X.DANDAVAGGA. PUNISHMENT OR THE ROD

129. All tremble at punishment. All fear death; comparing others with oneself, one should neither kill nor cause to kill.

130. All tremble at punishment. Life is dear to all; comparing others with oneself, one should neither kill nor cause to kill.

131. Whoever seeking his own happiness, harm with rod pleasure-loving beings gets no happiness hereafter.

132.Whoever seeking his own happiness, harms not with rod pleasure-loving beings gets happiness hereafter.

133. Speak not harshly to anyone; those thus addressed will retort; painful, indeed, is vindictive speech; blows in exchange may bruise you.

134. If, like a broken gong, you silence yourself, you have already attained Nibbãna; no vindictiveness will be found in you.

135. As with a staff the herdsman drives kine to pasture, even so do old age and death drive out the lives of beings.

136. So when a fool does wrong deeds, he does not realize (their evil nature); by his own deeds the stupid man is tormented, like one burnt by fire.

137. He who with rod harms the rodless and harmless, soon will come to one of these states:

138-140. He will be subject to acute pain, disaster, bodily injury, or even grievous sickness, or loss of mind, or oppression by the king, or heavy accusation, or loss of relatives, or destruction of wealth, or ravaging fire that will burn his houses. Upon the dissolution of the body this unwise man will be born in hell.

141. Not wandering naked, nor matted locks, nor filth, nor fasting nor lying on the ground, nor dust, nor ashes, nor squatting on the heels, purify a mortal who has not overcome doubts.

142. Though gaily decked, if he should live in peace, (with passions) subdued (and senses) controlled, certain (of the four paths of Saintship), perfectly pure, laying aside the rod towards all living beings, a Brahman indeed is he, an ascetic is he, a bhikkhu is he.

143. (Rarely) is found in this world anyone who, restrained by modesty, avoids reproach, as a thorough-bred horse the whip.

144. Like a thorough-bred horse, touched by the whip, even so be strenuous and zealous. By confidence, by virtue, by effort, by concentration, by the investigation of the Truth, by being endowed with knowledge and conduct, and by being mindful, get rid of this great suffering.

145. Irrigators lead the waters; fletchers bend the shafts; carpenters bend the wood; the virtuous control themselves.