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For sacrifice or for wealth, those whom we used to kill; fear remains, they tremble and lament. For you there is no fear, your complexion brightens even more; Why do you not lament, in such great terror? There is no mental suffering, for one who is unattached, O chieftain; All fears are overcome, for one whose fetters are destroyed. With the thread of existence destroyed, the Dhamma seen as it truly is; There is no fear in death, just as in laying down a burden. My holy life has been well-practiced, the path well-developed; I have no fear of death, just as at the end of diseases. My holy life has been well-practiced, the path well-developed; Existences are seen as tasteless, like poison drunk and then vomited. One who has crossed over, unattached, his task done, without defilements; Is pleased at the end of life, like one freed from the execution ground. Having attained the highest state of Dhamma, unconcerned with all the world; Like one freed from a burning house, he does not grieve at death. Whatever is compounded, or where existence is found; All this is impermanent, thus said the Great Seer. Whoever knows this truly, as taught by the Buddha; Does not grasp any existence, like a red-hot iron ball. It does not occur to me 'I was', nor 'I shall be'; Formations will cease, what lamentation is there in that? Seeing the pure arising of phenomena, the pure continuity of formations; As it truly is, there is no fear, O chieftain. When one sees the world, as equal to grass and wood, with wisdom; Not finding possessiveness, he does not grieve 'it is not mine'. I am weary of this body, I am unconcerned with existence; This body will break apart, and no other will come to be. Whatever you need to do with the body, do that. then if you wish; No hatred or love will arise in me because of that.” 720. Hearing his words, amazing and hair-raising, the young men laid down their weapons and said this: 721. “What, good sir, have you done? Who is your teacher? By following whose teaching is such sorrowlessness attained?” 722. “The All-Knowing, All-Seeing, the Conqueror is my teacher; the Greatly Compassionate Teacher, the healer of all the world. 723. “By him this Dhamma, leading to cessation, unsurpassed, was taught; by following his teaching is such sorrowlessness attained.” 724. Hearing the sage’s well-spoken words, the robbers laid down their weapons and arms; some ceased from that deed, and some desired to go forth. 725. Having gone forth in the teaching of the Fortunate One, the wise ones developed the powers of awakening; with joyful hearts, cheerful and with faculties controlled, they touched the unconditioned state of Nibbāna. …Adhimutta Thera… 2. Pārāpariya Thera’s Verses 726. A thought arose in the ascetic, the bhikkhu Pārāpariya; as he sat alone, secluded, meditating. 727. “What should a person do first? What vow, what conduct? So that he fulfills his own duty, and harms no one.” 728. “The faculties of humans are for their welfare and their harm; unguarded, for harm; guarded, for welfare. 729. “Guarding the faculties, and protecting the faculties; he fulfills his own duty, and harms no one.” 730. “If one does not restrain the eye-faculty going to forms; seeing no danger, he is not freed from suffering. 731. “If one does not restrain the ear-faculty going to sounds; seeing no danger, he is not freed from suffering. 732. “Seeing no escape, if he indulges in smells; he is not freed from suffering, infatuated with smells. 733. “Remembering sour, sweet, and bitter tastes; greedy with craving for tastes, he does not understand his heart. 734. “Pleasant and not repulsive, tangible things…” remembering things to be touched; Enamored, due to passion, he experiences various sufferings. 735. "The one who cannot protect His mind from these things; Then suffering follows him, From all these five. 736. "Full of pus and blood, And much of a corpse; Made beautiful by a hero, Like a painted casket. 737. "Bitter, yet sweet in taste, Suffering bound by affection; Like a razor smeared with honey, Licking it, he does not understand. 738. "In woman's form, in woman's voice, And in woman's touch; Attached to woman's scents, He experiences various sufferings. 739. "All streams of women, Flow in the five senses; He who is energetic, Is able to block them. 740. "He is beneficial, he is righteous, He is skillful, he is discerning; Even while enjoying, he should do What is connected with Dhamma and welfare. 741. "Then he sinks, connected, He avoids useless tasks; Thinking 'That is not a task,' The heedful, discerning one. 742. "And what is connected with benefit, And what is joy gone to Dhamma; Taking that, he should proceed, For that indeed is the highest joy. 743. "By various means, He desires to overcome others; Having killed, having struck, then having caused sorrow, He plunders others by force. 744. "As a strong man, Driving a peg with a peg, strikes; So the skillful one, Strikes the senses with the senses. 745. "Cultivating faith, energy, and concentration, And mindfulness and wisdom; Having struck the five with the five, The Brahmin goes without trouble. 746. "He is beneficial, he is righteous, Having followed the teaching; In every way, of the Buddha, That person prospers in happiness." ...Elder Pārāpariya... 3. The Verses of Elder Telakāni 747. "For a long time, indeed, ardent, Reflecting on the Dhamma; I did not find peace of mind, Questioning ascetics and brahmins. 748. "'Who is he who has gone to the far shore in the world? Who has reached the deathless depth? Whose Dhamma should I accept, The understanding of the ultimate truth?'" 749. "I was inwardly crooked, my ...devouring flesh; Bound by the great snare of Indra, like Vepacitti, the Asura. 750. "I pull it, I do not release it, from this sorrow and lamentation; Who in the world, releasing my bond, will make me know enlightenment? 751. "What ascetic or brahmin, pointing out the perishable, Whose Dhamma shall I accept, that leads beyond old age and death? 752. "Tied by doubt and perplexity, endowed with strength of contention; A mind swollen with anger, hard to break through by craving. 753. "Arising from the bow of craving, and endowed with two fifteen; See the strong arrow in the breast, if it remains after piercing. 754. "Not abandoning wrong views, inflamed by thoughts; Pierced by that, I tremble, like a leaf stirred by the wind. 755. "Arising within me, it quickly consumes my own; This body, with six sense-bases, where it always flows. 756. "I do not see a physician, who would extract this dart for me; Not by various kings, nor by a weapon, nor by another doubt. 757. "Who, without a knife, without a wound, the dart deep within, Without harming any limbs, will extract the dart for me? 758. "Indeed, he is the best, the master of Dhamma, the remover of poison and defilements; To me, fallen into the deep, he would show the shore and a hand. 759. "I am plunged into a deep pool, with unremovable mud and dust; Spread with deceit, envy, contention, sloth, and torpor. 760. "With the thunder of restlessness, the clouds of fetters; Currents carry wrong views, thoughts rooted in passion. 761. "Currents flow everywhere, a creeper sprouts and stands; Who would restrain those currents? Who indeed would cut that creeper? 762. "Make a dam, good sirs, for the restraint of the currents; Lest that mind-made current, suddenly uproot you like a tree. 763. "Thus, to me, born of fear, from the near shore to the far shore; A refuge... The Teacher, armed with wisdom, served by the assembly of sages. 764. He gave a good, pure ladder, firm, made of Dhamma's essence; to one being carried away, and he said, "Do not fear!" 765. Having ascended the mansion of mindfulness foundations, I reflected on those people whom I formerly thought delighted in their own bodies. 766. And when I saw the path, the ascent to the boat, without establishing myself, I saw the supreme ford. 767. The dart arisen from oneself, produced by craving for existence; for their non-arising, he taught the supreme path. 768. Long-lying latent, long-established; the Buddha removed for me the knot, the remover of poison and defilements. ...Elder Telakāni... 4. The Verses of Elder Raṭṭhapāla 769. Behold the painted image, a body full of sores, built up; afflicted, full of many thoughts, whose stability is not permanent. 770. Behold the painted form, with jewels and with earrings; a bone covered with skin, it shines with clothes. 771. The feet made with lac, the face smeared with powder; enough for the fool's delusion, but not for one seeking the other shore. 772. The hair styled in eight patterns, the eyes smeared with collyrium; enough for the fool's delusion, but not for one seeking the other shore. 773. Like a new, adorned collyrium box, a putrid body adorned; enough for the fool's delusion, but not for one seeking the other shore. 774. The hunter laid the snare, the deer did not fall into the net; having eaten the bait, let us go, while the deer-catchers cry. 775. The hunter's snare is broken, the deer did not fall into the net; having eaten the bait, let us go, while the deer-hunters grieve. 776. I see wealthy people in the world, having obtained wealth, they do not give out of delusion; greedy, they accumulate riches, and desire even more sensual pleasures. 777. A king, having conquered the earth by force, dwelling on the great earth up to the ocean's edge; unsatisfied on this side of the ocean, he would desire even the other side of the ocean. 778. And kings, others And many people, with unquenched craving, approach death. Being unfulfilled, they abandon the body; in the world, with desires, there is no satisfaction. 779. Relatives weep for him, disheveling their hair, crying, "Alas, he is not immortal!" Covered with a cloth, they carry him out, pile up the pyre, then burn him. 780. He burns,