The Path

Eseva maggo natthañño,Dassanassa visuddhiyā;Etañhi tumhe paṭipajjatha,Mārassetaṁ pamohanaṁ.

एसेव मग्गो नत्थञ्ञो,दस्सनस्स विसुद्धिया ।एतञ्हि तुम्हे पटिपज्जथ,मारस्सेतं पमोहनं ॥

This is the path, there is no other for the purification of vision. You all must practice this, it is the way to baffle Māra.

Etañhi tumhe paṭipannā,dukkhassantaṁ karissatha;Akkhāto vo mayā maggo,aññāya sallakantanaṁ.

एतञ्हि तुम्हे पटिपन्ना,दुक्खस्सन्तं करिस्सथ ।अक्खातो वो मया मग्गो,अञ्ञाय सल्लकन्तनं ॥

When you all are practicing this, you’ll make an end of suffering. I have explained the path to you for extracting the thorn with wisdom.

“Sabbe saṅkhārā dukkhā”ti,yadā paññāya passati;Atha nibbindati dukkhe,esa maggo visuddhiyā.

“सब्बे सङ्खारा दुक्खा”ति,यदा पञ्ञाय पस्सति ।अथ निब्बिन्दति दुक्खे,एस मग्गो विसुद्धिया ॥

All conditions are suffering, when this is seen with wisdom, one grows disillusioned with suffering: this is the path to purity.

“Sabbe dhammā anattā”ti,yadā paññāya passati;Atha nibbindati dukkhe,esa maggo visuddhiyā.

“सब्बे धम्मा अनत्ता”ति,यदा पञ्ञाय पस्सति ।अथ निब्बिन्दति दुक्खे,एस मग्गो विसुद्धिया ॥

All things are not-self, when this is seen with wisdom, one grows disillusioned with suffering: this is the path to purity.

Uṭṭhānakālamhi anuṭṭhahāno,Yuvā balī ālasiyaṁ upeto;Saṁsannasaṅkappamano kusīto,Paññāya maggaṁ alaso na vindati.

उट्ठानकालम्हि अनुट्ठहानो,युवा बली आलसियं उपेतो ।संसन्नसङ्कप्पमनो कुसीतो,पञ्ञाय मग्गं अलसो न विन्दति ॥

They don’t get going when it’s time to start; they’re young and strong, but given to sloth. Their mind depressed in sunken thought, lazy and slothful, they can’t discern the path.

Vācānurakkhī manasā susaṁvuto,Kāyena ca nākusalaṁ kayirā;Ete tayo kammapathe visodhaye,Ārādhaye maggamisippaveditaṁ.

वाचानुरक्खी मनसा सुसंवुतो,कायेन च नाकुसलं कयिरा ।एते तयो कम्मपथे विसोधये,आराधये मग्गमिसिप्पवेदितं ॥

Guarded in speech, restrained in mind, doing no unskillful bodily deed. Purify these three ways of performing deeds, and win the path known to seers.

Yogā ve jāyatī bhūri,ayogā bhūrisaṅkhayo;Etaṁ dvedhāpathaṁ ñatvā,bhavāya vibhavāya ca;Tathāttānaṁ niveseyya,yathā bhūri pavaḍḍhati.

योगा वे जायती भूरि,अयोगा भूरिसङ्खयो ।एतं द्वेधापथं ञत्वा,भवाय विभवाय च ।तथात्तानं निवेसेय्य,यथा भूरि पवड्ढति ॥

From meditation springs wisdom, without meditation, wisdom ends. Knowing these two paths, of progress and decline, you should conduct yourself so that wisdom grows.

Vanaṁ chindatha mā rukkhaṁ,vanato jāyate bhayaṁ;Chetvā vanañca vanathañca,nibbanā hotha bhikkhavo.

वनं छिन्दथ मा रुक्खं,वनतो जायते भयं ।छेत्वा वनञ्च वनथञ्च,निब्बना होथ भिक्खवो ॥

Cut down the jungle, not just a tree; from the jungle springs fear. Having cut down jungle and snarl, be free of jungles, mendicants!

Yāva hi vanatho na chijjati,Aṇumattopi narassa nārisu;Paṭibaddhamanova tāva so,Vaccho khīrapakova mātari.

याव हि वनथो न छिज्जति,अणुमत्तोपि नरस्स नारिसु ।पटिबद्धमनोव ताव सो,वच्छो खीरपकोव मातरि ॥

So long as the vine, no matter how small, that ties a man to women is not cut, his mind remains trapped, like a calf suckling its mother.

Ucchinda sinehamattano,Kumudaṁ sāradikaṁva pāṇinā;Santimaggameva brūhaya,Nibbānaṁ sugatena desitaṁ.

उच्छिन्द सिनेहमत्तनो,कुमुदं सारदिकंव पाणिना ।सन्तिमग्गमेव ब्रूहय,निब्बानं सुगतेन देसितं ॥

Cut out affection for oneself, like plucking an autumn lotus. Foster only the path to peace, the extinguishment the Holy One taught.

Idha vassaṁ vasissāmi,idha hemantagimhisu;Iti bālo vicinteti,antarāyaṁ na bujjhati.

इध वस्सं वसिस्सामि,इध हेमन्तगिम्हिसु ।इति बालो विचिन्तेति,अन्तरायं न बुज्झति ॥

“Here I will stay for the rains; here for winter, here the summer”; thus the fool thinks, not realizing the danger.

Taṁ puttapasusammattaṁ,byāsattamanasaṁ naraṁ;Suttaṁ gāmaṁ mahoghova,maccu ādāya gacchati.

तं पुत्तपसुसम्मत्तं,ब्यासत्तमनसं नरं ।सुत्तं गामं महोघोव,मच्चु आदाय गच्छति ॥

As a mighty flood sweeps away a sleeping village, death steals away a man who dotes on children and cattle, his mind caught up in them.

Na santi puttā tāṇāya,na pitā nāpi bandhavā;Antakenādhipannassa,natthi ñātīsu tāṇatā.

न सन्ति पुत्ता ताणाय,न पिता नापि बन्धवा ।अन्तकेनाधिपन्नस्स,नत्थि ञातीसु ताणता ॥

Children provide you no shelter, nor does father, nor relatives. When you’re seized by the terminator, there’s no shelter in family.

Etamatthavasaṁ ñatvā,paṇḍito sīlasaṁvuto;Nibbānagamanaṁ maggaṁ,khippameva visodhaye.Maggavaggo vīsatimo.

एतमत्थवसं ञत्वा,पण्डितो सीलसंवुतो ।निब्बानगमनं मग्गं,खिप्पमेव विसोधये ॥मग्गवग्गो वीसतिमो ॥

Knowing the reason for this, astute, and ethically restrained, one would quickly clear the path that leads to extinguishment.