Book of Eights: Chapter 15

Jeroen

One day early, since I have time and nobody objects, I’ll add the last two chapters.

Chapter 15 is titled “the discourse on being violent”, which starts off with five verses on the emotional unrest the Buddha experienced prior to awakening. It also talks of how the Buddha saw the “arrow of turmoil” that weare all pierced with, and how to remove it. The remainder of the poem is about training how to be peaceful.

What struck me...

Don’t pursue
What the world’s knotted up in,
Having fully pierced sensuality,
Train in your own full release.

What was before — let it wither away!
What will be later — do nothing with it!
Not grasping what’s in between,
You’ll live in peace.

I found it a very interesting chapter, lots of different pointers for finding peace.

lobster

Yes indeed the vinaya is certainly a bunch of inflicted arrows that ... wait self mortification is peacable?

Middle Way Dharma dude ...

As someone trained in violent martial arts, I find that placates my needs and leads to equanimity. I am interested in becoming more violently dharmic. Perhaps ruthless study of books I don't have or being kind whether people want it or not, demon killing ... that sort of thing ?

Buddhadragon

In Lord Chalmers version (1932) of the Sutta Nipata, the verses you quote look like these, @Kerome:

"Steer clear of worldly trammels;
stab to death pleasures of sense;
Nirvana be thy goal"

"Consume to ashes past iniquities;
thereafter let no fresh defilement grow;
if -meantime- thou contract no current guilt,
thy feet shall tread the tranquil path of Peace"

And in V. Fausböll's version (1881), they run like this:

"There (many) studies are gone through;
what is tied in the world let him not apply himself to (untie) it;
having wholly transfixed desire, let him learn his own extinction (nibbana)."

"What is before (thee), lay that aside;
let there be nothing behind thee;
if thou wilt not grasp after what is in the middle,
thou wilt wander calm."

Fausböll's translation is dry and word-by-word...