4.4. The Eight on Purity

Passāmi suddhaṁ paramaṁ arogaṁ,

Diṭṭhena saṁsuddhi narassa hoti;

Evābhijānaṁ paramanti ñatvā,

Suddhānupassīti pacceti ñāṇaṁ.

Diṭṭhena ce suddhi narassa hoti,

Ñāṇena vā so pajahāti dukkhaṁ;

Aññena so sujjhati sopadhīko,

Diṭṭhī hi naṁ pāva tathā vadānaṁ.

Na brāhmaṇo aññato suddhimāha,

Diṭṭhe sute sīlavate mute vā;

Puññe ca pāpe ca anūpalitto,

Attañjaho nayidha pakubbamāno.

Purimaṁ pahāya aparaṁ sitāse,

Ejānugā te na taranti saṅgaṁ;

Te uggahāyanti nirassajanti,

Kapīva sākhaṁ pamuñcaṁ gahāyaṁ.

Sayaṁ samādāya vatāni jantu,

Uccāvacaṁ gacchati saññasatto;

Vidvā ca vedehi samecca dhammaṁ,

Na uccāvacaṁ gacchati bhūripañño.

Sa sabbadhammesu visenibhūto,

Yaṁ kiñci diṭṭhaṁ va sutaṁ mutaṁ vā;

Tameva dassiṁ vivaṭaṁ carantaṁ,

Kenīdha lokasmi vikappayeyya.

Na kappayanti na purekkharonti,

Accantasuddhīti na te vadanti;

Ādānaganthaṁ gathitaṁ visajja,

Āsaṁ na kubbanti kuhiñci loke.

Sīmātigo brāhmaṇo tassa natthi,

Ñatvā va disvā va samuggahītaṁ;

Na rāgarāgī na virāgaratto,

Tassīdha natthi paramuggahītanti.

Suddhaṭṭhakasuttaṁ catutthaṁ.

SC 1SC Verse 795“A pure one I see”, free completely from disease,
so by “seeing” such (it is said) one attains to purity.
Convinced about this and holding it highest
that one relies on this knowledge
while contemplating purity.

SC 2SC Verse 796But if a person by seeings’ purified
or if through such knowledge could leave dukkha aside
then one with assets still by another could be purified:
this view betrays one who speaks in this way.

SC 3SC Verse 797The Brahmin says not that “by another, one is purified”—
not by sights or by sounds, rites and vows and what’s sensed.
Such person’s not stuck upon merit or evil,
with selfishness renounced, constructing nothing here.

SC 4SC Verse 798Former (things) let go, then to other (things) attached,
following craving, their bondage, they do not overcross,
so they (continue) with grasping and discarding,
as monkey letting go a branch to seize upon another.

SC 5SC Verse 799A person undertaking (holy) vows goes high and low—
they waver, fettered by conditional perceptions.
But one who has learnt well and the Dharma penetrated
goes not up and down—
that one of wisdom profound.

SC 6SC Verse 800Within all the dharmas whether seen or they’re heard,
or otherwise sensed, this one fights not at all,
that one who sees them nakedly while faring to the end,
by whom in the world could he be described?

SC 7SC Verse 801They neither form views, show nothing’s preferred,
nor do they claim a purity supreme,
having loosened craving’s knot with which they were bound,
no longer they have longing for what’s in the world.

SC 8SC Verse 802Having Known, having Seen, there’s nothing to be grasped
by a Brahmin gone beyond all limitations,
neither lustful with lusts nor to lustlessness attached—
in this there is nothing that’s grasped as the highest.