12. Attavaggo

12. Self

157.

Attānañce piyaṃ jaññā, rakkheyya naṃ surakkhitaṃ;

If you hold yourself dear then guard, guard yourself well.

Tiṇṇaṃ aññataraṃ yāmaṃ, paṭijaggeyya paṇḍito.

The wise person would stay awake nursing himself in any of the three watches of the night, the three stages of life.

158.

Attānameva paṭhamaṃ, patirūpe nivesaye;

First he’d settle himself in what is correct,

Athaññamanusāseyya, na kilisseyya paṇḍito.

only then teach others. He wouldn’t stain his name : he is wise.

159.

Attānaṃ ce tathā kayirā, yathāññamanusāsati;

If you’d mold yourself the way you teach others,

Sudanto vata dametha, attā hi kira duddamo.

then, well-trained, go ahead & tame— for, as they say, what’s hard to tame is you yourself.

160.

Attā hi attano nātho, ko hi nātho paro siyā;

Your own self is your own mainstay, for who else could your mainstay be?

Attanā hi sudantena, nāthaṃ labhati dullabhaṃ.

With you yourself well-trained you obtain the mainstay hard to obtain.

161.

Attanā hi kataṃ pāpaṃ, attajaṃ attasambhavaṃ;

The evil he himself has done —self-born, self-created—

Abhimatthati [abhimantati (sī. pī.)] dummedhaṃ, vajiraṃ vasmamayaṃ [vajiraṃva’mhamayaṃ (syā. ka.)] maṇiṃ.

grinds down the dullard, as a diamond, a precious stone.

162.

Yassa accantadussīlyaṃ, māluvā sālamivotthataṃ;

When overspread by extreme vice— like a sal tree by a vine—

Karoti so tathattānaṃ, yathā naṃ icchatī diso.

you do to yourself what an enemy would wish.

163.

Sukarāni asādhūni, attano ahitāni ca;

They’re easy to do— things of no good & no use to yourself

Yaṃ ve hitañca sādhuñca, taṃ ve paramadukkaraṃ.

What’s truly useful & good is truly harder than hard to do.

164.

Yo sāsanaṃ arahataṃ, ariyānaṃ dhammajīvinaṃ;

The teaching of those who live the Dhamma, worthy ones, noble:

Paṭikkosati dummedho, diṭṭhiṃ nissāya pāpikaṃ;

whoever maligns it —a dullard, inspired by evil view—

Phalāni kaṭṭhakasseva, attaghātāya [attaghaññāya (sī. syā. pī.)] phallati.

bears fruit for his own destruction, like the fruiting of the bamboo.

165.

Attanā hi [attanāva (sī. syā. pī.)] kataṃ pāpaṃ, attanā saṃkilissati;

Evil is done by oneself, by oneself is one defiled.

Attanā akataṃ pāpaṃ, attanāva visujjhati;

Evil is left undone by oneself, by oneself is one cleansed.

Suddhī asuddhi paccattaṃ, nāñño aññaṃ [nāññamañño(sī.)] visodhaye.

Purity & impurity are one’s own doing. No one purifies another. No other purifies one.

166.

Attadatthaṃ paratthena, bahunāpi na hāpaye;

Don’t sacrifice your own welfare for that of another, no matter how great.

Attadatthamabhiññāya, sadatthapasuto siyā.

Realizing your own true welfare, be intent on just that.

Attavaggo dvādasamo niṭṭhito.