English
When indeed I, in mountain caves, Alone, without a second, shall dwell; Discerning all existence as impermanent, When indeed will that be for me? When indeed I, a sage wearing torn robes, Clad in saffron, without possessiveness, without hope; Having slain lust and hatred and likewise delusion, Happy, gone to the forest, shall dwell. When, discerning this body As impermanent, a nest of slaughter and disease, Afflicted by death and old age, Fearless, alone in the forest, shall I dwell? When indeed will that be? When indeed I, generating fear, bringing suffering, The creeper of craving, following in many ways; Having taken a sharp sword made of wisdom, Having cut it, shall dwell? When indeed will that be? When indeed, having swiftly taken up The weapon of sages, made of wisdom, of fierce power; Shall I swiftly break Māra with his army, On the lion's throne? When indeed will that be? When indeed I, in gatherings of good people, Shall be seen by those revering the Dhamma, by such ones; By those seeing things as they are, by those with conquered senses, As one striving? When indeed will that be? When indeed me, sloth, hunger, thirst, Wind, sun, or insects, reptiles; Will not afflict, not in that mountain fastness, Seeking my own good? When indeed will that be? When indeed, that which was known by the Great Seer, The four truths, very difficult to see; With mind composed, mindful, shall I approach That by wisdom? When indeed will that be? When indeed, forms, and immeasurable sounds, Smells, tastes, tangibles, and mental objects; I, with mind ablaze, endowed with tranquility, Shall see by wisdom? When will that be for me? When indeed I, spoken to with harsh words, On account of that, will not be displeased; And even praised, on account of that, Will not be pleased? When will that be for me? When indeed, wood, and grass, and creepers, These aggregates, and immeasurable phenomena; Both internal and external, Shall I weigh equally? When will that be for me? When indeed me, the rainy season cloud, With fresh water, with my robe, in the forest; Walking on the path where sages have gone, when will it rain upon me? 1106. When, hearing the call of the crested peacock, The bird in the mountain cave, Rising up for the attainment of the Deathless, Will I reflect: "When will that be?" 1107. When, indeed, the Ganges, Yamuna, Sarasvati, And the Vaḷavāmukha thrown into the abyss, Will I cross them unhindered by psychic power? When will that terrifying thing be? 1108. When, indeed, like an elephant, walking unattached, Will I crush desire for sense pleasures? Rejecting all auspicious signs, Engaged in jhāna, when will that be? 1109. When, like a poor man in debt, having found a treasure, Oppressed by creditors, Will I be content, having attained the teaching Of the Great Seer? When will that be? 1110. For many years I have been implored by you: "Enough for you of household life!" Now that I am a renunciant, For what reason, mind, do you not apply yourself? 1111. Was I not, mind, implored by you: "In the mountain caves, birds with colorful wings, Roaring with the sound of a great thundercloud, They will delight you, meditating in the forest." 1112. Family, friends, and dear relatives, Playful delight, and sense pleasures in the world— Having abandoned all, I have come to this; Yet, mind, you are not satisfied with me. 1113. This is my own, not yours or others'. What use is lamentation at the time of preparation? Seeing all this as transient, I went forth, desiring the Deathless state. 1114. The well-spoken, supreme among bipeds, The great physician, charioteer of tamable men, said: "The mind is restless, like a monkey, Very difficult to restrain for one not free from passion." 1115. Indeed, sense pleasures are varied, sweet, delightful, Where ignorant ordinary people are attached. They desire suffering, seeking rebirth, Led by the mind, cast into hell. 1116. "In the forest, where peacocks and cranes call... Living surrounded by leopards and tigers; ‘Abandon attachment to the body, do not fail’ – Thus, mind, you formerly urged me. ‘Cultivate the jhānas and the faculties, The powers, the factors of awakening, the development of concentration; And attain the three knowledges in the Buddha’s teaching’ – Thus, mind, you formerly urged me. ‘Cultivate the path to the attainment of the Deathless, The leading-out, the destroyer of all suffering; The eight-fold, the purifier of all defilements’ – Thus, mind, you formerly urged me. ‘Contemplate the aggregates as suffering wisely, And abandon that from which suffering arises; Here and now make an end of suffering’ – Thus, mind, you formerly urged me. ‘Discern impermanence and suffering wisely, Emptiness and non-self, and destroy evil; Stop the mental proliferations of the mind’ – Thus, mind, you formerly urged me. ‘With shaven head, disfigured, having come under a curse, Like one with a begging bowl in hand, beg among families; Apply yourself to the words of the great sage, the Teacher’ – Thus, mind, you formerly urged me. ‘Well-restrained, walking in the streets, Among families, with a mind unattached to sensual pleasures; Like the moon on a full moon night’ – Thus, mind, you formerly urged me. ‘Be a forest dweller and an alms-gatherer, Be a cemetery dweller and a rag-robe wearer; Be one who sits always, delighting in ascetic practices’ – Thus, mind, you formerly urged me. Having planted trees, just as you desire their fruits, You wish to cut down the very tree at its root; Such is the simile, mind, that you make for me, When you urge me to waver in the impermanent. Formless, far-ranging, solitary wanderer, I will not follow your words now; For sensual pleasures are suffering, bitter, greatly fearful, I will wander with my mind set on Nibbāna alone. I did not go forth due to misfortune or shamelessness, Nor for the sake of the mind, nor for distant longing; Nor for the sake of livelihood did I go forth, O mind, What promise did I make to you? ‘Contentment is praised by good people, The abandonment of hypocrisy, the calming of suffering’; Thus Oh mind, then you engaged me, now you go to what was done before. 1128. Craving and ignorance, and likes and dislikes, beautiful forms and pleasant feelings; Agreeable sense-objects are vomited, I cannot swallow what is vomited. 1129. Everywhere, mind, your word was done by me, in many births you were not angered; Born from within, out of gratitude to you, long have I wandered in suffering made by you. 1130. You alone, mind, make us a brahmin, you make a kshatriya, a king's seer; We become once merchants and once sudras, or even divinity, by your doing. 1131. For your sake we become asuras, rooted in you we become hell-beings; And also once animals, or even hungry ghosts, by your doing. 1132. Will you not betray me again and again, showing me like a wandering minstrel again and again? You entice me as if I were insane, even though, mind, I have erred against you. 1133. This mind formerly wandered freely, wherever it wished, wherever it desired, as it pleased; That I will now restrain properly, like an elephant-driver restrains a rutting elephant. 1134. And the Teacher declared this world to me, as impermanent, unstable, without essence; Plunge into the teaching of the Conqueror, mind, cross over the great, very difficult floods. 1135. This is not for you, mind, as it was formerly, I am not able to remain under your sway; I have gone forth into the teaching of the Great Seer, those like me do not hold to ruin. 1136. Mountains, oceans, rivers, the earth, the four directions, the intermediate directions, below, above; All are impermanent, afflicted by the three existences, where will you go, mind, to delight in happiness? 1137. What more will you do to me, mind, with your persistence? I am not, mind, your follower; Never touch the two-mouthed bellows, fie upon this body, a nine-holed flowing thing. 1138. Like a wild boar or a deer In deeply frequented, naturally beautiful caves and rock-shelters; In a forest sprinkled by fresh rainy season water, there, in a cave-dwelling, you will delight. With beautiful blue necks, crests, tails, and patterned wings, the birds; Making sweet sounds, thundering, roaring, they will delight you, meditating in the forest. When the rain has fallen, on four-finger-high grass, in a forest in bloom like a cloud; Between mountains, like a tree, I will lie down; that will be soft for me, like cotton. I will do it as a lord; what is obtained, let that be enough for me; I will not do it like one who is lazy, nor like a well-massaged cat's skin. I will do it as a lord; what is obtained, let that be enough for me; By energy I will bring it under my control, like a skilled goader a mad elephant with a hook. By you, well-tamed and steady, like a trainer with a straight horse; I am able to enter the auspicious path, always frequented by those who guard their minds. To the object, I will bind you by force, like an elephant to a post with a strong rope; You, well-guarded by me, well-developed by mindfulness, will be unattached to all existences. Having cut with wisdom what follows wrong paths, restrained by effort, established on the path; Having seen the arising and passing away of existence, you will be an heir of the foremost speaker. Established under the sway of the four perversions, like a village district, my mind, you have led me astray; Surely you serve the compassionate great sage, the cutter of the bonds of fetters. Like a deer roaming in a beautifully variegated forest, a delightful mountain garlanded with rainy season clouds; Undisturbed, on those mountains, I will delight; without doubt, O mind, you will be defeated. Those who act according to your will and desire, men and women, whatever pleasure they experience; Ignorant ones, following the sway of Māra, delighting in existence, O mind, are your disciples. The Fifty-Jātaka section is finished.