2.9. What is Good Conduct?

“Kiṁsīlo kiṁsamācāro,

kāni kammāni brūhayaṁ;

Naro sammā niviṭṭhassa,

uttamatthañca pāpuṇe”.

“Vuḍḍhāpacāyī anusūyako siyā,

Kālaññū cassa garūnaṁ dassanāya;

Dhammiṁ kathaṁ erayitaṁ khaṇaññū,

Suṇeyya sakkacca subhāsitāni.

Kālena gacche garūnaṁ sakāsaṁ,

Thambhaṁ niraṅkatvā nivātavutti;

Atthaṁ dhammaṁ saṁyamaṁ brahmacariyaṁ,

Anussare ceva samācare ca.

Dhammārāmo dhammarato,

Dhamme ṭhito dhammavinicchayaññū;

Nevācare dhammasandosavādaṁ,

Tacchehi nīyetha subhāsitehi.

Hassaṁ jappaṁ paridevaṁ padosaṁ,

Māyākataṁ kuhanaṁ giddhi mānaṁ;

Sārambhaṁ kakkasaṁ kasāvañca mucchaṁ,

Hitvā care vītamado ṭhitatto.

Viññātasārāni subhāsitāni,

Sutañca viññātasamādhisāraṁ;

Na tassa paññā ca sutañca vaḍḍhati,

Yo sāhaso hoti naro pamatto.

Dhamme ca ye ariyapavedite ratā,

Anuttarā te vacasā manasā kammunā ca;

Te santisoraccasamādhisaṇṭhitā,

Sutassa paññāya ca sāramajjhagū”ti.

Kiṁsīlasuttaṁ navamaṁ.

SC 1SC Verse 327Sāriputta
With what kinds of conduct and morality,
growing in what sorts of karmas,
will a person well-established be
for attainment of the highest goal?

SC 2SC Verse 328Buddha
Let that one be an honourer of elders, never envious,
a knower of the right time for the teacher seeing,
and when Dharma’s being taught, a knower of that time
to listen precisely to those well-spoken words.

SC 3SC Verse 329And at the right time go to the teacher’s presence
in an unassuming way, discarding obstinacy,
with restraint and recollection of the way to practise,
remembering the Dharma for the life of purity.

SC 4SC Verse 330Dwelling in the Dharma, delighted in Dharma,
in Dharma established, and skilled in deciding Dharma,
never uttering words to the Dharma’s detriment,
Let such a one be guided by well-spoken truths.

SC 5SC Verse 331Disputatiousness, gossip, complaints and ill-will,
deception, hypocrisy, longing and pride,
aggressiveness, harshness, defilements-attached,
fare abandoning these, pride-free, of steady mind.

SC 6SC Verse 332Understanding’s the essence of well-spoken words,
while that and the learnt is the essence of calmness;
but wisdom and learning in one do not grow—
that person who’s hasty and negligent both.

SC 7SC Verse 333Delighting in Dharma by Noble Ones taught,
their mind, speech and body all unsurpassed—
in gentleness, peace, meditative-states firm,
attained to the essence of wisdom and learning.