Part 5 - Ten Stanzas of Exhortation

The Buddha entered Kosambī early in the morning for alms-food and after His meal returned to the monastery. He then had His lodging kept in order and carrying His robe and the alms-bowl, He stood in the midst of the bhikkhus and gave the following exhortations in ten stanzas:

Puthusaddo Samajano,
Na bālo koci mañtha.
Sanghasamin bhijja mānasmiṃ,
Nānan bhiyo amannayuṃ.

Those bhikkhus, with foul mouth and rude manners, have boisterous, cheerless voices; they are of the same type of persons with impure hearts; there is no one amongst them who knows his own folly or foolishness. Above all, none of these bhikkhus has realized that dissension amongst the members of Order has arisen because of him (his conduct).

Parinmuthā paṇḍitabhāsā,
vācāgocara bhāṇino.
Yāvicchanti mukhāyāmaṃ;
yena nītā na taṃ vidā.

Those bhikkhus, with foul mouth and rude manners, are greatly infatuated by delusion, intent only on quarrelling and under the guise of wise and intelligent persons. (they do not dwell in contemplative mood)

They open their wide mouths and utter abusive language without any sense of shame or dread of blame; (none of them keep silent as a gesture of regard and respect for the Sangha). They are ignorant of the fact that such acts of quarrels and conflicts invariably lead to a state of shamefulness. They do not perceive that ill-will (anger) leads them on to such shameful acts.

Akkocchimaṃ avadhi maṃ,
ajinimam ahāsi me.
Ye ca tam upanayhanti,
veraṃ tesaṃ na sammati.

If you harbour resentment against a person for having abused you, tormented you, over-powered you, robbed or deprived you of your property; and if you do not care to forbear against that aggressor in the interest of peace and tranquillity, the flame of enmity will not die down, but it will keep on burning up to the time of dissolution of a world-system.

“Forbearance sould be The Batch of A Bhikkhu”

Akkocchimaṃ avadhi maṃ,
ajinimaṃ ahāsi me.
Ye ca taṃ nupanayhanti,
veraṃ tesūpasammati.

If you do not harbour any resentment against a person who has abused you, who has tormented you, who has over-powered you, who has robbed or deprived you of your property, through forbearance and equanimity, the flame of enmity is bound to dwindle to a vanishing point for lack of fresh fuel!

Na hi verena verāni,
sammantīdha kudācanaṃ.
Averena ca sammati,
esa dhammo sanantano.

In this world, the flame of animosity cannot be extinguished by harbouring resentment and taking revenge on one another. To wash ordure by means of ordure will not be of any avail! Ordure could be cleaned by means of pure water. In the same manner, the flame of animosity could only be extinguished, and peace and tranquillity restored by forbearance and loving kindness. This is the beaten track that all the Buddhas and Paccekabuddhas have hitherto followed.

Pare ca na vijānanti,
mayamettha yamāmase.
Ye ca tattha vijānanti,
tatho sammanti medhagā.

Amongst the masses of bhikkhus, the unintelligent and quarrelsome bhikkhus are ignorant of the fact that they are on their march towards the Kingdom of Death, with the movement of time! Whereas, those intelligent and thoughtful bhikkhus, amongst the masses of bhikkhus, are fully alive to the fact that all conditioned things are getting closer to the Jaws of Death with the progress of time. Consequently, quarrel and conflicts are extinguished and peace and tranquillity prevailed.

Aṭhicchimā pāṇaharā,
gavāssadhanahārino.
Raṭhaṇ vilumpamānānaṃ,
tesampi hoti sañgati,
kasmā tumhā ka no siyā.

When friendship could be fostered and tranquillity established by peaceful means with the Kings, who had mercilessly broken the bones and limbs of our parents through malice, assassinated them, robbed us of our cattle and worldly possessions of our parents by brute force, I personally do not think why you bhikkhus, My own beloved sons like you, cannot foster brotherly feeling among yourselves, and re-establish a state of tranquillity and stability among yourselves! It is a possible matter.

Sace labhetha nipakaṃ sahāyaṃ,
Saddhiṃ caraṃ sādhuvivahāri dhīraṃ.
Abhibuyya sabbāni parissayāni,
Careyya tenatthamano satīmā.

When a mindful person obtains a friend-in-the-Dhamma, who is accomplished in the three training practices (sikkha), who is self-composed, prudent and wise, he should take delight in associating with him, and strive to overcome the external enemies, such as elephants, leopards and tigers, and extirpate the internal foes, such as greed, hatred and delusion, leaving an ascetic life in search of Truth.

No ce labhetha nipakam sahāyam,
saddhiṃ caraṃ sadhuvihāri dhīram.
Rājāva raṭṭham vijitam pahāya
eko care matangaraññeva nago

Should a mindful person fail to obtain a friend-in-the-Dhamma who is accomplished in the three training practices (sikkha), who is self-composed, prudent and wise, he should strive after the Ultimate Truth all alone, by way of ascetic life, after the manner of those ancient monarchs who abdicated their thrones, abandoned their countries and renounced the world, such as, Mahā Janaka and Arindama, or like a bull elephant of Matanga breed which roams the forest all alone.

Ekassa caritaṃ seyyo,
nathi bāle sahāyathā.
Eko care na ca pāpāni kayirā,
appossukko mātaṅgaraññeva nāgo.

To wander all alone, leading the life of an ascetic, and striving after Ultimate Truth, deserves praise and admiration. There is no prospect whatsoever for the acquisition of faith and insight or development of sīla, samādhi and paññā by association with lowly ignorant persons. One should strive, single handed, after the Ultimate Goal, like a bull elephant wandering all over the forests without the cares of the world! No evil acts should be performed.

The Buddha delivered this Discourse in ten Stanzas, while standing in the midst of members of the Order (Sangha), after which, He proceeded all alone to the village of Balakalonaka.