[423] 16. "Never before this have I seen" (so said the Venerable Sāriputta)
"nor heard from anyone
a teacher of such lovely speech,
come from Tusita as leader of a group.
As the One with Vision appears
to the world together with its devas,
having dispelled all darkness,
alone he attained delight.
To that Buddha — unattached, the steadfast one (tādī),
without guile, come as leader of a group —
in need, I have come with a question
on behalf of the many here who are bound.
For a bhikkhu who feels revulsion [toward existence],
resorting to a solitary seat,
to the foot of a tree, to a charnel ground,
or in the caves of the mountains,
in resting places high and low —
how many are the terrors there
at which he should not tremble,
a bhikkhu in his noiseless lodging?
How many are the dangers in the world
for one going to the region not gone before,
dangers which a bhikkhu must overcome
in his remote lodging?
What should be his ways of speech?
What here should be his resorts (gocara)?
What should be the virtues and vows¹
of a bhikkhu with resolute self?
Undertaking what training —
unified (ekodi), prudent, mindful (sato) —
would he blow away his own dross,
as a smith the dross of silver?"
#1 Po., Yu. read: sīlabbānāssu.
"What is comfortable for one who feels revulsion" ("Sāriputta," said the Blessed One)
"if he resorts to a solitary seat and bed,
desiring awakening, in conformity with the Dhamma —
that I shall declare to you as one who knows.
A wise bhikkhu, mindful, wandering within bounds,
should not fear the five¹ fears:
gadflies and stinging flies, creeping things,
contacts with human beings, four-footed beasts.
He should not be terrified of followers of other teachings,
even when he has seen their manifold terrors;
and he should overcome still other dangers,
a seeker of the wholesome.
Touched by the contact of illness, touched by hunger,
he should endure cold and excessive heat;
touched by these in many ways, the abodeless one
should exert himself and make his energy (viriya) firm.
He should not commit theft, should not speak falsehood;
with loving-kindness (mettā) he should suffuse beings trembling and firm;
when he perceives turbidity of mind,
he should dispel it: 'This is of the Dark One's faction.'
#1 Po., Yu. read: pañcannaṃ.
He should not fall under the sway of anger and arrogance;
he should stand fast, having dug up their very root;
and then, whether the dear or the not-dear,
assuredly, overcoming, he should overcome them.
Putting wisdom in the forefront¹, with rapture (pīti) in the good,
he should suppress those dangers;
he should conquer discontent in his remote resting place;
he should conquer the four things that provoke lamentation:
'What shall I eat?' or 'Where shall I eat?'
'Painfully indeed I slept²; where today shall I sleep?' —
these lamentable thoughts
the trainee (sekha) should remove, wandering without abode.
Having received food and clothing in due season,
he should know the measure here for contentment's sake;
guarded with regard to these, going restrained in the village,
even when provoked he should not utter a harsh word.
With eyes downcast, not footloose,
devoted to jhāna, he should be very wakeful;
arousing equanimity (upekkhā), inwardly concentrated,
he should cut off the lair of speculation and remorse.
#1 Po. reads: purakkhitvā. #2 Po. reads: dukkhaṃ vasayetha.
When admonished by words, mindful, he should welcome it;
toward his companions in the holy life he should break up barrenness of heart (khila);
he should utter speech that is wholesome, not beyond due measure;
he should not set his mind on ways of talk for blaming people.
Then further: there are five kinds of dust in the world,
for whose removal, mindful, he should train:
he should conquer passion (rāga) for forms, for sounds,
and then for tastes, for odors, and for contacts.
Having removed desire (chanda) for these things,
a bhikkhu, mindful, with mind well liberated,
duly investigating the Dhamma at the right time,
become unified (ekodibhūta), he should destroy the darkness."
So said the Blessed One.
The Sāriputta Sutta, the Sixteenth, [is ended].
The Aṭṭhakavagga, the Fourth [Chapter], [is ended].
The summary (uddāna) thereof:
Kāma, Guhā and Duṭṭha, Suddha, Parama, Jarā,
Metteyya and Pasūra, Māgandī, Purābheda,
Kalaha and the two Byūhas, and again Tuvaṭṭaka,
the excellent Attadaṇḍa Sutta; with that of Sāriputta¹, sixteen —
thus these suttas are all of the Aṭṭhakavagga.
#1 Yu. reads: therapañhena soḷasa ("with the Elder's Question, sixteen").
The Suttanipāta: the Fifth [Chapter], the Pārāyanavagga.
The Introductory Narrative (Vatthukathā).
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.