“Kathaṁdassī kathaṁsīlo,
upasantoti vuccati;
Taṁ me gotama pabrūhi,
pucchito uttamaṁ naraṁ”.
“How does he see, how does he behave,
the one who is said to be ‘peaceful’?
When asked by me, O Gotama,
describe the |exemplary::worthy, noble [uttama]| person.”
“Vītataṇho purā bhedā,
(iti bhagavā)
Pubbamantamanissito;
Vemajjhe nupasaṅkheyyo,
Tassa natthi purakkhataṁ.
“Devoid of |craving::wanting, yearning, longing, attachment, lit. thirst [taṇha]| before the breakup [of body],
(said the Blessed One)
not dependent of the past;
In the middle, he is |immeasurable::incalculable, incomprehensible [nupasaṅkheyya]|,
for him, there is no |showing off::given importance, esteemed, honored; lit. made in front [purakkhata]|.
Akkodhano asantāsī,
avikatthī akukkuco;
Mantabhāṇī anuddhato,
sa ve vācāyato muni.
He is without anger, fearless,
not boastful, free from wrongdoing;
Speaking wisely, |unruffled::not agitated, not arrogant, not pompous [anuddhata]|,
controlled in speech, he is indeed a sage.
Nirāsatti anāgate,
atītaṁ nānusocati;
Vivekadassī phassesu,
diṭṭhīsu ca na nīyati.
|Unaffixed to::not attached to [nirāsatti]| what is yet to come,
not sorrowful over |what has gone by::what is past [atīta]|;
Who examines distinctions in all |contacts::sense impingements, raw experiences, touches [phasse]|,
he is not led astray by views.
Patilīno akuhako,
apihālu amaccharī;
Appagabbho ajeguccho,
pesuṇeyye ca no yuto.
|Withdrawn::secluded [patilīna]|, |who is not deceitful::who is straightforward [akuhaka]|,
not jealous, and not miserly;
|Unassuming::courteous, respectful [appagabbha]|, not feeling disgust for others,
and not engaged in |divisive talk::back-biting, denigration, slander [pesuṇeyya]|.
Sātiyesu anassāvī,
atimāne ca no yuto;
Saṇho ca paṭibhānavā,
na saddho na virajjati.
Not intoxicated by |gratifying experiences::pleasurable things, enjoyable objects [sātiye]|,
and not swollen with |arrogance::haughtiness, self-importance [atimāna]|;
Gentle and |eloquent::astute, intelligent, quick-witted [paṭibhānavant]|,
not gullible nor |indifferent::apathetic [virajjati]|.
Lābhakamyā na sikkhati,
alābhe ca na kuppati;
Aviruddho ca taṇhāya,
rasesu nānugijjhati.
He does not train out of desire for profit,
and is not |shaken::agitated, disturbed [kuppati]| by loss;
Unimpeded by craving,
he does not crave for |flavors::a taste or flavor such as sweetness, bitterness, sourness, saltiness, spiciness, richness, or subtle notes like umami or astringency—an object of gustatory experience that can become desirable, comforting, or indulgent [rasa]|.
Upekkhako sadā sato,
na loke maññate samaṁ;
Na visesī na nīceyyo,
tassa no santi ussadā.
Equanimous, ever |mindful::remembering to be present with continuous effort, observing the body in and of itself, feelings in and of itself, mind in and of itself, mental qualities in and of itself [sata]|,
he does not |think::presume, suppose, imagine, conceive [maññati]| himself to be equal,
superior or inferior in the world:
for him, there is no |prominence::arrogance, conceit, self-importance [ussada]|.
Yassa nissayanā natthi,
ñatvā dhammaṁ anissito;
Bhavāya vibhavāya vā,
taṇhā yassa na vijjati.
For whom there is no |dependence::reliance, clinging [nissayanā]|,
having known the |Dhamma::the ultimate truth that the Buddha’s teachings point to [dhamma]|, he is |disengaged::detached, independent [anissita]|;
For either |existence::continued conditional existence, the karmically conditioned mode of being that leads to future rebirth [bhava]| or non-existence,
no craving is found in him.
Taṁ brūmi upasantoti,
Kāmesu anapekkhinaṁ;
Ganthā tassa na vijjanti,
Atarī so visattikaṁ.
I call him ‘peaceful’,
who is |indifferent to::disinterested in [anapekkhī]| sensual pleasures;
In him, no knots are found,
for he has crossed beyond |attachment::entanglement [visattikā]|.
Na tassa puttā pasavo,
Khettaṁ vatthuñca vijjati;
Attā vāpi nirattā vā,
Na tasmiṁ upalabbhati.
He has no sons or livestock,
nor does he have fields or property;
Neither |taking up::grasping, seizing, seeing as personal, seen as self [atta]| or |casting aside::rejecting, throwing away [niratta]|,
is found in that person.
Yena naṁ vajjuṁ puthujjanā,
Atho samaṇabrāhmaṇā;
Taṁ tassa apurakkhataṁ,
Tasmā vādesu nejati.
Whether he is called this or that,
by |ordinary persons::common person, worldling [puthujjana]|, or by ascetics and brahmins;
He gives no importance to any of it,
thus, he is unmoved amid |views::arguments, dispute [vāda]|.
Vītagedho amaccharī,
Na ussesu vadate muni;
Na samesu na omesu,
Kappaṁ neti akappiyo.
Free of craving and without stinginess,
the sage does not speak [of himself],
as superior, equal, or inferior;
Not holding to a |construct::imagination, mental fabrication [kappa]|—he is |unconstructed::unfabricated [akappiya]|.
Yassa loke sakaṁ natthi,
Asatā ca na socati;
Dhammesu ca na gacchati,
Sa ve santoti vuccatī”ti.
For whom there is no ‘mine’ in the world,
who does not sorrow over what is not present;
Not wandering about or holding to mental objects,
he is truly said to be ‘peaceful’.”