4.14. The Quick Way

“Pucchāmi taṁ ādiccabandhu,

Vivekaṁ santipadañca mahesi;

Kathaṁ disvā nibbāti bhikkhu,

Anupādiyāno lokasmiṁ kiñci”.

“Mūlaṁ papañcasaṅkhāya,

(iti bhagavā)

Mantā asmīti sabbamuparundhe;

Yā kāci taṇhā ajjhattaṁ,

Tāsaṁ vinayā sadā sato sikkhe.

Yaṁ kiñci dhammamabhijaññā,

Ajjhattaṁ atha vāpi bahiddhā;

Na tena thāmaṁ kubbetha,

Na hi sā nibbuti sataṁ vuttā.

Seyyo na tena maññeyya,

Nīceyyo atha vāpi sarikkho;

Phuṭṭho anekarūpehi,

Nātumānaṁ vikappayaṁ tiṭṭhe.

Ajjhattamevupasame,

Na aññato bhikkhu santimeseyya;

Ajjhattaṁ upasantassa,

Natthi attā kuto nirattā vā.

Majjhe yathā samuddassa,

Ūmi no jāyatī ṭhito hoti;

Evaṁ ṭhito anejassa,

Ussadaṁ bhikkhu na kareyya kuhiñci”.

“Akittayī vivaṭacakkhu,

Sakkhidhammaṁ parissayavinayaṁ;

Paṭipadaṁ vadehi bhaddante,

Pātimokkhaṁ atha vāpi samādhiṁ”.

“Cakkhūhi neva lolassa,

Gāmakathāya āvaraye sotaṁ;

Rase ca nānugijjheyya,

Na ca mamāyetha kiñci lokasmiṁ.

Phassena yadā phuṭṭhassa,

Paridevaṁ bhikkhu na kareyya kuhiñci;

Bhavañca nābhijappeyya,

Bheravesu ca na sampavedheyya.

Annānamatho pānānaṁ,

Khādanīyānaṁ athopi vatthānaṁ;

Laddhā na sannidhiṁ kayirā,

Na ca parittase tāni alabhamāno.

Jhāyī na pādalolassa,

Virame kukkuccā nappamajjeyya;

Athāsanesu sayanesu,

Appasaddesu bhikkhu vihareyya.

Niddaṁ na bahulīkareyya,

Jāgariyaṁ bhajeyya ātāpī;

Tandiṁ māyaṁ hassaṁ khiḍḍaṁ,

Methunaṁ vippajahe savibhūsaṁ.

Āthabbaṇaṁ supinaṁ lakkhaṇaṁ,

No vidahe athopi nakkhattaṁ;

Virutañca gabbhakaraṇaṁ,

Tikicchaṁ māmako na seveyya.

Nindāya nappavedheyya,

Na uṇṇameyya pasaṁsito bhikkhu;

Lobhaṁ saha macchariyena,

Kodhaṁ pesuṇiyañca panudeyya.

Kayavikkaye na tiṭṭheyya,

Upavādaṁ bhikkhu na kareyya kuhiñci;

Gāme ca nābhisajjeyya,

Lābhakamyā janaṁ na lapayeyya.

Na ca katthitā siyā bhikkhu,

Na ca vācaṁ payuttaṁ bhāseyya;

Pāgabbhiyaṁ na sikkheyya,

Kathaṁ viggāhikaṁ na kathayeyya.

Mosavajje na nīyetha,

Sampajāno saṭhāni na kayirā;

Atha jīvitena paññāya,

Sīlabbatena nāññamatimaññe.

Sutvā rusito bahuṁ vācaṁ,

Samaṇānaṁ vā puthujanānaṁ;

Pharusena ne na paṭivajjā,

Na hi santo paṭisenikaronti.

Etañca dhammamaññāya,

Vicinaṁ bhikkhu sadā sato sikkhe;

Santīti nibbutiṁ ñatvā,

Sāsane gotamassa na pamajjeyya.

Abhibhū hi so anabhibhūto,

Sakkhidhammamanītihamadassī;

Tasmā hi tassa bhagavato sāsane,

Appamatto sadā namassamanusikkhe”ti.

Tuvaṭakasuttaṁ cuddasamaṁ.

SC 1SC Verse 922Question
I ask the Kinsman of the Sun, the great seeker,
About seclusion and the state of peace.
Seeing what is a bhikkhu quenched,
Not grasping at anything in the world?

SC 2SC Verse 923Buddha
One should completely extract
The root of proliferation and reckoning—
The notion, “I am the thinker”.
One should train to dispel whatever craving
There is inside, ever mindful.

SC 3SC Verse 924Whatever principle they have known for themselves,
Whether internally or externally,
They would not be stubborn about that,
For good people say that this is not quenching.

SC 4SC Verse 925You shouldn’t, on that account, think you are better,
Or worse, or even the same;
Though affected by many different things,
You should not keep thinking of yourself.

SC 5SC Verse 926Totally calm within himself,
A bhikkhu would not seek peace from another;
For one who is at peace with themselves,
There is nothing to hold on to, still less to put down.

SC 6SC Verse 927As in the middle of the ocean,
There are no waves, but all is still,
So they would be still, unmoving;
A bhikkhu is not haughty at all.

SC 7SC Verse 928Question
You have taught me, with your eyes open,
Seeing principles for yourself, dispelling dangers;
Venerable sir, tell me the practice,
The rules of conduct and also meditation.

SC 8SC Verse 929Buddha
Not letting their eyes wander,
Turning their ear from crass conversations,
Not greedy for flavors,
And not thinking of anything in the world as “mine”.

SC 9SC Verse 930When things afflict him,
A bhikkhu would not whinge at all;
He would neither long for rebirth,
Nor tremble at dangers.

SC 10SC Verse 931He would not store up goods that he gets,
Whether food and drink,
Other edibles or cloth,
And he would not be afraid of not getting anything.

SC 11SC Verse 932Practising jhāna, not footloose,
Not remorseful, nor negligent;
That bhikkhu would stay in quiet
Places for meditation and sleep.

SC 12SC Verse 933They would not sleep much,
But be ardent, developing wakefulness;
They would abandon laziness, deceit, jokes, games,
And sex, together with other frivolities.

SC 13SC Verse 934One of my followers would not cast spells,
Or interpret dreams,
Nor would they practice astrology,
Prognosticate animal sounds,
Practice fertility magic,
Or [earn money] as a healer.

SC 14SC Verse 935A bhikkhu would not be anxious when criticized,
Nor puffed up when praised;
But would get rid of greed together with
Stinginess, anger, and slander.

SC 15SC Verse 936They would not continue at a trade,
A bhikkhu would not incur blame at all;
They would not linger in a village,
Nor cajole people hoping to get stuff.

SC 16SC Verse 937A bhikkhu would not be boastful,
Nor speak with an ulterior motive;
He would not practice impudence,
Nor say things that were argumentative.

SC 17SC Verse 938He would not be carried away by lies,
Nor deliberately betray anyone;
Nor would he look down on anyone for their
Way of life, intelligence, virtue, or vows.

SC 18SC Verse 939Even if provoked by different sayings,
Of ascetics or of ordinary people,
He would not answer harshly,
For good people make no enemies.

SC 19SC Verse 940Fully understanding this principle,
An inquiring bhikkhu would always train mindfully;
Knowing quenching as peace,
He would not be negligent in Gotama’s teaching.

SC 20SC Verse 941He overcomes, he is not overcome,
Seeing the Dhamma with his own eyes, not by hearsay;
Therefore he would always respectfully train in accord,
Diligent in the teaching of the Buddha.