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released from the mass of suffering; having attained the path of safety, blossoming with the attainment of joy. "United and well-fed are these, skillful in reconciliation; they proclaim their prosperity, adorned with excellent qualities." Thus rightly wishing, for the attainment of happiness and prosperity; delighting in beings, he pervades them equally with appreciative joy. Having abandoned envy and attachment, having dispelled jealousy and discontent; he brings the absorption of appreciative joy, as if it were the absorption of loving-kindness. Having developed appreciative joy, he should develop excellent equanimity; having abandoned opposition and partiality, becoming impartial in mind. Seeing the inherent nature of the world, gain and loss, fame and disrepute; blame and praise, and simply happiness and suffering. How, due to their ownership of kamma, these beings revolve... he suffers; Overcome by worldly conditions, devoid of self-mastery. 1386. What is there to be able to act as one wishes here? Or by whose will are beings happy or unhappy? 1387. For beings, happiness and suffering arise dependent on conditions; It is not possible to change them by anyone else again. 1388. Humans go astray by adopting the wrong path; They prosper again by adopting the right path. 1389. There, these change otherwise by way of the body; Acting as they wish, each subject to their own will. 1390. This scrutiny of the world, I think, is a useless torment; This is peaceful and excellent: that is, equanimity in that. 1391. "Who am I, and who are these? Why do I, a foolish person, torment myself by looking over others?" 1392. Whether they are happy or not, whether they are freed from suffering or not, whether they are prosperous or poor, what concern is it of mine? 1393. Let beings take care of themselves as they wish; No hindrance, proliferation, or trouble is there for me. 1394. Thus, reflecting with equanimity, even wishing well for beings; He spreads it evenly, wisely, with impartial equanimity. 1395. Having abandoned ignorant equanimity, having relinquished attachment; He attains the fifth jhāna of absorption, as if it were loving-kindness. 1396. The best of speakers, the great sage, the great leader, the well-wisher, declared four immeasurables. 1397. Not in those of different gender, should a beginner yogi cultivate loving-kindness towards dead beings, not at all. 1398. Reflecting on the state of attainment, and the state of suffering in beings; And the state of joy, and also non-self-mastery. 1399. First, having begun the practice of meditation towards oneself, then friends, then neutral persons, in order; And then beyond that. 1400. Towards oneself, friends, neutral persons, and enemies, making no distinction, with an equal mind everywhere. 1401. Dividing it by distinctions such as locality and so on; Or without dividing it, these should be cultivated, so he said. āsitā. 1402. With unbroken continuity, compassionate to beings; They are therefore considered the supreme divine abidings. 1403. Because their object is boundless, and because of right practice; Because they are boundless towards beings, they are called 'immeasurables'. 1404. Beings who have not attained welfare, those suffering, those who have attained prosperity; Thinking "they are owners of their kamma", then towards them, in due order: 1405. "May they prosper with attainments, May beings be freed from suffering; Oh, may beings attain happiness, May beings be thus and so." 1406. Desiring such growth, and the removal of suffering; Rejoicing in the prosperous, and being equanimous towards the contented. 1407. Like a mother towards young children, the sick, those in youth; And those engaged in their own duties, it proceeds in four ways. 1408. Thus, in four ways towards beings, the right mental conduct; In all ways, it is fourfold, thus declared by the Great Seer. 1409. Meditating on these, with a serene face and mind; He sleeps happily, even when asleep, he sees no evil whatsoever. 1410. He awakens without fear, and rejoices as if awake; And mental concentration, he quickly attains. 1411. Dangers are abandoned, and misfortunes disappear; Even deities protect, one who is not deluded, not agitated. 1412. Like a blooming lotus in season, like a spotless moon, people; With gentle, soft qualities, see him with loving eyes. 1413. Undisturbed, unagitated, the wise one in all situations; With evenly maintained effort, he wins over the world. 1414. Even for a moment's cultivation, towards a single individual; The Immeasurables bear fruit, so declare the Great Seers. 1415. How much more so towards all beings, the cultivation that reaches absorption; All four become close, continuously mastered. 1416. Streams of merit flowing forth, fill the wise one; Like an immeasurable great flood, filling the ocean with its garland of waves. 1417. Indeed, of merits born of the Immeasurables, not even a sixteenth part of those merits; All merits with attachments, are not worth, it is declared. 1418. Fruitful is his renunciation, for whom in these reverence; Full of subtle joy, he trains well in the three trainings. 1419. He especially enjoys the alms-food of the country, which is not in vain; That too becomes of great fruit, a gift of faith well-established. 1420. Wholesome qualities like faith grow unbroken; And the greatness of his conduct leading to full enlightenment is manifest. 1421. For easy penetration, excellent foundational jhāna; And the straight, sole path, for rebirth in the Brahma-world. 1422. These are conducive to latent tendencies, leading to the accumulation of enlightenment factors; Heavenly, providing happiness, unsurpassed protection for the world. 1423. Serving immeasurable benefits, arising from immeasurable qualities; Therefore, in these immeasurables, a wise person should not be negligent. 1424. But contemplating the repulsiveness in food, the supreme perception; The sustenance of food in morsels, including drinks and other provisions. 1425. Eaten, chewed, drunk, and tasted in solitude; One should reflect on it as repulsive, how much more so when moving about. 1426. Leaving this ascetic grove, delightful and undisturbed; For the sake of food, one must go to the village, crowded with villagers. 1427. There, in the impure and defiled, amidst the confusion of wicked people; Food is sought from house to house, standing or sitting, in humility. 1428. That, defiled with saliva and impurities, turned over by the tongue-tip; Broken by the teeth, its color and smell are destroyed. 1429. Overwhelmed by bile and phlegm, mixed with pus and blood; Entering, it is repulsive, disgusting, contemptible, and dreadful. 1430. In the stomach, filled with corpses, pervaded by foul odors; Like a dog's vomit, like vomit in a dog's trough. 1431. Like a heated cauldron, swarming with various worms; There, covered with bubbles, it putrefies and is digested. 1432. And this, being digested, and its nature being consumed; Increases hair, body-hair, and other accumulations of various corpses. 1433. And when it is fully digested, it brings many afflictions; The arising of hundreds of great diseases like leprosy, boils, and skin diseases. 1434. And that putrid, digested food, accumulated in many openings; Like a putrefied lump of fat, it constantly oozes. By which the body becomes putrid, always emitting a foul smell; Even when constantly washed, it does not attain purity. 1436. This food is loathsome, Serving the impure body; Its end is discharge and filth, Bringing forth defilement as its fruit. 1437. Arising from sensual lust, binding to the birth of disease; The basis for intoxication and heedlessness, the great path to evil deeds. 1438. This path leads to harm, giving rise to fear and terror; The door to misfortune, the mouth leading to lower realms. 1439. While wandering, those who are greedy for food, The foolish, performing defiled deeds, become partakers of suffering. 1440. For the mind's dispassion there, what is like ripe fruit? In the form of pleasant taste, filled with terrible dangers. 1441. For one who develops the perception of loathsomeness, thus discerning; Having reached the path of access, the mind becomes concentrated. 1442. He, having calmed his food, That wise one is clear; Free from intoxication and heedlessness, Without attachment to taste. 1443. As one smears medicine, or applies ointment; Eating it like his son's flesh, he partakes of food. 1444. Born into the noble lineage, Endowed with qualities like fewness of wishes; Having torn apart the net of desires, The wise one attains well-being. 1445. Developing the analysis of the four elements, or fivefold; One should comprehend the elements, all four by their nature. 1446. In brief and in detail, the components and their characteristics; How to divide them fourfold, internally and externally? 1447. Whatever is hair, body hair, etc., is called hardness; Internally it is the earth element, externally it is that beyond. 1448. Whatever is in the nature of fluid, Or water, that which ripens; One should take as fire and wind, That which supports entirely. 1449. Even in detail, the components are twenty, like hair and body hair; One should develop the earth element, and the twelve water elements like bile. 1450. By the fire by which this body is heated, decays; Is properly consumed, and food, etc., is digested. 1451. This four-part origin of one's own body; T One should grasp the fire element, And then the wind element. 1452. Upward and downward winds, And those in the stomach; Pervading the limbs, And the sixfold in-breath and out-breath. 1453. Taking up each characteristic, Having determined its own mark; One should comprehend everywhere, The fourfold collection of elements. 1454. Thus this body, Is merely elements, Without consciousness and without a being, Without essence, food for others. 1455.