19. Dhammaṭṭhavaggo

19. The Judge

256.

Na tena hoti dhammaṭṭho, yenatthaṃ sāhasā [sahasā (sī. syā. ka.)] naye;

To pass judgment hurriedly doesn’t mean you’re a judge.

Yo ca atthaṃ anatthañca, ubho niccheyya paṇḍito.

The wise one, weighing both the right judgment & wrong,

257.

Asāhasena dhammena, samena nayatī pare;

judges others impartially— unhurriedly, in line with the Dhamma,

Dhammassa gutto medhāvī, ‘‘dhammaṭṭho’’ti pavuccati.

guarding the Dhamma, guarded by Dhamma, intelligent: he’s called a judge.

258.

Na tena paṇḍito hoti, yāvatā bahu bhāsati;

Simply talking a lot doesn’t mean one is wise.

Khemī averī abhayo, ‘‘paṇḍito’’ti pavuccati.

Whoever’s secure— no hostility, fear— is said to be wise.

259.

Na tāvatā dhammadharo, yāvatā bahu bhāsati;

Simply talking a lot doesn’t maintain the Dhamma.

Yo ca appampi sutvāna, dhammaṃ kāyena passati;

Whoever —although he’s heard next to nothing— sees Dhamma through his body,

Sa ve dhammadharo hoti, yo dhammaṃ nappamajjati.

is not heedless of Dhamma: he’s one who maintains the Dhamma.

260.

Na tena thero so hoti [thero hoti (sī. syā.)], yenassa palitaṃ siro;

A head of gray hairs doesn’t mean one’s an elder.

Paripakko vayo tassa, ‘‘moghajiṇṇo’’ti vuccati.

Advanced in years, one’s called an old fool.

261.

Yamhi saccañca dhammo ca, ahiṃsā saṃyamo damo;

But one in whom there is truth, restraint, rectitude, gentleness, self-control—

Sa ve vantamalo dhīro, ‘‘thero’’ iti [so theroti (syā. ka.)] pavuccati.

he’s called an elder, his impurities disgorged, enlightened.

262.

Na vākkaraṇamattena, vaṇṇapokkharatāya vā;

Not by suave conversation or lotus-like coloring

Sādhurūpo naro hoti, issukī maccharī saṭho.

does an envious, miserly cheat become an exemplary man.

263.

Yassa cetaṃ samucchinnaṃ, mūlaghaccaṃ samūhataṃ;

But one in whom this is cut through up- rooted wiped out—

Sa vantadoso medhāvī, ‘‘sādhurūpo’’ti vuccati.

he’s called exemplary, his aversion disgorged, intelligent.

264.

Na muṇḍakena samaṇo, abbato alikaṃ bhaṇaṃ;

A shaven head doesn’t mean a contemplative. The liar observing no duties,

Icchālobhasamāpanno, samaṇo kiṃ bhavissati.

filled with greed & desire: what kind of contemplative’s he?

265.

Yo ca sameti pāpāni, aṇuṃ thūlāni sabbaso;

But whoever tunes out the dissonance of his evil qualities —large or small— in every way

Samitattā hi pāpānaṃ, ‘‘samaṇo’’ti pavuccati.

by bringing evil to consonance: he’s called a contemplative.

266.

Na tena bhikkhu so hoti, yāvatā bhikkhate pare;

Begging from others doesn’t mean one’s a monk.

Vissaṃ dhammaṃ samādāya, bhikkhu hoti na tāvatā.

As long as one follows householders’ ways, one is no monk at all.

267.

Yodha puññañca pāpañca, bāhetvā brahmacariyavā [brahmacariyaṃ (ka.)];

But whoever puts aside both merit & evil and, living the chaste life,

Saṅkhāya loke carati, sa ve ‘‘bhikkhū’’ti vuccati.

judiciously goes through the world: he’s called a monk.

268.

Na monena munī hoti, mūḷharūpo aviddasu;

Not by silence does someone confused & unknowing turn into a sage.

Yo ca tulaṃva paggayha, varamādāya paṇḍito.

But whoever—wise, as if holding the scales, taking the excellent—

269.

Pāpāni parivajjeti, sa munī tena so muni;

rejects evil deeds: he is a sage, that’s how he’s a sage.

Yo munāti ubho loke, ‘‘muni’’ tena pavuccati.

Whoever can weigh both sides of the world: that’s how he’s called a sage.

270.

Na tena ariyo hoti, yena pāṇāni hiṃsati;

Not by harming life does one become noble.

Ahiṃsā sabbapāṇānaṃ, ‘‘ariyo’’ti pavuccati.

One is termed noble for being gentle to all living things.

271.

Na sīlabbatamattena, bāhusaccena vā pana;

Monk, don’t on account of your precepts & practices, great erudition,

Atha vā samādhilābhena, vivittasayanena vā.

concentration attainments, secluded dwelling,

272.

Phusāmi nekkhammasukhaṃ, aputhujjanasevitaṃ;

or the thought, ‘I touch the renunciate ease that run-of-the-mill people don’t know’:

Bhikkhu vissāsamāpādi, appatto āsavakkhayaṃ.

ever let yourself get complacent when the ending of effluents is still unattained.

Dhammaṭṭhavaggo ekūnavīsatimo niṭṭhito.