The Buddha

His victory can never be undone, and no craving can re-enter the space he has cleared. The awakened one leaves no trail to follow. By what path could you ever track him down?

By what track can you trace that trackless Buddha of limitless range, whose victory nothing can undo, whom none of the vanquished defilements can ever pursue?

By what track could you ever trace that trackless Buddha of limitless range, in whom the entangling, ensnaring craving that perpetuates becoming no longer exists?

By what track can you trace that trackless Buddha of limitless range, in whom exists no longer, the entangling and embroiling craving that perpetuates becoming?

Those wise ones devoted to meditation, who delight in the calm of letting go, such mindful, awakened ones, even the gods hold dear.

Those wise ones who are devoted to meditation and who delight in the calm of renunciation — such mindful ones, Supreme Buddhas, even the gods hold dear.

Hard it is to be born human, and hard is the life of mortals. Hard is the chance to hear the true teaching, and hard to encounter is the arising of an awakened one.

Hard is it to be born a man; hard is the life of mortals. Hard is it to gain the opportunity of hearing the Sublime Truth, and hard to encounter is the arising of the Buddhas.

Do no harm, cultivate what is good, and purify your own mind: this is the heart of what all the awakened ones have taught.

To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to cleanse one’s mind — this is the teaching of the Buddhas.

Patient endurance is the highest discipline, and the awakened ones say Nibbana is supreme. One who harms another is no true seeker, and one who oppresses others is no true renunciate.

Enduring patience is the highest austerity. “Nibbana is supreme,” say the Buddhas. He is not a true monk who harms another, nor a true renunciate who oppresses others.

To speak no ill and do no harm, to live with restraint and discipline, to be moderate in eating, to dwell in solitude, and to devote oneself to meditation: this is the teaching of the awakened ones.

Not despising, not harming, restraint according to the code of monastic discipline, moderation in food, dwelling in solitude, devotion to meditation — this is the teaching of the Buddhas.

There is no satisfying sensual craving, not even with a rain of gold coins; such pleasures give little satisfaction and much pain. Knowing this, the wise find no delight even in heavenly pleasures.

There is no satisfying sensual desires, even with the rain of gold coins. For sensual pleasures give little satisfaction and much pain. Having understood this, the wise man finds no delight even in heavenly pleasures. The disciple of the Supreme Buddha delights in the destruction of craving.

Finding no delight even in heavenly pleasures, the disciple of the fully awakened one delights instead in the ending of craving.

There is no satisfying sensual desires, even with the rain of gold coins. For sensual pleasures give little satisfaction and much pain. Having understood this, the wise man finds no delight even in heavenly pleasures. The disciple of the Supreme Buddha delights in the destruction of craving.

Driven by fear, people go for refuge to many places: to hills and woods, to groves, sacred trees, and shrines.

Driven only by fear, do men go for refuge to many places — to hills, woods, groves, trees and shrines.

Such places are no safe refuge; they are not the supreme refuge. Resorting to shelters like these, one is not released from all suffering.

Such, indeed, is no safe refuge; such is not the refuge supreme. Not by resorting to such a refuge is one released from all suffering.

The one who takes refuge in the awakened, the truth, and the community, and who sees clearly the four noble truths, has found a shelter that holds.

He who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Teaching and his Order, penetrates with transcendental wisdom the Four Noble Truths — suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the Noble Eightfold Path leading to the cessation of suffering. [16]

One who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the community sees clearly the four noble truths: suffering, its cause, its ending, and the eightfold path that leads to its ending.

He who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Teaching and his Order, penetrates with transcendental wisdom the Four Noble Truths — suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the Noble Eightfold Path leading to the cessation of suffering. [16]

This indeed is the safe refuge; this is the supreme refuge. Having gone to such a refuge, one is released from all suffering.

This indeed is the safe refuge, this the refuge supreme. Having gone to such a refuge, one is released from all suffering.

Rare to find is such a thoroughbred among people; an awakened one is not born just anywhere. But wherever such a wise one is born, that family thrives in happiness.

Hard to find is the thoroughbred man (the Buddha); he is not born everywhere. Where such a wise man is born, that clan thrives happily.

Blessed is the arising of the awakened ones; blessed is the teaching of the true Dhamma; blessed is harmony within the community; and blessed is the practice of those who live in harmony.

Blessed is the birth of the Buddhas; blessed is the enunciation of the sacred Teaching; blessed is the harmony in the Order, and blessed is the spiritual pursuit of the united truth-seeker.

One who reveres those worthy of reverence, the awakened ones and their disciples who have crossed beyond sorrow and lamentation, who honors such peaceful and fearless ones, gains merit beyond all measure.

He who reveres those worthy of reverence, the Buddhas and their disciples, who have transcended all obstacles and passed beyond the reach of sorrow and lamentation — he who reveres such peaceful and fearless ones, his merit none can compute by any measure.

Honoring such peaceful and fearless ones, who have crossed beyond all sorrow, brings merit that none can reckon by any measure.

He who reveres those worthy of reverence, the Buddhas and their disciples, who have transcended all obstacles and passed beyond the reach of sorrow and lamentation — he who reveres such peaceful and fearless ones, his merit none can compute by any measure.