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179. Whose victory is not turned into defeat,
Whose victory no one in this world reaches,
That Awakened One whose range is limitless,
Him, the trackless, by what track will you lead?
180. For whom craving there is not, the netlike, the clinging,
To lead him wheresoever,
That Awakened One whose range is limitless,
Him, the trackless, by that track will you lead?
181. Those who are intent on meditating, the wise ones,
Delighting in the calm of going out,
Even gods long for them,
The Fully Enlightened Ones, the mindful.
182. Difficult is the attainment of the human state.
Difficult the life of mortals.
Difficult is the hearing of dhamma true.
Difficult the appearance of Awakened Ones.
183. Refraining from all that is detrimental,
The attainment of what is wholesome,
The purification of one’s mind:
This is the instruction of Awakened Ones.
184. Forbearing patience is the highest austerity;
Nibbana is supreme, the Awakened Ones say.
One who has gone forth is not one who hurts another,
No harasser of others is a recluse.
185. No faultfinding, no hurting, restraint in the patimokkha,
Knowing the measure regarding food, solitary bed and chair,
Application, too, of higher perception:
This is the instruction of the Awakened Ones.
186. Not even with a rain of golden coins
Is contentment found among sensual pleasures.
“Sensual pleasures are of little delight, are a misery.”
Knowing so, the wise one.
187. Takes no delight
Even for heavenly sensual pleasures.
One who delights in the ending of craving
Is a disciple of the Fully Enlightened One.
188. Many for refuge go
To mountains and to forests,
To shrines that are groves or trees –
Humans who are threatened by fear.
189. This is not a refuge secure,
This refuge is not the highest.
Having come to this refuge,
One is not released from all misery.
190. But who to the Buddha, Dhamma,
And Sangha as refuge has gone,
Sees with full insight
The Four Noble Truths;
191. Misery, the arising of misery,
And the transcending of misery,
The Noble Eightfold Path
Leading to the allaying of misery.
192. This, indeed, is a refuge secure.
This is the highest refuge.
Having come to this refuge,
One is released from all misery.
193. Hard to come by is a person of nobility;
Not everywhere is he born.
Wherever that wise one is born,
That family prospers in happiness.
194. Joyful is the arising of Awakened Ones.
Joyful, the teaching of Dhamma true.
Joyful, too, the concord of the Sangha.
Joyful, the austere practice of those in concord.
195. Of one worshipping those worthy of worship,
Whether Awakened Ones or disciplines,
Who have transcended preoccupying tendencies,
Crossed over grief and lamentation,
196. Of one worshipping such as them,
Calmed ones who fear nothing,
The merit cannot be quantified
By anyone saying, “It is of this extent.”