AN 4.25  Brahmacariya sutta - The Spiritual Life

“Nayidaṁ, bhikkhave, brahmacariyaṁ vussati janakuhanatthaṁ, na janalapanatthaṁ, na lābhasakkārasilokānisaṁsatthaṁ, na itivādappamokkhānisaṁsatthaṁ, na ‘iti maṁ jano jānātū’ti. Atha kho idaṁ, bhikkhave, brahmacariyaṁ vussati saṁvaratthaṁ pahānatthaṁ virāgatthaṁ nirodhatthanti.

“Bhikkhus, this spiritual life is not lived for the purpose of deceiving people, nor for the purpose of winning favor with people, nor for the sake of |acquisitions::gain, money, profit, possessions [lābha]|, respect, and popularity, nor for the thought ‘Let people know me.’ Rather, bhikkhus, this spiritual life is led |for the purpose of restraint::for the sake of self-control, following of the precepts and sense-restraint [saṃvaratthaṃ]|, |for the purpose of letting go::for the sake of giving up [pahānattha]|, |for the purpose of dispassion::for the sake of detachment [virāgattha]|, and |for the purpose of cessation::for the sake of ending [nirodhatthaṃ]|.

Saṁvaratthaṁ pahānatthaṁ,
brahmacariyaṁ anītihaṁ;
Adesayi so bhagavā,
nibbānogadhagāminaṁ;
Esa maggo mahantehi,
anuyāto mahesibhi.

For the purpose of restraint, for the purpose of letting go,
the spiritual life is not |based on tradition::a legend, hearsay, mere talk [itiha]|;
The Blessed One taught the spiritual life,
leading to and grounded upon |Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating [nibbāna]|;
This is the path followed by the illustrious ones,
traveled by the great sages.

Ye ca taṁ paṭipajjanti,
yathā buddhena desitaṁ;
Dukkhassantaṁ karissanti,
satthusāsanakārino”ti.

Whoever practices it,
as taught by the Buddha;
will make an end to suffering,
fulfilling the teacher’s instruction.”