ABOUT LIFE

                                                  THE  MEANING OF LIFE

                LONG IS THE NIGHT TO HIM WHO IS AWAKE, LONG IS A MILE TO HIM WHO IS TIRED, LONG IS LIFE TO THE FOOLISH WHO DO NOT KNOW THE TRUE LAW. IF A TRAVELLER DOES NOT MEET WITH ONE WHO IS HIS BETTER, OR HIS EQUAL, LET HIM FIRMLY KEEP TO HIS SILITARY JOURNEY, THERE IS NO COMPANIONSHIP WITH A FOOL.  "THESE SONS BELONG TO ME, AND THIS WEALTH BELONGS TO ME, WITH SUCH THOUGHTS A FOOL IS TORMENTED. HE HIMSELF DOES NOT BELONG TO HIMSELF, HOW MUCH LESS SONS AND WEALTH?

               THE FOOL WHO KNOWS HIS FOLLISHNESS, IS WISE AT LEAST SO FAR. BUT A FOOL WHO THINKS HIMSELF WISE, HE IS CALLED A FOOL INDEED. IF A FOOL BE ASSOCIATED WITH A WISE MAN EVEN ALL HIS LIFE. HE WILL PERCEIVE THE TRUTH, AS THE TONGUE PERCEIVES THE TASTE OF SOUP. FOOLS OF POOR UNDERSTANDING HAVE THEMSELVES FOR THEIR GREATEST ENEMIES, FOR THEY DO EVIL DEEDS WHICH BEAR BITTER FUITS.  THAT DEED IS NOT WELL DONE OF WHICH A MAN MUST REPENT, AND THE REWARD OF WHICH HE RECEIVES CRYING AND WIT A TEARFUL FACE. NO, THAT DEED IS WELL DONE OF WHICH A MAN DOES NOT REPENT, AND THE REWARD OF WHICH HE RECEIVES GLADLY AND CHEERFULLY. AS LONG AS THE EVIL DEED DONE DOES NOT BEAR FRUIT, THE FOOL THINKS IT IS LIKE HONEY, BUT WHEN IT RIPENS, THEN THE FOOL SUFFERS GRIEF.

                LET A FOOL MONTH AFTER MONTH EAT HIS FOOD (LIKE AN ASCETIC) WITH THE TIP OF A BLADE OF KUSA GRASS, YET IS HE NOT WORTH THE SIXTEEN PARICLES OF THOSE WHO HAVE WELL WEIGHED THE LAW. AN EVIL DEED, LIKE NEWLY-DRAWN MILK, DOES NOT TURN SUDDENLY, SMOULDERING, LIKE FIRE COVERED BY ASHES, IT FOLLOWS THE FOOL. AND WHEN THE EVIL DEED, AFTER IT HAS BECOME KNOWN, TURNS TO SORROW FOR THE FOOL, THEN IT DESTROYS HIS BRIGHT LOT, NAY, IT CLEAVES HIS HEAD. LET THE FOLL WISH FOR A FALSE REPUTATION FOR PRECEDENCE AMONG THE BHIKSHUS FOR LORDSHIP IN HE CONCENTS, FOR WORSHIP AMONG OTHER PEOPLE!

              MAY BOTH THE LAYMAN AND HE WHO HAS LEFT THE WORLD THINK THAT THIS IS DONE BY ME, MAY THEY BE SUBJECT TO ME IN EVERYTHING WHICH IS TO BE DONE OR IS NOT TO BE DONE, THUS IS THE MIND OF THE FOOL, AND HIS DESIRE AND PRIDE INCREASE. ONE IS THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO WEALTH, ANOTHER THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO NERVANA- IT THE BHIKSHU THE DISCIPLE OF BUDDHA, HAS LEARNT THIS, HE WILL NOT YEARN FOR HONOR, HE WILL AFTER SEPERATION FROM THE WORLD .

                                                THE WISE MAN

            IF YOU SEE, A MAN WHO SHOWS YOU WHAT IS TO BE AVOIDED, WHO ADMISNISTERS REPROOFS, AND IS INTELLIGENT, FOLLOW THAT WISE MAN AS YOU WOULD ONE WHO TELLS OF HIDDEN TREASURES, IT WILL BE BETTER, NOT WORSE, FOR HIM WHO FOLLOWS HIM. LET HIM ADMONISH, LET HIM TEACH, LET HIM FORBID WHAT IS IMPROPER! HE WILL BE BELOVED OF THE GOOD, BY THE BAD HE WILL BE HATRED. DO NOT HAVE EVIL-DOERS FOR FRIEDS, DO NOT HAVE LOW PEOPLE FOR FRIENDS, HAVE VIRTUOS PEOPLE FOR FRIENDS, HAVE FOR FRIENDS THE BEST OF MEN.HE WHO DRINKS IN THE LAW LIVES HAPPILY WITH A SERENE MIND, THE SAGE REJOICES ALWAYS IN THE LAW, AS PREACHED BY THE ELECT.

             WELL-MAKERS LEAD THE WATER WHEREVER THEY LIKE, FLETCHES BEND THE ARROW, CARPENTERS BEND O LOG OF WOOD, WISE PEOPLE FASHION THEMSELVES. AS A SOLID ROCK IS NOT SHAKEN BY THE WIND, WISE PEOPLE FALTER NOT AMIDST BLAME AND PRAISE. WISE PEOPLE,  AFTER THEY HAVE LISTENED TO THE LAWS, BECOME SERENE, LIKE A DEEP, SMOOTH, AND STILL LAKE. GOOD MEN INDEED WALK WARILY UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, GOOD MEN SPEAK NOT OUT OF A DESIRE FOR SENSUAL GRATIFICATION, WHETHER TOUCHED BY HAPPINESS OR SORROW WISE PEOPLE NEVER APPEAR ELATED OR DEPRESED. IF, WHETHER FOR HIS OWN SAKE, OR FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS, A MAN WISHES NEITHER FOR A SON, NOR FOR WEALTH, NOR FOR LORDSHIP, AND IF HE DOES NOT WISH FOR HIS OWN SUCCESS BY UNFAIR MEANS, THEN HE IS GOOD, WISE, AND VIRTOUS. 

             FEW ARE THERE AMONG MEN WHO ARRIVE AT THE OTHER SHORE(BECOME ARHATS), THE OTHER PEOPLE HERE RUN UP AND DOWN THE SHORE!

              BUT WHOSE WHO, WHENT HE LAW HAS BEEN WELL PREACHED TO THEM, FOLLOW THE LAW, WILL PASS OVER THE DOMINION OF DEATH, HOWEVER DIFFICULT TO CROSS. A WISE MAN SHOULD LEAVE THE DARK STATE OF ORDINARY LIFE, AND FOLLOW THE BRIGHT STATE OF THE BHISHU AFTER GOING FROM HIS HOME TO A HOMELESS STATE, HE SHOULD IN HIS RETIREMENT LOOK FOR ENJOYMENT WHERE ENJOYING HIS OWN, THE WISE MAN SHOULD PURGE HIMSELF FROM ALL THE TROUBLES OF THE MIND. THOSE WHOSE MIND IS WELL GROUNDED IN THE SEVEN ELEMENTS OF KNOWLEDGE, WHO WIHOUT CLINGING TO ANYTHING, REJOICES IN FREEDOM FROM ATTACHEMENT, WHOSE APPETITES HAVE BEEN CONQUERED, AND WHO ARE FULL OF LIGHT, THEY ARE FREE EVEN IN THIS WORLD.

                                                            THE THOUSANDS

 

     EVEN THOUGH A SPEECH BE A THOUSAND (OF WORDS) , BUT MADE UP OF SENSELESS WORDS, ONE WORD OF SENSE IS BETTER, WHICH IF A MAN HEARS, HE BECOMES QUIET. EVEN THOUGH A GATHA (POEM) BE A THOUSAND (OF WORDS), BUT MADE UP OF SENSELESS WORDS, ONE WORD OF A GATHA IS BETTER, WHICH IF A MAN HEARS, HE BECOMES QUIET. THOUGH A MAN RECITE A HUNDRED GATHAS MADE UP OF SENSELESS WORDS, ONE WORD OF THE LAW IS BETTER, WHICH IF A MAN HEARS, HE BECOMES QUIET. IF ONE MAN CONQUER HIMSELF, HE IS THE GREATEST OF CONQUERORS. ONE'S OWN SELF CONQUERED IS BETTER THAN ALL OTHER PEOPLE, NOT EVEN A GOD, A GANDHARVA, NOT MARA (WITH BRAHMAN), COULD CHANGE INTO DEFEAT THE VICORY OF A MAN HAS VANQUISHED HIMSELF, AND ALWAYS LIVES UNDER RESTRAINT.

              IF A MAN FOR A HUNDRED YEARS SACRIFICE MONTH BY MONTH WITH A THOUSAND, AND IF HE BUT FOR ONE MOMENT PAY HOMAGE TO A MAN WHOSE SOUL IS GROUNDED IN TRUE KNOWLEDGE, BETTER IN THAT HOMAGE THAN A SACRIFICE FOR A HUNDRED YEARS. IF A MAN FOR HUNDRED YEARS WORSHIP AGNI(FIRE) IN THE FOREST, AND IF HE BUT FOR ONE MOMENT PAY HOMAGE TO MAN WHOSE SOUL IS GROUNDED IN TRUE KNOWLEDGE, BETTER IS THAT HOMAGE THAN SACRIFICE FOR A HUNDRED YEARS.

            WHATEVER A MAN SACRIFIES IN THIS WORLD AS AN OFFERING OR AS AN OBLATION FOR A WHOLE YEAR IN ORDER TO GAIN MERIT, THE WHOLE OF IT IS NOT WORTH A QUARTER A FARTHING, REVERENCE SHOWN TO THE RIGHTEOUS IS BETTER. HE WHO ALWAYS GREETS AND CONSTANLY REVERES THE AGED, FOUR THINGS WILL INCREASE TO HIM, LIFE, BEAUTY, HAPPINESS, POWER. BUT HE WHO LIVES A HUNDRED YEARS, VICIOUS AND UNRESTRAINED, A LIFE OF ONE DAY IS BETTER IF A MAN IS VIRTUOS AND REFLECTING. 

                AND HE WHO LIVES A HUNDRED YEARS, IGNORANT AND UNRESTRAINED, A LIFE OF ONE DAY IS BETTER IF A MAN IS WISE AND REFLECTING. AND HE WHO LIVES HUNDRED YEARS, IDLE AND WEAK, A LIFE OF ONE DAY IS BETTER IF A MAN GAS ATTAINED FIRM STRENGTH. AND HE WHO LIVES A HUNDRED YEARS, NOT SEEING BEGINNING AND END, A LIFE OF ONE DAY IS BETTER IF A MAN SEES BEGINNING AND END. AND HE WHO LIVES HUNDRED YEARS, NOT SEEING THE IMMORTAL PLACE, A LIFE OF ONE DAY IS BETTER IF A MAN SEES THE IMMORTAL PLACE. AND HE WHO LIVES A HUNDRED YEARS, NOT SEEING THE HIGHEST LAW, A LIFE OF ONE DAY IS BETTER IF A MAN SEES THE HIGHEST LAW.