonds of birth and old age; Diligently, day and night, Apply yourself, make a firm effort. 414. Release the former bonds, eating alms-food, with a patched robe, shaven head; Do not indulge in play and delight, nor in sleep, meditate, Kātiyāna. 415. Meditate, conquer, Kātiyāna, you are skilled in the paths to security from bondage; Having attained the supreme purity, you will be extinguished like a lamp by water. 416. A lamp with a small flame, is bent by the wind like a creeper; Even so, you, not clinging, shake off Māra, Indasagotta; He, free from passion, having felt, awaits the time, cooled right here. … Kātiyāna the Elder…. 8. The Verses of Migajāla the Elder 417. Well-taught by the Seer, the Buddha, kinsman of the sun; Transcending all fetters, destroying all rounds of existence. 418. Leading out, bringing across, drying up the root of craving; Striking down the root of poison, having cut it, it leads to Nibbāna. 419. For breaking the root of ignorance, shattering the machine of kamma; For comprehending consciousnesses, striking with the thunderbolt of knowledge. 420. Making known feelings, releasing from clinging; Seeing existence like a pit of glowing coals, with knowledge. 421. Of great flavor, very deep, warding off old age and death; The Noble Eightfold Path, calming suffering, auspicious. 422. Knowing kamma as kamma, and result as result; Seeing dependent origination, as it truly is; Leading to great security, peaceful, auspicious in its outcome. … Migajāla the Elder…. 9. The Verses of Purohitaputta Jenta the Elder 423. Intoxicated by the pride of birth, and by wealth and power; By form, complexion, and beauty, intoxicated by pride, I wandered. 424. I considered no one equal to myself, nor superior; Struck by excessive pride, a fool, stiff, with a raised banner. 425. Neither mother nor father, nor others revered as teachers; I saluted no one, stiff with pride, disrespectful. 426. Having seen the foremost leader, the best of charioteers; Shining like the sun, surrounded by the community of monks. 427. Pride and intoxication Having cast off, with a mind utterly clear; With my head I saluted, the best of all beings. 428. "Excessive pride and contempt, are abandoned, well-uprooted; The conceit 'I am' is cut off, all forms of pride are destroyed." 429. "When I was newly ordained, seven years old by birth; Having overcome with psychic power, the great powerful king of serpents. 430. "Water for my preceptor, from the great Anotatta lake; I brought, then seeing me, the Teacher said this." 431. "Sāriputta, see this, young boy coming; Taking a pot of water, inwardly well-composed. 432. "With pleasing conduct, and a beautiful posture; The novice of Anuruddha, skilled in psychic power. 433. "A noble one by a noble one, well-trained by a good one; Disciplined by Anuruddha, taught by one who has done his duty. 434. "He, having attained supreme peace, having realized the unshakeable; That novice Sumana, wishes 'Let them not know me'." 435. "You, afflicted by a wind disease, dwelling in a forest grove; In a desolate, rough feeding ground, how will you fare, bhikkhu?" 436. "With abundant joy and happiness, pervading my whole body; Overcoming even the rough conditions, I will dwell in the forest grove. 437. "Cultivating the seven factors of awakening, the faculties and powers; Endowed with the subtlety of jhānas, I will dwell, taint-free. 438. "Freed from defilements, with a pure, unclouded mind; Constantly reflecting, I will dwell, taint-free. 439. "Inwardly and outwardly, whatever taints existed in me; All are utterly cut off, and do not arise again. 440. "The five aggregates are fully understood, they stand with roots cut off; The destruction of suffering is attained, there is now no more rebirth." 441. "For one without anger, whence anger? For one self-controlled, living righteously For one released by perfect knowledge, peaceful, steadfast. 422. “Worse is he by that who is angry at the angry; Not angry at the angry, he conquers a battle hard to win. 443. “He acts for the good of both, his own and the other’s; Knowing the other is enraged, he, mindful, calms down. 444. “That one who heals both, his own and the other’s; People think him a fool, those unskilled in the Dhamma. 445. “If anger arises in you, reflect on the saw-simile; If craving for flavors arises, remember the son’s flesh simile. 446. “If your mind runs, to sensual pleasures and existences; Quickly restrain it with mindfulness, like a difficult-to-manage cattle that eats crops.” …Brahmadatta the Elder…. 13. Sirimaṇḍa the Elder’s Verses 447. “It rains heavily on the covered, it does not rain heavily on the open; Therefore, open the covered, then it will not rain heavily on it. 448. “The world is struck by death, surrounded by old age;