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The Chapter of Forty The Verses of the Elder Mahākassapa One should not wander honored by a crowd, the mind becomes disturbed, concentration is hard to gain; Association with various people is suffering, seeing this, one should not delight in a crowd. A sage should not frequent families, the mind becomes disturbed, concentration is hard to gain; He, eager and greedy for tastes, abandons the goal which brings happiness. Indeed, they declared it to be mud, this veneration and homage in families; A subtle dart, hard to extract, honor is hard for a base person to give up. Having descended from my dwelling, I entered the city for alms; A leper eating, I respectfully attended him. He, with his diseased hand, offered me a morsel; As I was putting the morsel in, his finger broke off there. Leaning against a wall, I ate that morsel; While eating or having eaten, no disgust arose in me. Leftover alms food is my sustenance, putrid urine is my medicine; A tree root is my dwelling, rag-robes are my clothing; He who has fully embraced these, he is indeed a man of the four directions. Where some are distressed, climbing a rocky peak; The heir of that Buddha, mindful and self-possessed; Supported by the power of psychic potency, Kassapa ascends. Having returned from alms round, Kassapa, having climbed the rock, meditates, unattached, having abandoned fear and terror. Having returned from alms round, Kassapa, having climbed the rock, meditates, unattached, extinguished amidst the burning. Having returned from alms round, Kassapa, having climbed the rock, meditates, unattached, his task done, taintless. Adorned with garlands of kareri flowers, delightful are the ground areas; Pleasant, resounding with elephants, those rocks delight me. Of blue cloud color, charming, bearing cool water, pure streams; Covered with cochineal insects, those rocks delight me. Like peaks of blue clouds, with pinnacles Forms of sound; By elephants ascended, delightful, those mountains delight me. 1068. Rained upon, delightful plains, mountains frequented by sages; Resounding with peacocks, those mountains delight me. 1069. Sufficient for me, mindful, who desires to meditate, resolute; Sufficient for me, the monk, who desires welfare, resolute. 1070. Sufficient for me, the monk, who desires ease, resolute; Sufficient for me, the steadfast one, who desires striving, resolute. 1071. Like flax flowers, covered by clouds in the sky; Crowded with various bird flocks, those mountains delight me. 1072. Not crowded by householders, frequented by herds of deer; Crowded with various bird flocks, those mountains delight me. 1073. Having clear water, broad rocks, frequented by monkeys; Covered with water-moss, those mountains delight me. 1074. Not by a five-part orchestra is such delight for me; As for one with unified mind, rightly discerning the Dhamma. 1075. One should not do much work, should avoid people, not strive; He is eager, attached to flavors, he abandons the goal that brings happiness. 1076. One should not do much work, should avoid what's not for the self; The body suffers, it wearies, afflicted, he finds no tranquility. 1077. Merely by a blow of the lip, he does not see himself; He walks with a stiff neck, he thinks, "I am superior." 1078. One who is not superior, the fool thinks himself equal to the superior; The wise do not praise that person with an arrogant mind. 1079. And he who, "I am superior," or "I am not superior," Or "I am inferior, or equal to him," does not waver in these distinctions. 1080. The wise one, the steadfast one, well-composed in virtues; Whose mental tranquility is unsurpassed, him indeed the wise praise. 1081. For whom among fellow practitioners respect is not found; He is far from the true Dhamma, as the earth from the sky. 1082. And for whom shame and moral dread are always rightly established; Flourishing holy Their stinginess, for them rebirths are exhausted. 1083. An arrogant, fickle monk, clothed in a rag-robe; like a monkey in a lion's skin, he does not shine thereby. 1084. Not arrogant, not fickle, discerning, with senses restrained; he shines in a rag-robe, like a lion in a mountain cave. 1085. These many deities, powerful and glorious; ten thousand deities, all of them of the Brahma-body. 1086. The brave General of the Dhamma, the great meditator, composed; revering Sāriputta, they stand with joined palms. 1087. 'Homage to you, noble man, homage to you, supreme man; whose (mind) of yours we do not know, that on which you meditate. 1088. 'Wonderful indeed is the Buddhas' deep domain; which we do not know, though we are skilled in piercing a hair.' 1089. Him thus by the hosts of deities, honored, worthy of honor; seeing Sāriputta then, a smile arose in Kappina. 1090. As far as the Buddha-field extends, except for the Great Sage; I am pre-eminent in ascetic practices, no one like me is found. 1091. The Teacher has been served by me, the Buddha's teaching has been done; the heavy burden has been laid down, now there is no more rebirth. 1092. Not in robes, not in lodging, not in food is he defiled; Gotama, immeasurable, like a pure lotus flower; by water, inclined to renunciation, emerged from the three existences. 1093. He has mindfulness as his neck, faith as his hand, the Great Sage; wisdom as his head, great in knowledge, he always moves in peace. ... The Elder Mahākassapa.... The Fortieth Nipāta is finished. Therein is the summary – In the Fortieth Nipāta, named Mahākassapa; there is only one Elder, and verses, forty-two in number.