Theragāthā (Psalms of the Brethren)

The thoughtful sage selected rags from the dust heap; he picked them up, washed, dyed, and wore them; Anuruddha is without defilements.

The principles of someone who has many wishes and is not content, who socializes and is conceited, are wicked and corrupting.

But someone who is mindful, few of wishes, content and untroubled, delighting in seclusion, joyful, always resolute and energetic;

their principles are skillful, on the side of awakening; they are without defilements— so said the great seer.

“Knowing my thoughts, the supreme Teacher in the world came to me in a mind-made body, using his psychic power.

He taught me more than I had thought of. The Buddha who loves non-proliferation taught me non-proliferation.

Understanding that teaching, I happily did his bidding. I’ve attained the three knowledges, and have fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.

For the last fifty-five years I have not lain down to sleep. Twenty-five years have passed since I eradicated drowsiness.”

“There was no more breathing for the unaffected one of steady heart. Imperturbable, committed to peace, the Clear-eyed One was fully quenched.

He put up with painful feelings without flinching. The liberation of his heart was like the extinguishing of a lamp.”

“Now these touches and the other four are the last to be experienced by the sage; nor will there be other phenomena since the Buddha was fully quenched.

O Penelope, weaver of the web— there’s no more abodes in the heavenly host. Transmigration through births is finished, now there’ll be no more future lives.”

“The mendicant by whom the galaxy with the age of the Divinity are known in an hour— that master of psychic ability sees the gods at the time they pass away and are reborn.”

“In the past I was Annabhāra, a poor carrier of fodder. I practiced as an ascetic, the renowned Upariṭṭha.

Then I was reborn in the Sakyan clan, where I was known as ‘Anuruddha’. Surrounded by song and dance, I was awakened by cymbals and gongs.

Then I saw the Buddha, the Teacher, fearing nothing from any quarter; filling my mind with confidence in him, I went forth to homelessness.

I know my past lives, the places I used to live. I was born as Sakka, and stayed among the thirty-three gods.

Seven times I was a king of men ruling a kingdom, victorious in the four quarters, lord of the Black Plum Tree Land. Without rod or sword, I governed by principle.

Seven from here, seven from there— fourteen transmigrations in all. I shall remember my past lives: at that time I stayed in the realm of the gods.

I have gained complete tranquility in immersion with five factors. Peaceful, serene, my clairvoyance is purified.

Steady in five-factored absorption, I know the passing away and rebirth of beings, their coming and going, their lives in this state and that.

I’ve served the Teacher and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions. The heavy burden is laid down, the leash to existence is eradicated.

In the Vajjian village of Veḷuva, my life will come to an end. Beneath a thicket of bamboos, being undefiled, I will be fully extinguished.”

This thought came to the ascetic in the forest full of flowers, as he was seated alone meditating in seclusion:

“The behavior of the mendicants these days seems different from when the protector of the world, the best of men, was still here.

Their robes were only for covering the private parts, and protection from the cold and wind. They ate in moderation, content with whatever they were offered.

Whether food was fine or coarse, a little or a lot, they ate only for sustenance, without greed or gluttony.

They weren’t so very eager for the requisites of life, such as tonics and other necessities, as they were for the ending of defilements.

In the wilderness, at a tree’s root, in caves and caverns, fostering seclusion, they lived with that as their final goal.

They were used to simple things, unburdensome, gentle, not pompous at heart, unsullied, not scurrilous, their thoughts were intent on the goal.

That’s why they inspired confidence, in their movements, eating, and practice; their deportment was as smooth as a stream of oil.

With the utter ending of all defilements, those senior monks have now been quenched. They were great meditators and great benefactors— there are few like them today.

With the ending of good principles and understanding, the victor’s teaching, full of all excellent qualities, falls apart.

This is the season for bad principles and defilements. Those who are ready for seclusion are all that’s left of the true Dhamma.

As they grow, the defilements possess most people; they play with fools, it seems to me, like monsters with the mad.

Overcome by defilements, they run here and there among the bases for defilement, as if they had declared war on themselves.

Having forsaken the true teaching, they argue with each other. Following wrong views they think, ‘This is better.’

They cut off their wealth, children, and wife to go forth. But then they do what they shouldn’t, for the sake of a measly spoon of almsfood.

They eat until their bellies are full, and then they lie to sleep on their backs. When they wake up, they keep on chatting, the kind of talk the Teacher criticized.

Valuing all the arts and crafts, they train themselves in them. Not being settled internally, they think, ‘This is the goal of the ascetic life.’

They provide clay, oil, and talcum powder, water, lodgings, and food for householders, expecting more in return.

And in addition, tooth-picks of white fig, flowers, food to eat, well-cooked almsfood, mangoes and myrobalans.

In medicine they are like doctors, in business like householders, in makeup like prostitutes, in sovereignty like aristocrats.

Cheats, frauds, false witnesses, sly: using multiple plans, they enjoy things of the flesh.

Pursuing shams, contrivances, and plans, by such means they accumulate a lot of wealth for the sake of their own livelihood.

They assemble the community for business rather than Dhamma. They teach the Dhamma to others for gain, not for the goal.

Those barred from the Saṅgha quarrel over the Saṅgha’s property. Lacking conscience, they do not care that they live on the earnings of others.

Some with shaven head and robe are not devoted to practice, but wish only to be honored, besotted with property and reverence.

When things have come to this, it’s not easy these days to realize what has not yet been realized, or to preserve what has been realized.

When shoeless on a thorny path, one would walk very mindfully; that’s how a sage should walk in the village.

Remembering the meditators of old, and recollecting their conduct, even in the latter days, it’s still possible to realize freedom from death.”

That is what the ascetic, whose faculties were fully developed, said in the sāl tree grove. The brahmin, the seer, became fully extinguished, putting an end to all future lives.

Seeing many who inspire confidence, evolved and well-restrained, the seer of the Paṇḍara clan, asked the one known as Phussa:

“In future times, what desire and motivation and behavior will people have? Please answer my question.”

“Listen to my words, O seer known as a Paṇḍara, and remember them carefully, I will describe the future.

In the future many will be angry and hostile, offensive, stubborn, and devious, jealous, holding divergent views.

Imagining they understand <j>the depths of the teaching, they resort to the near shore. Superficial and disrespectful toward the teaching, they lack respect for one another.

In the future many dangers will arise in the world. Idiots will defile the Dhamma that was taught so well.

Though bereft of good qualities, unlearned prattlers, too sure of themselves, will become powerful in running Saṅgha proceedings.

Though possessing good qualities, the conscientious and unbiased, <j>acting in the proper spirit, will become weak in running Saṅgha proceedings.

In the future, simpletons will accept currency and gold, fields and land, goats and sheep, and bonded servants, male and female.

Fools finding fault in others, but unsteady in their own ethics, will wander about, insolent, like cantankerous beasts.

They’ll be haughty, wrapped in robes of blue; deceivers and flatterers, pompous and fake, they’ll wander as if they were noble ones.

With hair sleeked back with oil, fickle, their eyes painted with eyeshadow, they’ll travel on the high-road, wrapped in robes of ivory color.

The deep-dyed ocher robe, worn without disgust by the free, they will come to loathe, besotted by white clothes.

They’ll want lots of possessions, and be lazy, lacking energy. Weary of the forest, they’ll stay within villages.

Being unrestrained, they’ll keep company with those who acquire profit, and who always enjoy wrong livelihood, following their example.

They won’t respect those who don’t get lots of stuff, and they won’t associate with the attentive, even though they’re very amiable.

Disparaging their own banner, dyed a vermilion color, some will wear the white banner of those of other religions.

Then they’ll have no respect for the ocher robe. The mendicants will not reflect on the nature of the ocher robe.

This awful lack of reflection was unthinkable to the elephant, who was overcome by suffering, inflicted by an arrow strike.

Then the six-tusked elephant, seeing the deep-dyed banner of the perfected ones, straight away spoke these verses connected with the goal.

‘One who, not free of stains themselves, would wear the robe stained in ocher, bereft of self-control and truth: they are not worthy of the ocher robe.

One who’s purged all their stains, steady in ethics, possessing truth and self-control: they are truly worthy of the ocher robe.’

Devoid of virtue, a simpleton, wild, doing what they like, their minds astray, indolent: they are not worthy of the ocher robe.

One accomplished in ethics, free of greed, serene, their heart’s intention pure: they are truly worthy of the ocher robe.

The haughty, insolent fool, who has no ethics at all, is worthy of a white robe— what use is an ocher robe for them?

In the future, monks and nuns with corrupt hearts, lacking regard for others, will disparage those with hearts of loving-kindness.

Though trained in wearing the robe by senior monks, simpletons will not listen, wild, doing what they like.

With that kind of attitude to training, those fools won’t respect each other, or take any notice of their mentors, like a wild colt with its charioteer.

Even so, in the future, this will be the practice of monks and nuns when the latter days have come.

Before this frightening future arrives, be easy to admonish, courteous in speech, and respect one another.

Have hearts of love and compassion, and please do keep your precepts. Be energetic, resolute, and always staunchly vigorous.

Seeing negligence as fearful, and diligence as a sanctuary, develop the eightfold path, realizing the state free of death.” …

“One who’s mindful <j>as per their conduct and mindfulness, diligent <j>as per their intentions and meditation, happy inside, serene, solitary, contented: that is what they call a mendicant.

When eating fresh or dried food, one shouldn’t be overly replete. A mendicant should wander mindfully, with empty stomach, taking limited food.

Four or five mouthfuls before you’re full, drink some water; this is enough for a resolute mendicant to live in comfort.

If they cover themselves with a robe that’s allowable and fit for purpose; this is enough for a resolute mendicant to live in comfort.

When sitting cross-legged, the rain doesn’t fall on the knees; this is enough for a resolute mendicant to live in comfort.”

“When you’ve seen happiness as suffering, and suffering as a dart, and that there’s nothing between the two— what keeps you in the world? <j>What would you become?

Thinking, ‘May I have nothing to do <j>with those of bad wishes, lazy, lacking energy, unlearned, lacking regard for others’— what keeps you in the world? <j>What would you become?”

“An intelligent, learned person, steady in ethics, devoted to serenity of heart— let them stand at the head.”

“A beast who likes to proliferate, enjoying proliferation, fails to win extinguishment, the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.

But one who gives up proliferation, enjoying the state of non-proliferation, wins extinguishment, the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.”

“Whether in the village or the wilderness, in a valley or the uplands, wherever the perfected ones live is a delightful place.”

“Delightful are the wildernesses where no people delight. Those free of greed will delight there, not those who seek sensual pleasures.”

“Regard one who sees your faults as a guide to a hidden treasure. Stay close to one so intelligent and astute who curbs you when you need it. Sticking close to such an impartial person, things get better, not worse.”

“Advise and instruct; curb wickedness: for you shall be loved by the good, and disliked by the bad.”

“The Blessed One, the Buddha, the seer was teaching Dhamma to another. As he taught the Dhamma, I lent an ear to get the meaning.

My listening wasn’t wasted: I’m freed, without defilements.”