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334. The craving of a person who lives heedlessly
Grows like a maluva creeper.
He moves from beyond to beyond,
Like a monkey, in a forest, wishing for fruit.
335. Whomsoever in the world
This childish entangled craving overcomes,
His sorrows grow,
Like birana grass, well rained upon.
336. But whosoever in the world
Overcomes this childish craving, hard to get beyond,
From him, sorrows fall away,
Like drops of water from a lotus leaf.
337. This I say to you. Good fortune to you [all],
As many as are here assembled.
Dig out the root of craving,
As one searching for usira digs out birana grass.
Let not Mara break you again and again,
As a river, a reed.
338. As long as the roots are unharmed, firm,
A tree, though topped, grows yet again.
Just so, when the latent craving is not rooted out,
This suffering arises again and again.
339. For whom the thirty-six streams,
Flowing to what is pleasing, are mighty,
That one, whose view is debased,
The currents, which are thoughts settled on passion, carry away.
340. Streams flow everywhere;
A creeper, having burst upward, remains.
Having seen the creeper that has arisen,
Cut out with insight-wisdom its root.
341. Moved along and soaked by craving,
Delights arise in a being.
Those men who are bound to the agreeable, looking for pleasure,
Do indeed go on to birth and old age.
342. Accompanied by craving,
Fold crawl around like a trapped hare,
Being held by fetters and bonds.
They come by suffering again and again, for long.
343. Surrounded by craving,
Folk crawl around like a trapped hare.
Therefore, let a bhikkhu dispel craving,
Wishing for his own detachment.
344. Who is free of the underbrush, but attached to the forest,
Who, set free from the forest, runs back to the forest;
Come, see that person,
Who, released, runs back to bondage itself.
345. That is not a strong bond, say the wise,
Which is made of iron, of wood, or of [plaited] grass.
Those excessively attached to jewels and ornaments [their attachment],
And affection for sons and wives.
346. This is a strong bond, say the wise,
Dragging down, lax [and yet] hard to loosen.
Having cut off even this, they set out,
Free of expectation, relinquishing sensual pleasures.
347. Those who are attached to passions fall back into the “stream”,
Like a spider, on a self-spun web.
Having cut off even this, the wise proceed
Free of expectation, relinquishing all suffering.
348. Let go in front, let go behind, let go in between!
Gone to the further shore of existence,
With mind released as to “everything”,
You shall not again come upon birth and old age.
349. For a person having thoughts disturbed,
Acute of passion, looking for the pleasurable,
Craving increases all the more.
That one, indeed, makes the bondage firm.
350. But one who delights in allaying thoughts,
Who, ever-mindful, develops meditation on the unpleasant,
That one, indeed, will make an end,
That one will cut off Mara’s bond.
351. The one who has arrived at the destination,
Free from fright, craving, and blemish,
Has broken the knives of existence.
This is the final bodily form.
352. Without craving, free from grasping,
Skilled in terms of expression,
Who would know the combination of letters, what precedes and what follows,
He, indeed, is called one having the last physical form,
Great person of great wisdom.
353. Conqueror of all, knower of all am I;
Untainted with regard to all dhammas.
Abandoning everything, released at the dissolution of craving,
Having comprehended by myself, whom shall I point out?
354. The gift of dhamma prevails over every gift,
The flavour of dhamma prevails over every flavour,
The delight in dhamma prevails over every delight,
The dissolution of craving subdues all suffering.
355. Possessions strike down one deficient in wisdom,
But not those seeking the beyond.
Through craving for possessions, one deficient in wisdom
Strikes himself down as one would the others.
356. For fields, grasses are the bane,
For humankind, sensual attraction is the bane.
Hence, to those free from sensual attraction
What is given yields much fruit.
357. For fields, grasses are the bane,
For humankind, ill will is the bane.
Hence, to those free from ill will
What is given yields much fruit.
358. For fields, grasses are the bane,
For humankind, confusion is the bane.
Hence, to those free from confusion
What is given yields much fruit.
359. For fields, grasses are the bane,
For humankind, longing is the bane.
Hence, to those free from longing
What is given yields much fruit.