Thag 18 PTS: Thag 1051-90- Maha Kassapa

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Thag 18 PTS: Thag 1051-90- Maha Kassapa
One shouldn't go about surrounded, revered by a company: one gets distracted; concentration is hard to gain. Fellowship with many people is painful. Seeing this, one shouldn't approve of a company.

A sage shouldn't visit families: one gets distracted; concentration is hard to gain. He's eager & greedy for flavors, <p style="text-align:center;">whoever misses the goal <p style="text-align:center;">that brings bliss. <p style="text-align:center;">They know it's a bog — <p style="text-align:center;">the reverence & veneration <p style="text-align:center;">of families — <p style="text-align:center;">a subtle arrow, hard to extract. <p style="text-align:center;">Offerings are hard for a worthless man <p style="text-align:center;">to let go.

<p style="text-align:center;">* * *

<p style="text-align:center;">Coming down from my dwelling place, <p style="text-align:center;">I entered the city for alms, <p style="text-align:center;">stood courteously next to a leper <p style="text-align:center;">eating his meal.

<p style="text-align:center;">He, with his rotting hand, <p style="text-align:center;">tossed me a morsel of food, <p style="text-align:center;">and as the morsel was dropping, <p style="text-align:center;">a finger fell off <p style="text-align:center;">right there.

<p style="text-align:center;">Sitting next to a wall, <p style="text-align:center;">I ate that morsel of food, <p style="text-align:center;">and neither while eating it, <p style="text-align:center;">nor having eaten, <p style="text-align:center;">did I feel <p style="text-align:center;">any disgust.

<p style="text-align:center;">Whoever has mastered <p style="text-align:center;">left-over scraps for food, <p style="text-align:center;">smelly urine for medicine, <p style="text-align:center;">the foot of a tree for a dwelling, <p style="text-align:center;">cast-off rags for robes: <p style="text-align:center;">He is a man <p style="text-align:center;">of the four directions.

<p style="text-align:center;">* * *

<p style="text-align:center;">Where some are exhausted <p style="text-align:center;">climbing the mountain, <p style="text-align:center;">there <p style="text-align:center;">the Awakened One's heir <p style="text-align:center;">— mindful, alert, <p style="text-align:center;">buoyed by his psychic power — <p style="text-align:center;">Kassapa climbs.

<p style="text-align:center;">Returning from his alms round, <p style="text-align:center;">climbing the peak, <p style="text-align:center;">Kassapa does jhana <p style="text-align:center;">with no sustenance/clinging, <p style="text-align:center;">having abandoned terror <p style="text-align:center;">& fear.

<p style="text-align:center;">Returning from his alms round, <p style="text-align:center;">climbing the peak, <p style="text-align:center;">Kassapa does jhana <p style="text-align:center;">with no sustenance/clinging, <p style="text-align:center;">unbound <p style="text-align:center;">among those who burn.

<p style="text-align:center;">Returning from his alms round, <p style="text-align:center;">climbing the peak, <p style="text-align:center;">Kassapa does jhana <p style="text-align:center;">with no sustenance/clinging, <p style="text-align:center;">free of fermentation, <p style="text-align:center;">his duty <p style="text-align:center;">done.

<p style="text-align:center;">Spread with garlands of vines, <p style="text-align:center;">places delighting the mind, <p style="text-align:center;">resounding with elephants, <p style="text-align:center;">appealing: <p style="text-align:center;">those rocky crags <p style="text-align:center;">refresh me.

<p style="text-align:center;">The color of blue-dark clouds, <p style="text-align:center;">glistening, <p style="text-align:center;">cooled with the waters <p style="text-align:center;">of clear-flowing streams <p style="text-align:center;">covered with ladybugs: <p style="text-align:center;">those rocky crags <p style="text-align:center;">refresh me.

<p style="text-align:center;">Like the peaks of blue-dark clouds, <p style="text-align:center;">like excellent peaked-roof buildings, <p style="text-align:center;">resounding with tuskers, <p style="text-align:center;">appealing: <p style="text-align:center;">those rocky crags <p style="text-align:center;">refresh me.

<p style="text-align:center;">Their lovely surfaces wet with rain, <p style="text-align:center;">mountains frequented <p style="text-align:center;">by seers <p style="text-align:center;">& echoing <p style="text-align:center;">with peacocks: <p style="text-align:center;">those rocky crags <p style="text-align:center;">refresh me.

<p style="text-align:center;">This is enough for me — <p style="text-align:center;">desiring to do jhana, <p style="text-align:center;">resolute, mindful; <p style="text-align:center;">enough for me — <p style="text-align:center;">desiring the goal, <p style="text-align:center;">resolute, <p style="text-align:center;">a monk; <p style="text-align:center;">enough for me — <p style="text-align:center;">desiring comfort, <p style="text-align:center;">resolute, <p style="text-align:center;">in training; <p style="text-align:center;">enough for me — <p style="text-align:center;">desiring my duty, <p style="text-align:center;">resolute, <p style="text-align:center;">Such.

<p style="text-align:center;">Flax-flower blue, <p style="text-align:center;">like the sky <p style="text-align:center;">covered over with clouds; <p style="text-align:center;">filled with flocks <p style="text-align:center;">of various birds: <p style="text-align:center;">those rocky crags <p style="text-align:center;">refresh me.

<p style="text-align:center;">Uncrowded <p style="text-align:center;">by householders, <p style="text-align:center;">frequented <p style="text-align:center;">by herds of deer <p style="text-align:center;">filled with flocks <p style="text-align:center;">of various birds: <p style="text-align:center;">those rocky crags <p style="text-align:center;">refresh me.

<p style="text-align:center;">With clear waters & <p style="text-align:center;">massive boulders, <p style="text-align:center;">frequented by monkeys & <p style="text-align:center;">deer, <p style="text-align:center;">covered with moss & <p style="text-align:center;">water weeds: <p style="text-align:center;">those rocky crags <p style="text-align:center;">refresh me.

<p style="text-align:center;">There is no such pleasure for me <p style="text-align:center;">in the music of a five-piece band <p style="text-align:center;">as there is when my mind <p style="text-align:center;">is at one, <p style="text-align:center;">seeing the Dhamma <p style="text-align:center;">aright.

<p style="text-align:center;">* * *

<p style="text-align:center;">One shouldn't do lots of work, <p style="text-align:center;">should avoid people, <p style="text-align:center;">shouldn't busy oneself. <p style="text-align:center;">He's eager & greedy for flavors, <p style="text-align:center;">whoever misses the goal <p style="text-align:center;">that brings bliss.

<p style="text-align:center;">One shouldn't do lots of work, <p style="text-align:center;">should avoid <p style="text-align:center;">what doesn't lead to the goal. <p style="text-align:center;">The body gets wearied, <p style="text-align:center;">fatigued. <p style="text-align:center;">Aching, one finds <p style="text-align:center;">no tranquillity.

<p style="text-align:center;">* * *

<p style="text-align:center;">Simply by flapping the mouth <p style="text-align:center;">one doesn't see <p style="text-align:center;">even oneself. <p style="text-align:center;">One goes around stiff- <p style="text-align:center;">necked, <p style="text-align:center;">thinking, 'I'm better <p style="text-align:center;">than they.'

<p style="text-align:center;">Not better, <p style="text-align:center;">he thinks himself better, <p style="text-align:center;">the fool: <p style="text-align:center;">the wise don't praise him, <p style="text-align:center;">the stiff-necked man.

<p style="text-align:center;">But whoever isn't stirred <p style="text-align:center;">by the modes of <p style="text-align:center;">'I'm better, <p style="text-align:center;">not better. <p style="text-align:center;">I'm worse. <p style="text-align:center;">I'm like that'; <p style="text-align:center;">one who's discerning, <p style="text-align:center;">who acts as he says, <p style="text-align:center;">well-centered <p style="text-align:center;">in virtues, <p style="text-align:center;">committed to <p style="text-align:center;">tranquillity of awareness, he <p style="text-align:center;">is the one <p style="text-align:center;">the wise <p style="text-align:center;">would praise.

<p style="text-align:center;">One with no respect <p style="text-align:center;">for his fellows in the holy life, <p style="text-align:center;">is as far <p style="text-align:center;">from the true Dhamma <p style="text-align:center;">as the earth <p style="text-align:center;">is from the sky.

<p style="text-align:center;">But those whose conscience <p style="text-align:center;">& fear of evil <p style="text-align:center;">are always rightly established: they <p style="text-align:center;">have flourished in the holy life. <p style="text-align:center;">For them <p style="text-align:center;">there's no further becoming.

<p style="text-align:center;">A monk conceited & vain, <p style="text-align:center;">even though clad <p style="text-align:center;">in a robe of cast-off rags, <p style="text-align:center;">like a monkey in a lion's skin, <p style="text-align:center;">doesn't shine because of it.

<p style="text-align:center;">But a monk not conceited <p style="text-align:center;">or vain, <p style="text-align:center;">masterful, <p style="text-align:center;">his faculties restrained, shines <p style="text-align:center;">because of his robe of cast-off rags, <p style="text-align:center;">like a lion <p style="text-align:center;">in the cleft of a mountain.

<p style="text-align:center;">* * *

<p style="text-align:center;">These many devas, <p style="text-align:center;">powerful, prestigious <p style="text-align:center;">— 10,000 devas — <p style="text-align:center;">all of Brahma's retinue, <p style="text-align:center;">stand with their hands over their hearts, <p style="text-align:center;">paying homage to Sariputta, <p style="text-align:center;">the Dhamma-general, <p style="text-align:center;">enlightened, <p style="text-align:center;">centered, <p style="text-align:center;">great master of jhana, <p style="text-align:center;">(saying:)

<p style="text-align:center;">'Homage to you, O thoroughbred man. <p style="text-align:center;">Homage to you, O superlative man — <p style="text-align:center;">of whom we have no direct knowledge <p style="text-align:center;">even of that <p style="text-align:center;">in dependence on which <p style="text-align:center;">you do jhana.

<p style="text-align:center;">'How very amazing: <p style="text-align:center;">the awakened ones' <p style="text-align:center;">very own deep range — <p style="text-align:center;">of which we have no direct knowledge, <p style="text-align:center;">though we have come <p style="text-align:center;">as hair-splitting archers.'

<p style="text-align:center;">Seeing Sariputta, <p style="text-align:center;">a man worthy of worship, <p style="text-align:center;">worshipped by deva retinues, <p style="text-align:center;">Kappina <p style="text-align:center;">smiled.

<p style="text-align:center;">* * *

<p style="text-align:center;">As far as this buddha-field extends <p style="text-align:center;">— except for the great sage himself — <p style="text-align:center;">I'm the one <p style="text-align:center;">outstanding <p style="text-align:center;">in ascetic qualities. <p style="text-align:center;">There's no one else <p style="text-align:center;">like me.

<p style="text-align:center;">The Teacher has been served by me; <p style="text-align:center;">the Awakened One's bidding, <p style="text-align:center;">done; <p style="text-align:center;">the heavy load, laid down; <p style="text-align:center;">the guide to becoming, uprooted.

<p style="text-align:center;">Neither to robe, <p style="text-align:center;">nor dwelling, <p style="text-align:center;">nor food <p style="text-align:center;">does he cling: <p style="text-align:center;">Gotama, <p style="text-align:center;">like a lotus unspotted <p style="text-align:center;">by water, inclining <p style="text-align:center;">to renunciation, detached <p style="text-align:center;">from the three planes of becoming.

<p style="text-align:center;">He, <p style="text-align:center;">the great sage, <p style="text-align:center;">has the frames of reference <p style="text-align:center;">as his neck, <p style="text-align:center;">conviction <p style="text-align:center;">as hands, <p style="text-align:center;">discernment <p style="text-align:center;">as head. <p style="text-align:center;">The great master of jhana <p style="text-align:center;">he goes about <p style="text-align:center;">always unbound.