[394] 10. A thought arose in the ascetic (samaṇa) in the great flowering forest, as he sat one-pointed, secluded, absorbed in meditation:
"While the Lord of the World, the supreme among men, yet remained, the conduct of the bhikkhus was of one kind; now it appears otherwise.
As a shelter from cold and wind, as a covering for what shame conceals, they used [their robes] in due measure, content with whatever came.
Whether choice or coarse, whether little or much, they ate only for sustenance, without greed, without infatuation.
For the requisites of life, for medicines and the [other] supports, they were not so keenly eager as they were for the destruction of the taints (āsava).
In the forest, at the roots of trees, in ravines and in caves, fostering seclusion (viveka), they dwelt with that as their final aim.
Lowly in bearing, easy to support, gentle, with minds unhardened, unsullied, not garrulous, they were swayed by thought upon the good.
Hence their going, their eating, their resorting inspired confidence; their bearing in the postures (iriyāpatha) was smooth as a stream of oil.
With all taints wholly destroyed, great meditators, of great benefit, those elders are now quenched [in Nibbāna]; few now are such as they.
Through the utter waning of wholesome states and of wisdom, the Conqueror's dispensation (jinasāsana), endowed with every excellent quality, crumbles away.
This is the season of evil states and of defilements (kilesa); yet those who stand ready for seclusion are the remnant of the true Dhamma (saddhamma).
Those defilements, ever growing, take possession of many people; they make sport with fools, I think, as demons with the mad.
Overcome by defilements, driven this way and that by them, such men [rush] upon the objects of defilement as though a free-for-all plunder had been proclaimed.
Casting aside the true Dhamma, they quarrel with one another; running after views, they imagine, 'This is better.'
Though they went forth abandoning wealth, sons, and wife, even for the sake of a ladleful of alms they resort to deeds that ought not be done.
Having eaten their bellies full, they lie down to sleep upon their backs; on waking they keep up such talk as the Teacher censured.
Setting store by all the artisans' crafts, they train themselves in them, unstilled within — while the goal of the ascetic life stands idle.
Clay, oil, and powder, water, seats, and food they proffer to householders, hoping for more in return,
and tooth-cleaning sticks and wood-apples, flowers and dainties, choice almsfood (piṇḍapāta), mangoes and emblic myrobalans.
In medicines they are like physicians, in affairs great and small like householders, in self-adornment like a courtesan, in wielding lordship like khattiyas.
Cheats, deceivers, false witnesses, sly — by many a contrivance they enjoy material things.
Chasing after evasions, pretexts, and contrivances, intent upon a livelihood, they scrape together much wealth by stratagem.
They put a man in their service on account of business and not on account of the Dhamma; they teach the Dhamma to others for the sake of gain and not for the sake of the good.
Outsiders to the Saṅgha, they wrangle over the Saṅgha's gains; shameless, living upon the gains of others, they feel no disgrace.
Some who do not apply themselves thus — shaven-headed, wrapped in the outer robe (saṅghāṭi) — desire only esteem, infatuated with gain and honour.
Now that things have thus gone astray in so many ways, it is no longer so easy to attain what has not been attained, or to preserve what has been attained.
As one unshod would walk in a place of thorns with mindfulness (sati) set up, even so should a sage (muni) walk in the village.
Remembering the meditators (yogī) of old, recollecting their way of conduct, even though it be the latter time, one may still touch the deathless state."
Having spoken thus in the sāla grove, the ascetic with faculties developed, the brahmin, the seer whose renewal of existence was destroyed, attained final Nibbāna.
[Thus] the Elder Pārāsariya.
Summary (Uddāna)
Adhimutta, Pārāsariya, Telukāni, Raṭṭhapāla, Māluṅkya and Sela, Bhaddiya, Aṅguli[māla], the possessor of the divine eye (dibbacakkhuka) [i.e., Anuruddha], and Pārāsariya: these ten are well proclaimed in the [Section of the] Twenties; the verses number two hundred and forty-five.
The Section of the Twenties (Vīsatinipāta) is concluded.
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The Section of the Thirties (Tiṃsanipāta) of the Theragāthā
[Variant readings noted in the Siam edition: for "vihiṃsu," Po. and M. read "vihaṃsu"; for "nīcaniviṭṭhā," M. reads "nīcā niviṭṭhā"; for "sayaṃgāhe va," M. reads "sasaṅgāme va"; for "kathaṃ vattenti," Po. reads "kathaṃ vaḍḍhenti" and Yu. "kathā vadenti"; for "cittaṃ katvāna," M. reads "cittiṃ katvāna" and Yu. "cittikatvāna"; for "avāṭukā," M. reads "apāṭukā."]
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.