Showing posts with label Nava Sutta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nava Sutta. Show all posts

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Khuddaka Nikaya - Sutta Nipata - Nava Sutta

Sn 2.8
Nava Sutta
A Boat
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Alternate translation:IrelandThanissaro
PTS: Sn 316-323



Source: Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.



Copyright © 2001 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Access to Insight edition © 2001
For free distribution. This work may be republished, reformatted,
reprinted, and redistributed in any medium. It is the author's wish,
however, that any such republication and redistribution be made available
to the public on a free and unrestricted basis and that translations and
other derivative works be clearly marked as such.



Translator's note: Although it is often lost in translation, this poem in the
Pali has a clearly articulated over-all structure. The first seven verses —
coming under the "because" (yasma) — state reasons, while the last verse, under
the "so" (tasma), draws the conclusion: find a good teacher and practice the
Dhamma.



Because:
when you honor
— as the devas, Indra —
one from whom
you might learn the Dhamma,
he, learned, honored,
confident in you,
shows you the Dhamma.

You, enlightened, heedful,
befriending a teacher like that,
practicing the Dhamma in line with the Dhamma,
pondering,
giving it priority,
become
knowledgeable,
clear-minded,
wise.

But if you consort with a piddling fool
who's envious,
hasn't come to the goal,
you'll go to death
without having cleared up the Dhamma right here,
with your doubts unresolved.

Like a man gone down to a river —
turbulent, flooding, swift-flowing —
and swept away in the current:
how can he help others across?

Even so:
he who hasn't
cleared up the Dhamma,
attended to the meaning
of what the learned say,
crossed over his doubts:
how can he get others
to comprehend?

But as one who's embarked
on a sturdy boat,
with rudder & oars,
would — mindful, skillful,
knowing the needed techniques —
carry many others across,

even so
an attainer-of-knowledge, learned,
self-developed, unwavering
can get other people to comprehend —
if they're willing to listen,
ready to learn.

So:
you should befriend
a person of integrity —
learned, intelligent.
Practicing so
as to know the goal,
when you've experienced the Dhamma,

you get bliss.