Chapter 18

You are now like a withered leaf; Death’s men have approached you. You stand at the door of departure, and you do not even have provisions for the road.

Make a lamp (or: island) for yourself; strive quickly, (and) become one who is spiritually mature. With stains removed, (and) free from blemish, you will reach the celestial plane (bhūmi) of the spiritually developed (ariya-s).

You are now of advanced age; you have gone forth into the presence of Death. There is no (resting) place for you in between, (and) you do not even have provisions for the road.

Make a lamp (or: island) for yourself; strive quickly, (and) become one who is spiritually mature. With stains removed, (and) free from blemish, you will not undergo repeated birth and old age (any more).

The man of understanding removes his stains gradually, little by little, and from moment to moment, just as the silversmith (removes) the impurities of silver.

Just as rust springing from iron, (having) sprung from that eats it (away), even so his own actions lead the transgressor to an evil state (duggati).

Non-repetition is the stain of the (orally transmitted) sacred verses (manta-s). Inactivity (in maintaining them) is the stain of houses. Sloth is the stain of beauty (of complexion). Heedlessness is the stain of one who guards.

Misconduct is the stain of a woman. Stinginess is the stain of one who gives. (Both) in this world and the other (world) stains are indeed evil things.

A greater stain than these is ignorance (avijjā), which is the supreme stain. Abandoning this stain, be stainless, almsmen.

He has an easy life who is shameless, impudent as a crow, disparaging (of others’ merits), obtrusive, arrogant, (and) of a corrupt way of life.

Life is hard for one with a sense of shame, who always seeks purity, who is unattached (or: strenuous), who is humble (and) of a pure way of life, and discerning.

Whoever in (this) world (of ours) destroys life, tells lies, takes what is not given, resorts to the wives of others,

and is addicted to the drinking of intoxicants (surāmeraya), that man in this world himself digs up his own roots (of merit).

Know this, good man: Those having an evil nature are uncontrolled. Don’t let greed and unrighteousness subject you to prolonged suffering.

People give (alms) according to their faith and at their good pleasure. One who is discontented about the food and drink of others does not attain concentration (samādhi), be it by day or by night.

One in whom this (kind of attitude) is extirpated, (it being) destroyed at its roots (and) abolished, he attains concentration (samādhi), be it by day or by night.

There is no fire like lust. There is no grip like anger. There is no net like delusion. There is no river like craving.

The faults of others are easily seen; one’s own faults are seen with difficulty. One winnows the faults of others like chaff, but one covers up one’s own as a dishonest gambler (covers up) a losing throw (of the dice).

He who pays attention to the faults of others (and) is always irritable, his defilements (āsava-s) grow. He is far from the destruction of the defilements.

There is no track in the sky. There is no (true) asketic outside (this Teaching). The race of men delight in illusion (papañca). The Tathāgatās (i.e., the Buddhas or Enlightened Ones) are free from illusions.

There is no track in the sky. There is no (true) asketic outside (this Teaching). There are no conditioned things that are eternal. There is no vacillation in the Enlightened Ones.