T I T L E (1) :
Long is the night to the wakeful,
Long is the Yojana to the weary,
Long is Samsara to the foolish
Who know not the true doctrine.
T I T L E (2) :
If, as he fares, he finds no companion
Who is better or equal,
Let him firmly pursue his solitary course;
There is no fellowship with the foot.
T I T L E (3) :
'I have some, I have wealth';
So thinks the food and is troubled.
He himeself is not his own.
How then are sons,how wealth?
T I T L E (4) :
A fool aware of his stupidity
Is in so far wise,
But the fool thinking himself wise
Is called a fool indeed.
T I T L E (5) :
Though through all his life
A fool associates with a wise man,
He yet understands not the Dhamma,
As the spoon the flavour of soup.
T I T L E (6) :
Though,for a moment only,
An intelligent man associates with a wise man,
Quickly he understands the Dhamma,
As the tougue the flavour of soup.
T I T L E (7) :
Fools of little wit
Behave to themselves as enemies,
Doing evil deeds
The fruits wherof are bitter.
T I T L E (8) :
That deed is not well done,
After doing which one feels remorse
And the fruit whereof is received
With tears and lamentations.
T I T L E (9) :
Well done is thst deed
which, done, brings no regret;
The fruit whereof is received
The fruit whereof is received
With delight and satisfaction.
T I T L E (10) :
An evil deed seems sweet to the fool
so long as it does not bear fruit;
but when it ripens,
The fool comes to grief.
T I T L E (11) :
Month after month the fool may eat his food
With the tip of Kusa srass;
Nonetheless he is not worth the sixteenth part
Of those who have well understoood the Truth.
T I T L E (12) :
An evil deed committed
Does not immediately bear fruit,
Just as milk curdles not at once;
Smouldering life covered by ashes,
It follows the fool.
T I T L E (13) :
The fool gains knowledge
Only for his ruin;
It destroys his good actions
And cleaves his head.
T I T L E (14) :
A foolish monk desires undue reputation,
Precedence among monks,
Authority in the monasterics,
Honour among other families.
T I T L E (15) :
'Let both laymen and monks think,
By me only was this done;
In every work,great or small,
Let them refer to me .'
Such is the ambitin of the fool;
His desire and pride increase.
T I T L E (16) :
One is the way to worldly gain;
To Nibbana another leads.
Clearly realizing this,
The bhikkh,disciple of the Buddha,
Should not delight in worldly favour,
But devote himself to solitude.
