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B0102050816vīsatinipāto (twenty chapter sutra)

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English

Their state of being thus or otherwise, While abiding in the five-factored jhāna. The Teacher has been attended by me... ...the net of existence is uprooted. In Veḷuvagāma of the Vajjians, At the end of my life; Beneath a bamboo thicket, I shall attain Nibbāna, taintless. A thought arose in the ascetic, In the great forest in bloom; As he sat with one-pointed mind, Secluded, meditating. Otherwise, when the Lord of the World, The supreme man, was present; Was the conduct of the bhikkhus, Otherwise it is seen now. A loincloth for modesty, To ward off cold and wind; They ate just enough, Content with whatever. Whether choice or coarse, Whether little or much; They ate for sustenance, Not greedy, not infatuated. Regarding the requisites of life, Medicines and other provisions; They were not overly eager, As they were for the destruction of taints. In the forest, at the foot of trees, In caves and grottoes; Cultivating solitude, They dwelt, devoted to it. Humble, settled, easy to support, Gentle, with minds not stiff. Not practicing, not talkative, following the thought of benefit. 927. Then it was pleasing, the going, eating, dwelling; Like a smooth stream of oil, was their deportment. 928. All defilements exhausted, great meditators, greatly beneficial; Now those elders are extinguished, now such ones are few. 929. With the exhaustion of wholesome states, and the exhaustion of wisdom; The teaching of the Victor, endowed with all excellent forms, decays. 930. And the season for evil states, and for defilements; Those remaining of the good Dhamma, are ready for seclusion. 931. Those defilements, growing, possess many people; They play, I think, with fools, like ogres with madmen. 932. Overcome by defilements, they, driven this way and that; Men in matters of defilement, as if in a declared battle. 933. Having abandoned the good Dhamma, they quarrel with each other; Following wrong views, they think, "This is better." 934. Having abandoned wealth, sons, and wife, they went forth; Even for a spoonful of alms, they engage in difficult things. 935. Having eaten a bellyful, they lie supine; What stories do they tell when awakened, stories condemned by the Teacher. 936. All crafts and skills, they learn with delight; Unpeaceful within, they remain for the sake of recluseship. 937. Clay, oil, powder, water, seats, and food; They offer to householders, desiring much more. 938. Tooth-sticks, kapittha fruit, flowers, edibles; And well-prepared alms-food, mangoes and amalaka fruits. 939. Like physicians in medicines, like householders in duties; Like courtesans in adornment, like kings in power. 940. Deceitful, fraudulent, false witnesses, unskillful; With many schemes, they consume offerings. 941. By pretexts, by means, driven by schemes; For the sake of livelihood, by stratagem, they gather much wealth. They attend the assembly, by action, not by Dhamma. They teach Dhamma to others, for gain, not for welfare. 943. They quarrel over Sangha's gains, though outside the Sangha. Living off others' gains, shameless, they feel no shame. 944. And some, not diligent, shaven, clad in robes, desire only respect, intoxicated by gain and honor. 945. When things are thus diverse, it is not easy now to touch what is untouched, or to guard what has been touched. 946. As in a thorny place, one would walk without shoes, establishing mindfulness, so should the sage walk in the village. 947. Remembering former yogis, recalling their conduct, even if it is the last time, one may touch the deathless state. 948. Having said this in the sala grove, the recluse, with faculties developed, the brahmin, attained final Nibbana, the sage, with rebirth exhausted. … The elder Pārāpariya [Pārāsariya] …. The Nipāta of Twenty is finished. Here is the summary: Adhimutta, Pārāpariya, Telakāni, Raṭṭhapāla; Mālukyasela, Bhaddiya, Aṅguli, Dibbacakkhuka. These ten Pārāpariyas, are recounted in the Nipāta of Twenty; There are two hundred and forty-five verses [244 verses are seen].

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