4.5. The Eight on the Ultimate

Paramanti diṭṭhīsu paribbasāno,

Yaduttari kurute jantu loke;

Hīnāti aññe tato sabbamāha,

Tasmā vivādāni avītivatto.

Yadattanī passati ānisaṁsaṁ,

Diṭṭhe sute sīlavate mute vā;

Tadeva so tattha samuggahāya,

Nihīnato passati sabbamaññaṁ.

Taṁ vāpi ganthaṁ kusalā vadanti,

Yaṁ nissito passati hīnamaññaṁ;

Tasmā hi diṭṭhaṁ va sutaṁ mutaṁ vā,

Sīlabbataṁ bhikkhu na nissayeyya.

Diṭṭhimpi lokasmiṁ na kappayeyya,

Ñāṇena vā sīlavatena vāpi;

Samoti attānamanūpaneyya,

Hīno na maññetha visesi vāpi.

Attaṁ pahāya anupādiyāno,

Ñāṇepi so nissayaṁ no karoti;

Sa ve viyattesu na vaggasārī,

Diṭṭhimpi so na pacceti kiñci.

Yassūbhayante paṇidhīdha natthi,

Bhavābhavāya idha vā huraṁ vā;

Nivesanā tassa na santi keci,

Dhammesu niccheyya samuggahītaṁ.

Tassīdha diṭṭhe va sute mute vā,

Pakappitā natthi aṇūpi saññā;

Taṁ brāhmaṇaṁ diṭṭhimanādiyānaṁ,

Kenīdha lokasmiṁ vikappayeyya.

Na kappayanti na purekkharonti,

Dhammāpi tesaṁ na paṭicchitāse;

Na brāhmaṇo sīlavatena neyyo,

Pāraṅgato na pacceti tādīti.

Paramaṭṭhakasuttaṁ pañcamaṁ.

SC 1SC Verse 803Whoever should take to himself certain views,
thinking them best, supreme in the world,
and hence he proclaims all others as low—
by this he does not become free from disputes.

SC 2SC Verse 804In whatever is seen by him, heard, and cognized,
vows and rites done—he sees profit in these;
and so from his grasping at that very view
all others he sees as worthless, as low.

SC 3SC Verse 805Intelligent people declare it a bond,
if relying on one he sees others as low;
therefore should a bhikkhu rely not on rites,
on vows, on the seen, the heard, and cognized.

SC 4SC Verse 806And so in this world let him fashion no views
relying on knowledge, rites and vows done,
nor let him conceive that he’s on a par,
nor think himself low, nor higher than them.

SC 5SC Verse 807Abandoning own views, not grasping (at more)
and even in knowledge not seeking support,
’mong those who dispute he never takes sides,
to the various views he does not recourse.

SC 6SC Verse 808Having no bias for either extreme—
for being, or not, here, the next world,
for a bhikkhu like this there’s no settling down,
’mong dharmas seized and decided (by them).

SC 7SC Verse 809Concerning the seen, the heard and cognized,
not the least notion is fashioned by him,
that one who’s perfected grasps at no view,
by whom in the world could he be described?

SC 8SC Verse 810Neither they’re fashioned nor honoured at all—
those doctrines, they’re never accepted by him:
Perfected, not guided by rites or by vows,
One Thus, not returning, beyond has he gone.