Zen in Ten: "The Mindful Ones Exert Themselves"
Dhammapada Verses 90-99: Arahantavagga: The Arahant
Hello dear reader! This is the next post delineating the short verses in The Dhammapada, which is sometimes called the Buddhist Book of Proverbs. The Dhammapada is regarded as the most succinct expression of the Buddha's teachings found in the Pali canon. For your convenience, here are links to verses: 1-10, 11-20, 21-32, 33-43, 44-59, 60-75, and 76-89. Translated from the Pali by Acharya Buddharakkhita (accesstoinsight.org). Peace & bows from San Francisco!
90. The fever of passion exists not for [the person] who has completed the journey, who is sorrowless and wholly set free, and has broken all ties.
91. The mindful ones exert themselves. They are not attached to any home; like swans that abandon the lake, they leave home after home behind.
92. Those who do not accumulate and are wise regarding food, whose object is the Void, the Unconditioned Freedom—their track cannot be traced, like that of birds in the air.
93. [The person] whose cankers are destroyed and who is not attached to food, whose object is the Void, the Unconditioned Freedom—[the person’s] path cannot be traced, like that of birds in the air.
94. Even the gods hold dear the wise one, whose senses are subdued like horses well trained by a charioteer, whose pride is destroyed and who is free from the cankers.
95. There is no more worldly existence for the wise one who, like the earth, resents nothing, who is firm as a high pillar and as pure as a deep pool free from mud.
96. Calm is [the wise one’s] thought, calm [the wise one’s] speech, and calm [the wise one’s] deed, who, truly knowing, is wholly freed, perfectly tranquil and wise.
97. The person who is without blind faith, who knows the Uncreated, who has severed all links, destroyed all causes (for karma, good and evil), and thrown out all desires— [this person], truly, is the most excellent of [people].
98. Inspiring, indeed, is that place where Arahants dwell, be it a village, a forest, a vale, or a hill.
99. Inspiring are the forests in which worldlings find no pleasure. There the passionless will rejoice, for they seek no sensual pleasures.