:: 2. Vinaya for the Householder. ::
On this matter the Buddha's thoughts are embodied in his discourse with Sigala.
1. At one time the Exalted One was in the Squirrels' Feeding-ground in Velu Vana in Rajagraha.
2. Now at this time young Sigala, a householder's son, rising betimes, went forth from Rajagraha, and with wet hair and wet garments and clasped hands uplifted, paid worship to the several quarters of earth and sky—to the east, south, west and north, to the nadir and the zenith.
3. And the Exalted One early that morning dressed himself, took his bowl and robe and entered Rajagraha seeking alms. He saw young Sigala wor-shipping and asked him, "Why do you worship the several quarters of earth and sky ? "
4. " My father, when he was dying, said to me : ' Dear son, you should worship the quarters of earth and sky. So I, sir, honouring my father's word worship in this wise.' "
5. " But how can this be the true religion of a man of the world " asked the Blessed One. " What else can be the religion of man," replied Sigala. " If there is, it would be an excellent thing if the Exalted One would tell me what it is."
6. " Hear then young householder, give ear to my words and I will tell you what it is." " So be it, Sir," responded young Sigala. And the Exalted One said:
7. "A religion to be a religion of man must teach him to shun bad conduct. The destruction of life, the taking of what is not given, licentiousness and lying speech are the four vices of conduct which he must avoid.
8. " Know ye, Sigala, evil deeds are done from motives of partiality, enmity, stupidity and fear. If he is not led away by these motives, he will do no evil deed.
9. " A religion to be religion of man must teach him not to dissipate his wealth. Dissipation of wealth results from being addicted to intoxicating liquors, frequenting the streets at unseemly hours, haunting fairs, being infatuated by gambling, associating with evil companions, the habit of idleness. 10. " There are, Sigala, six dangers which follow from being addicted to intoxicating liquors, actual loss of wealth, increase of quarrels, susceptibility to disease, loss of good character, indecent exposure, impaired intelligence.
11. "Six are the perils from frequenting the streets at unseemly hours : he himself is without guard or protection and so also are his wife and children, so also is his property, he, moreover, becomes suspected as the doer of undiscovered crimes, and false rumours fix on him, and many are the troubles he goes out to meet.
12. " Six are the perils from the haunting offairs: he is ever thinking where is there dancing ? Where is there singing ? where is there music ? where is recitation ? where are the cymbals ? where the tam-tams ?
13. " Six are the perils for him who is infatuated with gambling : as winner he begets hatred, when beaten he mourns his lost wealth, his actual substance is wasted, his word has no weight in a court of law, he is despised by friends and officials, he is not sought after by those who would give or take in marriage, for they would say that a man who is a gambler cannot afford to keep a wife.
14. " Six are the perils from associating with evil companions : any gambler, any libertine, any tippler, any cheat, any swindler, any man of violence is his friend and companion.
15. " Six are the perils of the habit of idleness : he says it is too cold and does no work, he says it is too hot and does no work, he says it is too early or too late and does no work, he says I am too hungry and does no work, he says I am too full and does no work. And while all that he should do remains undone, new wealth he does not get, and such wealth as he has dwindles away.
16. "A religion to be a religion of man must teach him to know who is a true friend. 17. " Four are they who should be reckoned as foes in the likeness of friends ; to wit, a rapacious person, the man of words not deeds, the flatterer, and the fellow-waster.
18. "Of these the first is to be reckoned as a foe in the likeness of a friend: for, he is rapacious, he gives little and asks much ; he does his duty out of fear, he pursues his own interests.
19. " A man of words who is not a man of deeds is to be reckoned as a foe in the likeness of a friend : For, he makes a friendly profession as regards the past, he makes friendly profession as regards the future, he tries to gain your favour by empty sayings, when the opportunity for service has arisen he avows his disability.
20. " The flatterer is to be reckoned as a foe in the likeness of a friend: for, he both consents to do wrong, and dissents from doing right ; he praises to your face ; he speaks ill of you to others.
21. "So also the fellow-waster companion is to be reckoned as a foe in the likeness of a friend ; for, he is your companion when you frequent the streets at untimely hours, he is your companion when you haunt shows and fairs, he is your companion when you are infatuated with gambling.
22. "Four are the friends who should be reckoned as sound at heart: the helper ; the friend who is the same in happiness and adversity; the friend of good counsel ; the friend who sympathises.
23. " The friend who is a helper is to be reckoned as sound at heart : because, he guards you when you are off your guard, he guards your property when you are off your guard, he is a refuge to you when you are afraid, when you have tasks to perform he provides a double supply of what you may need.
24. " The friend who is the same in happiness and adversity is to be reckoned as sound of heart: because, he tells you his secrets, he keeps secret your secrets, in your troubles he does not foresake you, he lays down even his life for your sake.
25. " The friend who declares what you need to do is sound of heart; because, he restrains you from doing wrong, he enjoins you to do what is right, he informs you of what you had not heard before, he reveals to you the way of heaven.
26. "The friend who sympathises is to be reckoned as sound at heart; because, he does not rejoice over your misfortunes, he rejoices over your prosperity, he restrains anyone who is speaking ill of you, he commends anyone who is praising you." Thus speaks the Exalted One.
27. " Instead of teaching him to worship the six quarters, a religion which is a religion of man must teach him to respect and revere his parents, his teachers, his wife and children, his friends and companions, his servants and workmen and his religious teachers."
On this matter the Buddha's thoughts are embodied in his discourse with Sigala.
1. At one time the Exalted One was in the Squirrels' Feeding-ground in Velu Vana in Rajagraha.
2. Now at this time young Sigala, a householder's son, rising betimes, went forth from Rajagraha, and with wet hair and wet garments and clasped hands uplifted, paid worship to the several quarters of earth and sky—to the east, south, west and north, to the nadir and the zenith.
3. And the Exalted One early that morning dressed himself, took his bowl and robe and entered Rajagraha seeking alms. He saw young Sigala wor-shipping and asked him, "Why do you worship the several quarters of earth and sky ? "
4. " My father, when he was dying, said to me : ' Dear son, you should worship the quarters of earth and sky. So I, sir, honouring my father's word worship in this wise.' "
5. " But how can this be the true religion of a man of the world " asked the Blessed One. " What else can be the religion of man," replied Sigala. " If there is, it would be an excellent thing if the Exalted One would tell me what it is."
6. " Hear then young householder, give ear to my words and I will tell you what it is." " So be it, Sir," responded young Sigala. And the Exalted One said:
7. "A religion to be a religion of man must teach him to shun bad conduct. The destruction of life, the taking of what is not given, licentiousness and lying speech are the four vices of conduct which he must avoid.
8. " Know ye, Sigala, evil deeds are done from motives of partiality, enmity, stupidity and fear. If he is not led away by these motives, he will do no evil deed.
9. " A religion to be religion of man must teach him not to dissipate his wealth. Dissipation of wealth results from being addicted to intoxicating liquors, frequenting the streets at unseemly hours, haunting fairs, being infatuated by gambling, associating with evil companions, the habit of idleness. 10. " There are, Sigala, six dangers which follow from being addicted to intoxicating liquors, actual loss of wealth, increase of quarrels, susceptibility to disease, loss of good character, indecent exposure, impaired intelligence.
11. "Six are the perils from frequenting the streets at unseemly hours : he himself is without guard or protection and so also are his wife and children, so also is his property, he, moreover, becomes suspected as the doer of undiscovered crimes, and false rumours fix on him, and many are the troubles he goes out to meet.
12. " Six are the perils from the haunting offairs: he is ever thinking where is there dancing ? Where is there singing ? where is there music ? where is recitation ? where are the cymbals ? where the tam-tams ?
13. " Six are the perils for him who is infatuated with gambling : as winner he begets hatred, when beaten he mourns his lost wealth, his actual substance is wasted, his word has no weight in a court of law, he is despised by friends and officials, he is not sought after by those who would give or take in marriage, for they would say that a man who is a gambler cannot afford to keep a wife.
14. " Six are the perils from associating with evil companions : any gambler, any libertine, any tippler, any cheat, any swindler, any man of violence is his friend and companion.
15. " Six are the perils of the habit of idleness : he says it is too cold and does no work, he says it is too hot and does no work, he says it is too early or too late and does no work, he says I am too hungry and does no work, he says I am too full and does no work. And while all that he should do remains undone, new wealth he does not get, and such wealth as he has dwindles away.
16. "A religion to be a religion of man must teach him to know who is a true friend. 17. " Four are they who should be reckoned as foes in the likeness of friends ; to wit, a rapacious person, the man of words not deeds, the flatterer, and the fellow-waster.
18. "Of these the first is to be reckoned as a foe in the likeness of a friend: for, he is rapacious, he gives little and asks much ; he does his duty out of fear, he pursues his own interests.
19. " A man of words who is not a man of deeds is to be reckoned as a foe in the likeness of a friend : For, he makes a friendly profession as regards the past, he makes friendly profession as regards the future, he tries to gain your favour by empty sayings, when the opportunity for service has arisen he avows his disability.
20. " The flatterer is to be reckoned as a foe in the likeness of a friend: for, he both consents to do wrong, and dissents from doing right ; he praises to your face ; he speaks ill of you to others.
21. "So also the fellow-waster companion is to be reckoned as a foe in the likeness of a friend ; for, he is your companion when you frequent the streets at untimely hours, he is your companion when you haunt shows and fairs, he is your companion when you are infatuated with gambling.
22. "Four are the friends who should be reckoned as sound at heart: the helper ; the friend who is the same in happiness and adversity; the friend of good counsel ; the friend who sympathises.
23. " The friend who is a helper is to be reckoned as sound at heart : because, he guards you when you are off your guard, he guards your property when you are off your guard, he is a refuge to you when you are afraid, when you have tasks to perform he provides a double supply of what you may need.
24. " The friend who is the same in happiness and adversity is to be reckoned as sound of heart: because, he tells you his secrets, he keeps secret your secrets, in your troubles he does not foresake you, he lays down even his life for your sake.
25. " The friend who declares what you need to do is sound of heart; because, he restrains you from doing wrong, he enjoins you to do what is right, he informs you of what you had not heard before, he reveals to you the way of heaven.
26. "The friend who sympathises is to be reckoned as sound at heart; because, he does not rejoice over your misfortunes, he rejoices over your prosperity, he restrains anyone who is speaking ill of you, he commends anyone who is praising you." Thus speaks the Exalted One.
27. " Instead of teaching him to worship the six quarters, a religion which is a religion of man must teach him to respect and revere his parents, his teachers, his wife and children, his friends and companions, his servants and workmen and his religious teachers."
No comments:
Post a Comment