“Ye kecime diṭṭhiparibbasānā,
Idameva saccanti vivādayanti;
Sabbeva te nindamanvānayanti,
Atho pasaṁsampi labhanti tattha”.
“Those who are |entrenched in views::settled in theories, stuck in opinions [diṭṭhiparibbasāna]|,
arguing, ‘This alone is truth’—
do all of them draw only |blame::criticism, disparagement [ninda]|,
or do some there also win |praise::commendation, approval [pasaṃsā]|?”
“Appañhi etaṁ na alaṁ samāya,
Duve vivādassa phalāni brūmi;
Etampi disvā na vivādayetha,
Khemābhipassaṁ avivādabhūmiṁ”.
“That [praise] is a small thing, not sufficient for |peace::serenity, tranquility [sama]|,
I say these are two fruits of |dispute::argument, contention [vivāda]|;
Having seen this too, one should not start arguments,
seeing |safety::security, sanctuary, peace, rest [khema]| in the ground of non-dispute.
“Yā kācimā sammutiyo puthujjā,
Sabbāva etā na upeti vidvā;
Anūpayo so upayaṁ kimeyya,
Diṭṭhe sute khantimakubbamāno”.
Whatever |common opinions::general consensus, popular ideas [sammuti]| there are,
a wise person does not get involved in them;
|Uninvolved::free from attachment, disinterested, unengaged, lit. not going near [anūpaya]|, what entanglement could he have,
when not basing his acceptance on what is seen or heard.
“Sīluttamā saññamenāhu suddhiṁ,
Vataṁ samādāya upaṭṭhitāse;
Idheva sikkhema athassa suddhiṁ,
Bhavūpanītā kusalāvadānā.
They who hold conduct supreme claim |purity::purification, holiness; epithet of Nibbāna [suddhi]| via |restraint::abstinence, self-control [saññamena]|,
having taken up a |vow::spiritual practice, duty [vata]|, they devote themselves [to it];
[thinking]: ‘Let’s |train::practice [sikkhati]| here, then there will be purity,’
though speaking expertly, they are led back to |existence::continued conditional existence, the karmically conditioned mode of being that leads to future rebirth [bhava]|.
Sace cuto sīlavatato hoti,
Pavedhatī kamma virādhayitvā;
Pajappatī patthayatī ca suddhiṁ,
Satthāva hīno pavasaṁ gharamhā.
If he then falls away from his precepts and vows,
he |shakes::is agitated, trembles [pavedhatī]|, having failed in his task;
He |prays::yearns, lit. mutters [pajappatī]| and |craves for::aspires for, wishes for [patthayanta]| purity,
like one on a journey who has lost his |travel group::caravan, convoy, lit. with purpose [sattha]|.
Sīlabbataṁ vāpi pahāya sabbaṁ,
Kammañca sāvajjanavajjametaṁ;
Suddhiṁ asuddhinti apatthayāno,
Virato care santimanuggahāya.
Having abandoned all precepts and vows,
and deeds, whether blameworthy or blameless;
Not aspiring for either purity or impurity,
one should be detached, for the sake of peace.
Tamūpanissāya jigucchitaṁ vā,
Atha vāpi diṭṭhaṁ va sutaṁ mutaṁ vā;
Uddhaṁsarā suddhimanutthunanti,
Avītataṇhāse bhavābhavesu.
Relying on what is |shunned::detested, loathed [jigucchita]|,
or either on what is seen, heard, or |sensed::noticed, smelled, tasted, felt or thought [muta]|;
they cry out for purity with lofty voices,
yet remain bound by craving for |various states of existence::continued existence; such success and failure, gain and loss, eternity and annihilation, good and evil [bhavābhava]|.
Patthayamānassa hi jappitāni,
Pavedhitaṁ vāpi pakappitesu;
Cutūpapāto idha yassa natthi,
Sa kena vedheyya kuhiṁ va jappe”.
For one who longs, there are yearnings,
and trembling too over ideas they have |formulated::(of an idea or opinion) imagined, fabricated, fashioned, designed, devised, concocted [pakappita]|;
But for one here who has no |passing away or rebirth::death and rebirth [cutūpapāta]|,
Why would they tremble? For what would they long?”
“Yamāhu dhammaṁ paramanti eke,
Tameva hīnanti panāhu aññe;
Sacco nu vādo katamo imesaṁ,
Sabbeva hīme kusalāvadānā”.
“Some say a teaching is supreme,
while others say that very one is |inferior::low, deficient [hīna]|;
Which of these assertions is true?
For they all claim to be an expert.”
“Sakañhi dhammaṁ paripuṇṇamāhu,
Aññassa dhammaṁ pana hīnamāhu;
Evampi viggayha vivādayanti,
Sakaṁ sakaṁ sammutimāhu saccaṁ.
“They declare their own teaching |perfect::complete [paripuṇṇa]|,
and another’s teaching inferior;
Thus, entering disputes, they argue,
each proclaiming their own opinion as truth.
Parassa ce vambhayitena hīno,
Na koci dhammesu visesi assa;
Puthū hi aññassa vadanti dhammaṁ,
Nihīnato samhi daḷhaṁ vadānā.
If one is inferior when ridiculed by another,
no one in any teaching could be distinguished;
For many speak against another’s teaching,
while firmly advocating their own.
Saddhammapūjāpi nesaṁ tatheva,
Yathā pasaṁsanti sakāyanāni;
Sabbeva vādā tathiyā bhaveyyuṁ,
Suddhī hi nesaṁ paccattameva.
They venerate their own teachings,
just as they praise their own paths;
If so, then all doctrines would be true,
yet to them, purity is exclusively theirs.
Na brāhmaṇassa paraneyyamatthi,
Dhammesu niccheyya samuggahītaṁ;
Tasmā vivādāni upātivatto,
Na hi seṭṭhato passati dhammamaññaṁ.
For the |sage::Brāhmaṇa, a title used by the Buddha for an Arahant, an awakened being [brāhmaṇa]|, there is no being led by others,
no |evaluating::discriminating, distinguishing the difference [niccheyya]| among teachings and grasping tightly;
Therefore he has gone beyond disputes,
for he does not see another’s teaching as supreme.
Jānāmi passāmi tatheva etaṁ,
Diṭṭhiyā eke paccenti suddhiṁ;
Addakkhi ce kiñhi tumassa tena,
Atisitvā aññena vadanti suddhiṁ.
Saying, ‘I know, I see, it is like this in |actuality::reality, truth [tatha]|,’
some here |fall back on::assume, lit. goes back [pacceti]| purity through a |view::belief, an opinion, a concept, a theory [diṭṭhi]|;
But if they have really seen, what good is that view to them,
overlooking [what matters], they assert purity by another.
Passaṁ naro dakkhati nāmarūpaṁ,
Disvāna vā ñassati tānimeva;
Kāmaṁ bahuṁ passatu appakaṁ vā,
Na hi tena suddhiṁ kusalā vadanti.
Seeing, a person will find |name and form::mentality and materiality—the integrated structure of mental capacities (intention, attention, contact, feeling, perception) and physical form that together constitute and sustain an individual being [nāmarūpa]|,
and having seen, it is just these that he could know;
Whether he sees much or little, as per his liking,
not by that do the skilled declare purity.
Nivissavādī na hi subbināyo,
Pakappitaṁ diṭṭhi purakkharāno;
Yaṁ nissito tattha subhaṁ vadāno,
Suddhiṁ vado tattha tathaddasā so.
One entrenched in a view is not |easily instructed::easily guided [subbināya]|,
holding his own formulated view foremost;
Whatever he depends on, calling it |good::beautiful, excellent [subha]|,
claiming purity there—he thinks he has truly seen.
Na brāhmaṇo kappamupeti saṅkhā,
Na diṭṭhisārī napi ñāṇabandhu;
Ñatvā ca so sammutiyo puthujjā,
Upekkhatī uggahaṇanti maññe.
The sage does not |speculate::fabricate, imagine [kappamupeti]| on |concepts::calculations, enumerations; mental constructs that form the basis for self-identity [saṅkhā]|,
he is not |a follower of views::pursuing beliefs, an adherent of views [diṭṭhisārī]| nor an |adherent of knowledge::bound to knowledge [ñāṇabandhu]|;
Having known common opinions,
he regards with equanimity where others grasp.
Vissajja ganthāni munīdha loke,
Vivādajātesu na vaggasārī;
Santo asantesu upekkhako so,
Anuggaho uggahaṇanti maññe.
Having untied the knots here in the world,
the sage does not take sides when disputes occur;
Peaceful among the unpeaceful, he remains |equanimous::mental poised, mentally balanced, non-reactive, disregarding [upekkhaka]|,
|not grasping::not embracing, not taking up [anuggaha]| where others grasp.
Pubbāsave hitvā nave akubbaṁ,
Na chandagū nopi nivissavādī;
Sa vippamutto diṭṭhigatehi dhīro,
Na lippati loke anattagarahī.
Having abandoned former |taints::defilements, pollutants [āsava]| and not making new ones,
not |driven by desire::pulled along by impulse [chandagū]| nor a |proponent of dogma::fixed in opinion [nivissavādī]|;
Released from speculative views, that |steadfast::firm, stable, wise [dhīra]| one,
untainted by the world, is |free of self-blame::not criticizing oneself [anattagarahī]|.
Sa sabbadhammesu visenibhūto,
Yaṁ kiñci diṭṭhaṁ va sutaṁ mutaṁ vā;
Sa pannabhāro muni vippamutto,
Na kappiyo nūparato na patthiyo”ti.
He is |disarmed with respect to::at peace with [visenibhūta]| |all states of mind::all mental phenomena, all things [sabbadhamma]|,
in whatever is seen, heard, or sensed;
With his burden dropped, the sage is freed,
not |constructing ideas::fabricating concepts [kappiya]|, not abstaining, not wishing.”