A Righteous Life · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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a righteous lifeDhammacariyaṁ
a spiritual lifebrahmacariyaṁ,
they call thisEtadāhu
the supreme treasurevasuttamaṁ;
but if someone goes forthPabbajitopi
ifce
he ishoti,
from the lay lifeAgārā
to homelessnessanagāriyaṁ.
A righteous life, a spiritual life, they call this the supreme treasure. But if someone goes forth from the lay life to homelessness
heSo
ifce
of scurrilous charactermukharajātiko,
delighting in crueltyvihesābhirato
a beastmago;
lifeJīvitaṁ
of that onetassa
worsepāpiyo,
poisonrajaṁ
growsvaḍḍheti
inside oneselfattano.
who is of scurrilous character, a beast and a bully, their life gets worse, as poison grows inside them.
delighting in quarrelKalahābhirato
a mendicantbhikkhu,
by delusionMohadhammena
wrappedāvuto;
even what has been explainedAkkhātampi
notna
knowsjānāti,
the DhammaDhammaṁ
by the Buddhabuddhena
taughtdesitaṁ.
A mendicant who loves to quarrel, wrapped in delusion, doesn’t even know what’s been explained in the Dhamma taught by the Buddha.
harassmentVihesaṁ
of those who are evolvedbhāvitattānaṁ,
by ignoranceavijjāya
governedpurakkhato;
corruptionSaṅkilesaṁ
notna
they knowjānāti,
the pathmaggaṁ
leading to hellnirayagāminaṁ.
Harassing those who are evolved, governed by ignorance, they don’t know that corruption is the path that leads to hell.
the underworldVinipātaṁ
having enteredsamāpanno,
from wombgabbhā
to wombgabbhaṁ
from darknesstamā
to darkness;tamaṁ;
suchSa
indeedve
such a onetādisako
mendicant,bhikkhu,
after deathpecca
sufferingdukkhaṁ
falls intonigacchati.
Entering the underworld, passing from womb to womb, from darkness to darkness, such a mendicant falls into suffering after death.
a sewerGūthakūpo
likeyathā
one isassa,
brimfulsampuṇṇo
with years of filthgaṇavassiko;
whoYo
andca
suchevarūpo
one isassa,
hard to cleandubbisodho
forhi
full of grimesāṅgaṇo.
One such as that is like a sewer brimful with years of filth for it’s hard to clean one full of grime.
thatYaṁ
of such kindevarūpaṁ
you knowjānātha,
mendicantsbhikkhavo
attached to the domestic lifegehanissitaṁ;
of corrupt wishesPāpicchaṁ
of wicked intentpāpasaṅkappaṁ,
of bad behavior and alms-resortpāpaācāragocaraṁ.
Mendicants, knowing that someone is like this, attached to the domestic life, of corrupt wishes and wicked intent, of bad behavior and alms-resort,
allSabbe
harmonioussamaggā
having gatheredhutvāna,
you should expelabhinibbajjiyātha
themnaṁ;
trashKāraṇḍavaṁ
throw outniddhamatha,
rubbishkasambuṁ
get rid ofapakassatha.
then having gathered in harmony, you should expel them. Throw out the trash! Get rid of the rubbish!
thenTato
the scrapspalāpe
sweep awayvāhetha,
not asceticsAssamaṇe
who think themselves asceticssamaṇamānine;
having thrown outNiddhamitvāna
those of corrupt wishespāpicche,
of bad behavior and alms-resortPāpaācāragocare.
And sweep away the scraps— they’re not ascetics, they just think they are. When you’ve thrown out those of corrupt wishes, of bad behavior and alms-resort,
the pureSuddhā
with the puresuddhehi
in communionsaṁvāsaṁ,
you should dwellKappayavho
ever mindfulpatissatā;
thenTato
in harmonysamaggā
alertnipakā,
an end of sufferingDukkhassantaṁ
you will makekarissathāti.
the Discourse on Righteous ConductDhammacariyasuttaṁ
the sixthchaṭṭhaṁ.
dwell in communion, ever mindful, the pure with the pure. Then in harmony, alert, you’ll make an end of suffering.
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