THE GREAT CHRONICLE OF BUDDHAS
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villages and rural areas equanimously, with no disliking (hatred) and with no
love, whether they hurt you by abusing in anger or whether they make
obeisance to you with due respect and devotion. One, who is virtuous, should
guard against bearing ill-will (because of being hurt and abused). You should
endeavour not to become conceited, in the least, because of being treated
with due respect and devotion. (What is meant is this: You should check your
anger, when the people of towns, villages and rural areas offend and abuse
you. You should not become elated with pride, even when a king bows
before you respectfully. In this manner, you should treat them all evenly
without disliking and without love, whether they abuse you or treat you with
respect.)
(With this verse, the Buddha taught abandonment of
kilesa
which arise in relation
to towns and villages. )
3) UccÈvacÈ niccharanti;
dÈye aggisikh|pama.
NÈriyo muniÑ paloghenti;
tÈ su tam ma palobhayuÑ.
My dear son NÈlaka, in the forest also, various objects of sense burning like
flames are apt to appear. (Or, when a forest fire spreads out flames of varied
forms, such as flames with and without smoke, flames of blue, yellow and
red colours, big or small, etc. Likewise, there are, in a forest, sense objects:
some fearful, some pleasant, some detestable and some perplexing, such as
humans, ogres, lions, leopards, tigers, various kinds of birds, various sounds
or noises produced by them, fruits, flowers and buds. (Of these various kinds
of sense objects which appear) women, who have come for merry-making in
the parks and forests, women collecting firewood, plucking flowers, plucking
vegetables and gathering fruits, are likely to allure the solitary monk with
smiles, taunts, tears and garments in disorder. Do not let such women tempt
you, my son. (What is meant is this: endeavour to conduct yourself so that
such women cannot entice you.)
(With this verse, the Buddha taught for abandonment of
kilesa
which arise in
relation to forest:)
4) Virato methunÈ dhammÈ;
hitvÈ kÈme paropare.
Aviruddho asÈratto:
pÈnesu tasathÈvare.
5) YathÈ ahaÑ tathÈ ete;
yathÈ ete tathÈ adam.
AttÈnaÑ upamaÑ katvÈ;
na haneyya na ghÈtaye.
My dear son NÈlaka, besides discarding all kinds of sensual objects (
kÈma
ÈrÈmammanas
), good or bad, you, dear son, should also be one who avoids
and stays away from sexual intercourse. You should not, in the least,
entertain ill-will towards those (belonging to another faction) and you should
not, in the least, have liking and attachment to those (belonging to your own
faction); and, placing yourself as an example (having fellow-feeling) thus:
‚Like myself, these beings desire to live long, not to die; they desire
happiness, not suffering. Like them, I also desire to live long, not to die;
desire happiness, not suffering.‛ You should not, by yourself, kill or hurt
puthujjanas, sotÈpannas, sakadÈgÈmins
and
anÈgÈmins
who are not yet free