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The fourfold pure virtue, Surrounded by the ascetic practices. 1153. Whatever of these one undertakes, Having gone into solitude; One should contemplate its benefit, In terms of quality and fruit. 1154. This is the beginning and the foundation, The foremost and excellent chief; The root of wholesome states, The source of practice. 1155. The door to entering the Dispensation, The ford of the pond of the True Dhamma; The basis for purification, The path leading to security. 1156. Good is the undertaking of training, Adorned with much learning; Noble is remote conduct, blameless, faultless. 1157. An ornament for a noble son, a dispeller of the stain of evil; An unfailing fragrance, served by great men. 1158. A remover of later regret, a增加 of joy and delight; Accompanied by the development of renunciation, an adornment of the ascetic's garb. 1159. A stairway to the heavenly world, a firm barrier against states of woe; Undisturbed prosperity, a destroyer of the power of evil qualities. 1160. A cutter of the cage of defilements, a warder off of the path of misfortune; An arising of wholesome karma, an uncommon blessing. 1161. "Well-gained indeed is my gain, faith in the teaching of the Sugata; My virtue is indeed good, pure and unbroken. 1162. "Difficult to obtain indeed is my gain, a great and not small acquisition; I whose conduct is unblemished, free from harm. 1163. "My lineage is rooted in the Dhamma, I am rooted in the teaching; I have ascended the straight path, all fearful directions are closed off. 1164. "My birth is indeed not in vain, the opportunity has been seized; I am established in the True Dhamma, my life is fruitful." 1165. Thus, in various ways, reflecting on his own qualities; He develops the recollection of virtue, of the aggregate of virtue. 1166. With faith in those who are virtuous, giving gifts as is proper; Having cleansed the stain of avarice, he recollects it in solitude. 1167. Giving is a treasure that follows, uncommon and supreme; A source of imperishable happiness, granting all wishes completely. 1168. A calming of anger and vexation, a cleansing of the stain of avarice; An awakening from the sleep of heedlessness, a release from the snare of greed. 1169. A taming of mental distortions, a prevention of the wrong path; A taste of the joy of gain and prosperity, a blessing of wealth and success. 1170. A purification of qualities like faith, a development of aspiration; An adornment of good conduct, a beautification of the subtle mind. 1171. A basis for immeasurable states, praised as immeasurable; The conduct of great men, with its stages, by the great sage. 1172. The supreme essence-taking of possessions acquired by Dhamma; A means to attain greatness, a cause for the continuation of the world. 1173. I am indeed a benefactor, a giver. Not yoked; For the good of oneself and others, they are committed. 1174. I am upright, gentle-minded, free from envy; Released from evil defilements, compassionate to living beings. 1175. I am established in virtue, a refuge for the poor; A supporter of the Buddha's teaching, a provider for relatives and friends. 1176. Facing generosity and relinquishment, Delighting in sharing, happy; Like a wish-fulfilling tree, bearing fruit, Born for the prosperity of the world. 1177. I have closed the path to the lower realms, the door to the path is open; All prosperity has been attained, pleasing to the poor. 1178. "Provision for the journey of transmigration, dispelling all suffering; A good bond for me everywhere, and a strong hold has been taken." 1179. Thus contemplating the virtue of giving in various ways; The donor, the yogi, cultivates the recollection of relinquishment. 1180. Faith, virtue, learning, relinquishment, wisdom, a wise person; Having accomplished these in the True Dhamma, one recollects the deities. 1181. The Four Great Kings, and the Tāvatiṃsa, and the Yāma; And the Tusita, and the Nimmanarati, and the Vasavatti. 1182. And those deities above them, established in divine bodies; They too are established in qualities like faith for a long time. 1183. With well-composed intentions, leaders in giving and virtue; Having established themselves on the path of Dhamma, foremost in shame and dread. 1184. They are reborn in that world, a glorious refuge; Possessing psychic power, radiant, beautiful, renowned. 1185. Endowed with divine prosperity, furnished with various enjoyments; Maintaining for a long time, they experience great happiness. 1186. All those good qualities like faith, Which are known as divine qualities, Are found in me too, without failing. 1187. The giver of the true Dhamma's excellent qualities, the auspicious leader; Though rare, faith in the teaching of the Fortunate One has been obtained by me. 1188. Free from fault and blame, averse to evil deeds; Of pure conduct, with a clear and undefiled mind. 1189. I am always attentive, To the well-spoken words of the Tathāgata; And have become a vessel for learning, Mindful and well-composed. 1190. The stain of stinginess Crossed over, freed from the mass of greed; A drinking place in the world, seeking happiness freely given. 1191. In the greatness of the Triple Gem, and in discerning what is beneficial and harmful; And in the nature of things, my wisdom is keen. 1192. Having attained the True Dhamma, having performed great festivals of merit; I am rich in divine qualities, a source of noble conduct. 1193. I am equal to the devas, adorned with the ornaments of virtues; Divine power is in my hand, heavenly wealth is perfected. 1194. Thus thinking of my own qualities, desiring equality with devas; Endowed with virtues, one develops the supreme recollection of devas. 1195. In things subject to birth, old age, sickness, sorrow, and despair, which are broken; In the impermanent, suffering, non-self, and the arising of attachments, one is disgusted. 1196. Dispassion and cessation, relinquishment, liberation, non-attachment; This letting go of grasping, is called Nibbāna. 1197. "This state is peaceful," thus the wise one reflects; Unclinging, undefiled, unconditioned, taintless. 1198. Immeasurable and sublime, auspicious, supreme, unperishing; Of infinite virtues, utterly unchangeable, free from affliction. 1199. That is safety, the far shore, the supreme great vehicle; Protection, shelter, island, foundation, ultimate refuge. 1200. The cutting off of the cycle's bondage, the drying up of craving for existence; The uprooting of all attachments, the extinguishing of suffering, happiness. 1201. This is the destruction of all evil, the purification of all defilements; The release from sorrow, despair, torment, fear, and terror. 1202. The uprooting of all impediments, the untangling of proliferation; The calming of all formations, released from all worlds. 1203. The element that brings purity, the state of escape from existence; The supreme noble attainment, the incomparable deathless state. 1204. Seeing Nibbāna as entirely auspicious and incomparable; This is called the development of the recollection of peace. 1205. Thus developing the recollection of beings, the wise one; Becomes full of joy, confident in the Buddha's teaching. 1206. With the calming of agitation, by access concentration; The mind becomes concentrated, purified and free from affliction. 1207. Development Having made this, and immeasurable merit; One is said to partake of the blessings of good inclinations and destinies. 1208. Endowed with strong support, having attained supreme disenchantment; In this very life, the taintless one extinguishes the fire of suffering. 1209. Reflecting on the world's arising, and on mindfulness of death; One should cultivate one's own end, reflecting on how death comes. 1210. Unmarked, unknown, is the life of mortals here; It is difficult and short, and it is conjoined with suffering. 1211. Like fish in shallow water, caught, with weeping faces; Death goes, taking them, while the great multitude looks on. 1212. Having death as their front, they are born in rebirth; Born, they will die again, such is the nature of living beings. 1213. The very first night a human dwells in the womb; He rises up and goes, and going, does not return. 1214. Beings die even in the womb, and children as they are born; Youths who have reached young age, those strong, and the elders. 1215. And then they die in their years, the old, relying on staffs; The brave, those strong with merit, afflicted by various diseases. 1216. "Today or tomorrow," death seeks out living beings; Like an army gone to battle, all are agitated by the fear of death. 1217. Adorned with seven jewels, endowed with four psychic powers; Wheel-turning monarchs of great splendor, gracing the circle of kings. 1218. Like great rocks struck down by the mighty winds of the world's end; So do humans fall, scattered by death, beyond this world. 1219. Even those long-lived deities, radiant and greatly powerful; Who have attained strength of might, thriving in great enjoyment and happiness. 1220. Even they, seized by death, become agitated with fear; Like birds tossed by the Veramba wind, what then to speak of those like me? 1221. Full of many extreme dangers, arising from death; This world, constantly mounted on a wheel, revolves. 1222. In this interval, in the midst of death, as I exist; While even a breath is not released, what then of life? 1223. It is truly wonderful in the world, even a moment of life; Is dependent on danger. My life is impermanent, death is always certain for me; Death is the natural state, life is but a special condition. Like the sun in the sky, going towards its setting; I hasten towards death, day by day. Like a great thief caught in a crime, being led to execution; I am going towards death, in the same irreversible way. Like a lotus seized by a crocodile, devoid of refuge or shelter;