Reclusiveness...
samahita
Veteran
Friends:
The Solitary Rhinoceros Horn:
Originally spoken by solitary Pacceka Buddhas!
Laying aside all violence, respecting all beings,
never harming even one of them,
one should never wish for a son,
nor neither for any companion.
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Affection comes into being for one who has associations;
following this affection, this misery arises.
Seeing the peril born of this affection, this passion, this lust
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Sympathising with friends and companions one misses ones goal
Being shackled in mind.
Seeing such danger in acquaintance,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
The considerations which exists for sons and wives is like
a spreading bamboo entangled, a solid web of bars,
Like a single young bamboo shoot up free, not caught up with others
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
As a deer is not tied up goes where-ever it wishes
Fully free in forest, an understanding friend,
regarding and enjoying his independence,
should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Among many companions;
whether one rests, stand, sit, or walk;
there are endless requests from others...
Having respect for and appreciation of Freeing Independence...
which is not liked by any other, [than Nobles]
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Among many companions;
there are sport, enjoyment, and great love for sons and men
Although loathing the later separation from what is liked,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
One is a friend of the four directions and not hostile,
being pleased with whatever comes ones way.
A fearless bearer of the dangers,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Even some wanderers [& some bhikkhus] are not kindly disposed
and also some householders dwelling in a house can also be hostile.
Paying little attention to the children [pupils] of others;
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Having shed the appearance of a householder,
like a naked tree, whose leaves have fallen;
A true Hero, having cut the householders bond,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
If one can obtain a zealous companion,
an associate of good & pure disposition,
who is resolute, firm, unwavering
overcoming all obstructions, swiftly,
One should wander with him, elated & mindfull.
Certainly let us praise the excellent fortune
of having a Friend, better or equal than one-self,
such one should truly be followed.
However if such Noble Friend is absent, not to be found
then enjoying only blameless things,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Seeing that even golden bracelets, quite well made
inevitable are clashing together, when two on same arm,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
In same way seeing: With a companion there would be
objectionable empty talk and abuse for me.
Seeing such danger of the future in company,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
For sensual pleasures, variegated, sweet and delightful
disturb and perturb the mind with their manifold forms.
Seeing the danger in the many forms of sensual delights,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
This for me is a calamity, a cancer tumour, a misfortune,
a dis-ease, a barb and a fear! Seeing the danger of sensual
strands of pleasure exactly like such distress & disaster,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Cold, heat, hunger and thirst, rainy storm
and the sting of the scorching sun, gadflies and snakes,
having mindfully endured all these, training patience,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
As an Elephant with massive shoulders,
spotted by age, but Noble in mind,
may leave the herds and live as it pleases
all alone in the forest peace,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
It is an IMPOSSIBILITY!!! for one who delights in company
to obtain even a trace of even temporary release...
Having heard such word from the son of the sun,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Gone beyond the contortions of wrong view,
arrived at the fixed straight course to salvation,
having gained the way, having entered the stream,
thinking: Ice-Clear Certain Insight has arisen in me;
I am not to be led by others anymore...
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Being without desire, without deceit, without thirst,
without hypocrisy, with delusion and faults blown all away,
without longing for anything whatsoever in the whole world,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
One should avoid a companion defiled by evil,
who does not see the goal, who has accepted bad behaviour.
One should not associate with one who is dominated by
wrong views and is negligent, all blinded, fumbling...
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
One should cultivate one certain Friend of Great Learning,
Expert in the Doctrine, a Noble Friend possessed of ultra-sharp
Intelligence. When understanding one’s aim, [from such friend]
having dispelled any doubt and dried out all confusion,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Not finding any satisfaction in sport, activity
and empty entertainment, nor in the fading happiness
arisen from sensual pleasures of this glitter world,
one should pay no attention whatsoever to such,
abstain from adornment of mere body frame
and speaking only plain straight absolute truth,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Leaving behind son and wife, and father and mother
and house and wealth, and sensual pleasures to the limit
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
This is an attachment, a bond, a chain; here is
little happiness, modest satisfaction, much misery,
this is a hook of pain! Seeing this, knowing this, the wise
should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Having broken ones chains asunder, like a fish breaking
through the catching net, not returning, like a fire gone out,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
With downcast eyes, not foot-loose, nor restless,
with senses well-guarded, with mind well protected,
not emitting any defiled mental dirt,
not burning inside, cooled with no fewer, contented,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Showing no greed for mere taste, not wanton,
not hireling for others, going on an uninterrupted
begging round, not bound to this or that family,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Having left behind the five hindrances of the mind,
having blown away all defilements, utterly independent,
having cut out affection and hate, passion and aversion
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Having put both happiness and misery all behind,
even so with joy and dejection already,
having gained the precious equanimity, purified tranquillity
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Determined, solidly resolute for the attainment of
the Supreme Goal, with great force, not indolent,
of firm exertion, furnished with power and enduring strength
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Neither giving up seclusion nor meditation, constantly
living according to the Dhamma, yet amongst all the
flickering phenomena of this world, understanding
the ultimate danger inherent in this existence itself…,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Working for the utter destruction of craving,
not negligent, not foolish, learned, possessing
continuous mindfulness, brightly aware, very present,
having examined the doctrine, restrained, energetic,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Like a mighty lion is not trembling at any sound,
not caught up with others,
like the wind passes freely through a net,
not in love like a lotus leave sheds a falling water drop,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Wandering Victorious, like a long toothed tiger
the king of beasts, one should resort
to secluded remote hermitages,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Training at regular times friendliness, empathy
pity, joy, equanimity, and mental release,
unobstructed, unimpeded by the entire world
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Leaving behind the dust of passion, aversion and confusion
having broken all such mental chains all apart,
not even slightly nervous at the moment of complete life destruction,
One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
People associate with others for some motive of
advantage for themselves; nowadays real Friends
without such motive hidden behind are hard to find.
Attentive to their own good only, humans are impure.
One should therefore wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
Source: Sutta-Nipata I.3 v35-75
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.1.03.than.html
http://store.pariyatti.org/Sutta-Nipata_p_1831.html
Sword-horn from Rhinoceros Unicornis: The Indian one-horned rhinoceros
More on Sweet Solitude Alone:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Alone_yet_Free.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Sweet_Solitude.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/PACCEKABUDDHA.htm
Reclusiveness...
Sweet is Solitude :-)
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Rhinoceros_Horn.htm
Comments
Sadu Sadu Sadu /\
I always find it interesting in Buddhism that the Buddha encouraged solitude and yet also encouraged compassion for all living beings.
It's kinda like "Ï'll love everyone but as long as they stay away from me!"
I know I'm off the mark but it does cross my mind when i think of solitude.
@Bunks I think that compassion comes from seeing just how badly people suffer. The ones that are free from suffering understand that we create our own suffering.
This is going to be a hard one for me as a lay person. One step at a time I guess.
Even a rhinoceros horn has some attachment. But it is not dependent on that attachment for its own existence. It can and does exist independently. It looks better as part of the whole but can stand as a solitary thing as well....
I don't think it's like that at all. You can be in solitude and in silence even in the midst of millions ... that was perhaps Buddha's point? Not running away from the world ... but not being overly attached to it?
I agree, @betaboy. It means not belonging to the gang, being your own person.
Yes.
Solitude is an attitude not necessarily a hermetic seal in an emotional or actual cave.
Christian mystics describe it as being 'in the world but not of the world'.
The sangha and practitioners engaging in retreats often withdraw for periods and in a sense that is what meditation is. A solitary being.
The idea of detachment is then initially a sustained practice, that allows us to choose what to let go of or perhaps more to the point realise we were attached to craving, ignorance and greed for Nirvana . . . :wave: .
Although you have to develop yourself as an island. Not so easy when surrounded by people all the time.
It's much easier when alone. I think the Buddha meant solitary as simply that. Not emotionally. As IMO.
A cave may not be practical but the idea is there. If you have nothing it's easier to not get attached right? Same with being around people all the time.
It's certainly easier that way.
LOL that's the only way TO 'love everybody' that I know of
.
At a nice distance!
The middle way perhaps?
Isn't that what the lotus rising from the mud signifies? Living the world without being stained by the world?