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Seeing many pleasing ones, well-developed, well-restrained; The sage of Paṇḍarasa clan, asked Phussa by name. "What will be their desires, what their intentions, what their conduct? In the time to come, tell me that, as I ask." "Listen to my words, O sage called Paṇḍarasa; Pay close attention, I will tell you what is to come. "Angry and resentful, many will be envious, stubborn, deceitful; Eager, with various doctrines, they will be in the future. "Thinking they know the Dhamma, profound, but only touching the surface; Light-minded, disrespectful of the Dhamma, disrespectful of each other. "Many dangers in the world will arise in the future; This well-taught Dhamma, the foolish will defile. "Even those without virtue in the Saṅgha, speaking boldly; They will be powerful, talkative, unlearned. "But those with virtue in the Saṅgha, speaking truthfully; They will be weak, modest, not seeking gain. "Silver and gold, fields, lands, goats and sheep; Male and female slaves, the foolish will accept in the future. "The foolish, fault-finding, unsettled in precepts; They will wander about proudly, delighting in quarrels, like deer. "And they will be arrogant, clad in blue robes; Deceitful, stiff, talkative, boastful, they will wander as if noble ones. "With oiled hair, fickle, with kohl-lined eyes; They will go along the roads, clad in white garments. "That which is not despised by the liberated, the well-dyed banner of Arahants; They will despise the saffron robe, infatuated with white garments. "They will be desirous of gain, lazy, with little energy; Avoiding forest dwellings, they will dwell in village outskirts. "Whoever obtains gain, always delighting in wrong livelihood; Following those very ones, the unrestrained will associate. Those who are without gain, will not be honored; Even the very virtuous wise, will not then be served by them. 965. Stained by barbarian people, despising their own banner; Some will bear the banner of sectarians, the unpurified one. 966. Disrespect for the saffron robe, will then be theirs; And reflection on the saffron robe, will not be for the bhikkhus. 967. Overcome by suffering, pierced by a dart, tormented; The great and terrible reflection, of the elephant was inconceivable. 968. For Chaddanta then, seeing the well-dyed banner of the Arahants; Immediately spoke verses, the elephant, full of meaning. 969. He who wears the saffron robe, while not free from defilement; Devoid of self-control and truth, he is not worthy of the saffron robe. 970. But he who has vomited defilement, well-established in virtues; Endowed with self-control and truth, he indeed is worthy of the saffron robe. 971. One whose virtue is ruined, foolish, openly acting as he pleases; With a bewildered mind, without luster, he is not worthy of the saffron robe. 972. But he who is endowed with virtue, free from passion, composed; With pure mental intentions, he indeed is worthy of the saffron robe. 973. The arrogant, conceited fool, in whom virtue is not found; He is worthy of white clothes, what will the saffron robe do for him? 974. Bhikkhus and bhikkhunis, with corrupt minds, disrespectful; Will suppress those with minds of loving-kindness, in the future. 975. Even when taught by elders, the fools about wearing the robe; Will not listen, the foolish, openly acting as they please. 976. Those fools, thus taught, disrespectful to one another; Will not heed their preceptors, like a wild horse its charioteer. 977. Thus in the future time, will be the conduct; Of bhikkhus and bhikkhunis, when the last time arrives. 978. Before this comes, this great future danger; Be obedient, friendly, respectful to one another. 979. With minds of loving-kindness, compassionate, be furthermore, restrained in virtues; With aroused energy, with mind sent forth, always with firm endeavor. 980. “Seeing heedlessness as fear, and heedfulness as safety; Cultivate the eightfold path, touching the deathless state.” … Phussa Thera…. 2. Sāriputta Thera’s Verses 981. “How he lives, how mindful, with mindfulness, With resolved thoughts, meditative, heedful; Delighting in himself, with mind composed, Alone, contented—him they call a bhikkhu. 982. “Eating wet or dry food, He should not be overly full; With an empty stomach, moderate in food, Mindful, a bhikkhu should wander. 983. “Having eaten four or five mouthfuls, He should drink water; Enough for a comfortable dwelling, For a bhikkhu with mind sent forth. 984. “If this robe covers him suitably, Which is for this purpose; Enough for a comfortable dwelling, For a bhikkhu with mind sent forth. 985. “When sitting cross-legged, It does not rain on his knees; Enough for a comfortable dwelling, For a bhikkhu with mind sent forth. 986. “He who saw happiness as suffering, suffering as a dart; He was not between the two extremes, what would be for whom in the world? 987. “May I never be of evil wishes, lazy, of weak energy; Of little learning, disrespectful, what would be for whom in the world? 988. “But he who is learned and wise, well-composed in virtues; Engaged in mental tranquility, may he stand even on the head. 989. “He who is engaged in proliferation, a fool delighting in proliferation; He misses Nibbāna, the unsurpassed security from bondage. 990. “But he who has abandoned proliferation, delighting in the path of non-proliferation; He attains Nibbāna, the unsurpassed security from bondage. 991. “In a village or in a forest, in a valley or on a plain; Wherever Arahants dwell, that spot is delightful. 992. “Delightful are the forests, where ordinary people do not delight; Those free from passion will delight, they are not seekers of sensual pleasures. 993. “Like one who points out a treasure, whom one sees as a fault-finder; Nig One should associate with a wise, intelligent, profound speaker; For one who associates with such a person, it is better, not worse. 994. He should advise and instruct, and restrain from what is unwholesome; He is dear to the good, but disliked by the bad. 995. The Blessed One, the Buddha, the Seer, taught the Dhamma to others; As the Dhamma was being taught, I, being earnest, lent an ear; That hearing of mine was not in vain; I am liberated, without defilements. 996. Not for past lives, nor for the divine eye; Nor for the psychic power of knowing others' minds, nor for the passing away and reappearance of beings; Nor for the purification of the ear element, is there any aspiration for me. 997. Relying on the root of a tree, shaven-headed, clad in a patched robe; The elder, supreme in wisdom, Upatissa, meditates. 998. Having attained the thought-free state, the disciple of the Perfectly Enlightened One is immediately endowed with noble silence. 999. Just as a rocky mountain, immovable, well-established; So too, a monk whose delusion is destroyed, does not tremble like a mountain. 1000. For a person without defilements, always seeking purity; Even a hair-tip's worth of evil appears like a cloud. 1001. I do not delight in death, I do not delight in life; I shall lay down this body, fully comprehending and mindful. 1002. I do not delight in death, I do not delight in life; I await my time, like a hired worker who has finished his task. 1003. This is death in both ways, not immortality, whether later or earlier; Practice! Do not be ruined! Let not your moment pass by! 1004. Just as a frontier city, guarded internally and externally; So too, guard yourselves! Let not your moment pass by! For those who let the moment pass grieve, consigned to hell. 1005. Peaceful, restrained, speaking wisely, not arrogant; He shakes off evil states, like the wind shakes off a tree's leaves. 1006. Peaceful, restrained, speaking wisely, not arrogant; He casts off evil states, Like a tree leaf in the wind. 1007. Peaceful, without distress, Serene, unclouded; Virtuous, wise, He should be an ender of suffering. 1008. Do not trust those who are fickle, Whether householders or renunciants; Even good, they become not good, Not good, they become good again. 1009. Sensual desire and ill-will, Sloth and torpor for a monk; Restlessness and doubt, These five are defilements of the mind. 1010. For whom, when honored, And when dishonored, both; Concentration does not waver, Living with diligence. 1011. That meditator, constant, Perceiving with subtle insight; Delighting in the destruction of clinging, They call a good person. 1012. The great ocean, the earth, The mountain, and the wind; Cannot compare, To the Teacher's supreme liberation. 1013. The elder, a follower of the Wheel, Greatly wise, composed; Like earth, water, fire, He is not attached, not averse. 1014. Having attained the perfection of wisdom, Of great understanding, great intellect; Not dull, yet appearing dull, He always moves in nirvana. 1015. The Teacher has been served by me... The craving that leads to becoming has been uprooted. 1016. Accomplish with diligence, This is my instruction; Now I shall attain final nirvana, I am completely liberated. ... The Elder Sāriputta. 3. The Verses of Elder Ānanda 1017. With a slanderer and an angry one, With a miser and one who delights in deceit; A wise person should not make friendship, Evil is association with a bad person. 1018. With one who is faithful and gentle, With one who is wise and learned; A wise person should make friendship, Good is association with a good person. 1019. See this painted image... For which there is no lasting stability. 1020. See this painted image... It shines with clothes. 1021. Made with lac... And not seeking the other shore. 1022. Made with eight-footed figures... And not seeking the other shore. 1023. Like a new eye-salve box... And not seeking the other shore. 1024. Learned, eloquent, An attendant of the Buddha; With burden laid down, free from... Unyoked, Gotama settles down. 1025. His defilements destroyed, disassociated, Gone beyond attachment, perfectly cooled;