Saturday 18 May 2019

Verse 8. Sutra Two - King Udayana

Having understood perception with insight one crosses over the flood,

Attachment to the self the noble one does not estimate,

Having not done so [already], determined remove the [arrow] abandon [possessions],

That without doubt [will] cause you to indulge in [this world or another].


覺想觀度海,  
Jué xiǎng guān dù hǎi,
有我尊不計,
yǒu wǒ zūn bùjì,
力行拔未出, 
lìxíng bá wèi chū,
致使乃無疑
zhì shǐ nǎi wúyí.

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 2, Verse 779

Discussion: The noble one in the second line reads muni in the Pali parallel. I've ended with, this world or another as found in the Pali to help complete the verse.

Bibliography

Tuesday 14 May 2019

Verse 7. Sutra Two - King Udayana

The capable one leaves both sides of desire [behind],

Acting as to understand this, one does not keep on [craving],

Do not do those actions for which one would blame oneself,

Not tainting oneself by what one sees and hears.

力欲於兩面,
Lì yù yú liǎngmiàn,
彼可覺莫著, 
bǐ kě jué mòzhe,
莫行所自怨, 
mò xíng suǒ zì yuàn,
見聞莫自污。 
jiànwén mò zì wū.

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 2, Verse 778

Bibliography

Saturday 11 May 2019

Verse 6. Sutra Two - King Udayana

They act in ways as to endure anguish upon themselves,

Like fish floundering in a dried up river,

Being able you should act as an unselfish person,

[Not] one who continually accumulates rounds of existences.

自可受痛身,  
Zì kě shòu tòng shēn,
流斷少水魚,
liú duàn shǎo shuǐyú,
以見斷身可
yǐ jiàn duàn shēn kě
三世復何增
sānshì fù hé zēng


Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 2, Verse 777

Discussion: Jiàn-見 has the connotation of being and acting kindly or receiving (as in a guest) etc. I've translated it here as unselfish in the 3rd line, due to the emphasis placed on it. Sānshì - 三世 can function as a phrase referring to the Three Realms of past, present, future. Here I've translated it as rounds of existences in the last line.

Bibliography

Tuesday 7 May 2019

Verse 5. Sutra Two - King Udayana

They roam [around] in the world of sorrow,

Craving the continuous stream of birth and death,

At the time of their death they are fretful and resentful,

Berating they follow craving for existences-after-existences

展轉是世苦,  
Zhǎnzhuǎn shì shì kǔ,
生死欲溪流,
shēngsǐ yù xīliú,
死時乃念怨,  
sǐ shí nǎi niàn yuàn,
從欲詆胎極。
cóng yù dǐ tāi jí.

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 2, Verse 776

Discusion: I've translated  tāi - 胎 (English, origin) and jí - 極 - (English, end, utmost, extremity etcas   becoming-after-becoming or existence-after-existence, as the Pali parallel of the same verse uses bhavābhavesu (bhavābhava) in the forth line. Bhava having the connotation of: origin, birth, becoming, existence etc