Impurity

235. Thou art now like a sear leaf, the messengers of death (Yama) have come near to thee; thou standest at the door of thy departure, and thou hast no provision for thy journey.

235. You are now like a withered leaf. The messengers of death (Yama) have come near you. You stand at the doorway of your departure, and you have no supplies for your journey.

236. Make thyself an island, work hard, be wise! When thy impurities are blown away, and thou art free from guilt, thou wilt enter into the heavenly world of the elect (Ariya).

236. Make yourself an island, work hard, and be wise! When your impurities are blown away and you are free from guilt, you will enter the heavenly world of the chosen (Ariya).

237. Thy life has come to an end, thou art come near to death (Yama), there is no resting-place for thee on the road, and thou hast no provision for thy journey.

237. Your life has come to an end. You are near death (Yama). There is no resting place for you along the road, and you have no supplies for your journey.

238. Make thyself an island, work hard, be wise! When thy impurities are blown away, and thou art free from guilt, thou wilt not enter again into birth and decay.

238. Make yourself an island, work hard, and be wise! When your impurities are blown away and you are free from guilt, you will never face birth and decay again.

239. Let a wise man blow off the impurities of his self, as a smith blows off the impurities of silver one by one, little by little, and from time to time.

239. A wise man should remove his own impurities, just as a smith removes impurities from silver. He should do so one by one, little by little, from time to time.

240. As the impurity which springs from the iron, when it springs from it, destroys it; thus do a transgressor's own works lead him to the evil path.

240. Rust forms on iron and destroys it. In the same way, a wrongdoer’s own actions lead him down an evil path.

241. The taint of prayers is non-repetition; the taint of houses, non-repair; the taint of the body is sloth; the taint of a watchman, thoughtlessness.

241. Prayers are spoiled by a lack of repetition. Houses are spoiled by a lack of repairs. The body is spoiled by laziness. A watchman is spoiled by carelessness.

242. Bad conduct is the taint of woman, greediness the taint of a benefactor; tainted are all evil ways in this world and in the next.

242. Bad conduct stains a woman’s character. Greed stains the character of someone who gives to others. All evil ways are stained, in this world and in the next.

243. But there is a taint worse than all taints,—ignorance is the greatest taint. O mendicants! throw off that taint, and become taintless!

243. But one stain is worse than all others. Ignorance is the greatest stain. Mendicants, cast off ignorance and become free of all stains!

244. Life is easy to live for a man who is without shame, a crow hero, a mischief-maker, an insulting, bold, and wretched fellow.

244. Life is easy for a shameless man, a hero like a crow. He makes trouble, insults others, and is bold and wretched.

245. But life is hard to live for a modest man, who always looks for what is pure, who is disinterested, quiet, spotless, and intelligent.

245. But life is hard for a modest man who always seeks what is pure. He is unselfish, quiet, free from fault, and wise.

246. He who destroys life, who speaks untruth, who in this world takes what is not given him, who goes to another man's wife;

246. A man who kills, lies, takes what is not given to him in this world, or sleeps with another man's wife.

247. And the man who gives himself to drinking intoxicating liquors, he, even in this world, digs up his own root.

247. And the man who gives himself over to drinking alcohol digs up his own roots, even in this world.

248. O man, know this, that the unrestrained are in a bad state; take care that greediness and vice do not bring thee to grief for a long time!

248. Man, know that those who lack self-control are in a bad state. Take care that greed and vice do not cause you lasting suffering!

249. The world gives according to their faith or according to their pleasure: if a man frets about the food and the drink given to others, he will find no rest either by day or by night.

249. People give according to their faith or as they please. If a man worries about the food and drink given to others, he will find no rest, day or night.

250. He in whom that feeling is destroyed, and taken out with the very root, finds rest by day and by night.

250. Whoever has that feeling destroyed and pulled out by the roots finds rest by day and by night.

251. There is no fire like passion, there is no shark like hatred, there is no snare like folly, there is no torrent like greed.

251. There is no fire like passion. There is no shark like hatred. There is no trap like foolishness. There is no raging flood like greed.

252. The fault of others is easily perceived, but that of oneself is difficult to perceive; a man winnows his neighbour's faults like chaff, but his own fault he hides, as a cheat hides the bad die from the gambler.

252. It is easy to see others' faults, but hard to see your own. A man sifts through his neighbor's faults like chaff. But he hides his own fault, just as a cheat hides a rigged die from a gambler.

253. If a man looks after the faults of others, and is always inclined to be offended, his own passions will grow, and he is far from the destruction of passions.

253. If a man focuses on others' faults and is always quick to take offense, his own passions will grow. He is then far from being free of those passions.

254. There is no path through the air, a man is not a Samana by outward acts. The world delights in vanity, the Tathagatas (the Buddhas) are free from vanity.

254. There is no path through the air. Outward actions do not make a man a Samana. The world delights in vanity. The Tathagatas (the Buddhas) are free from vanity.

255. There is no path through the air, a man is not a Samana by outward acts. No creatures are eternal; but the awakened (Buddha) are never shaken.

255. There is no path through the air. Outward actions do not make a man a Samana. No creatures last forever, but the awakened (Buddha) are never shaken.