Verse 4. Sutra Two - King Udayana

In this very life one should understand this,

The evil in the world one should reject and act as to accord with this,

Abandon carrying it out, as not to result in contemplating [evil],

For life is short and ones death is very near.

人生當覺是，
Rénshēng dāng jué shì,
世邪難可依，
shì xié nán kě yī,
捨正不著念，
shě zhèng bùzháo niàn,
命短死甚近。
mìng duǎn sǐ shén jìn.

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 2, Verse 775

Bibliography

Verse 2 & 3. Sutra Two - King Udayana

Held-fast one is really bound to this birth,

Tied strongly to sensual pleasures, even though one dispels them,

Do not behold or follow what goes away or comes again,

Being wise, one gives them up.

Blinded by greed and foolishness, 

Unknowingly evil increases and accumulates,

Sitting, craving, covered in pain, deep in sorrow,

To go from existing, what will one turn towards or depend on?

坐可繫胞胎，　　
Zuò kě xì bāo tāi,
繫色堅雖解，
 xì sè jiān suī jiě,
不觀去來法，　　
bù guān qù lái fǎ,
慧是亦斷本。
 huì shì yì duàn běn.

貪欲以癡盲，　　
Tānyù yǐ chī máng,
不知邪利增，
bùzhī xié lì zēng,
坐欲被痛悲，　　
 zuò yù bèi tòng bēi,
從是當何依？
cóng shì dāng hé yī?

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 2, Verse 773 & 774

Bibliography

Verse 1. Sutra Two - King Udayana

Bound to their hut from where one has many cravings,

Dwelling where they are covered over by their evil,

Because of being covered over they are far away from the right path,

With desiring thoughts, it's difficult to act wise.

繫舍多所願，
Xì shě duō suǒ yuàn,　　
住其邪所遮，
zhù qí xié suǒ zhē,
以遮遠正道，
yǐ zhē yuǎn zhèng dào,
欲念難可慧。
yùniàn nán kě huì.

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 2, Verse 772

Discussion: In the Pail parallel the zhèng dào -正道 (right path) reads as solitude.

Bibliography

Title of Sutra Two from Yì Zú Jīng

Sutra Two - King Udayana

優填王經第二
Yōutián wáng jīng

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga, Guhatthakasutta - Chapter 2  The Cave

Discussion: The title of the sutra refers to the prose story where King Udayana, visits a buddhist mendicant but becomes angered at his lack of attainments. Being innocent of wrong doing, a spirit deva intervenes and rescues the mendicant. He then relates the events to the Buddha who draws a conclusion that events must have been due to his past life karma.

Bibliography

Verse 6. from Sutra One - Jié, Greedy King

Therefore, the reciter with attentive mind,

Far away from craving, not having committed them,

Determined, seeks to crossover the [flood],

Like one rowing a boat until it reaches the far shore.

故說攝意，
Gù shuō shè yì,
遠欲勿犯，
yuǎn yù wù fàn,
精進求度，　
jīng jìn qiú dù,
載船至岸。
zài chuán zhì àn.

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 1 Verse 771

Discussion: I’ve used the word flood in the 3rd line as it appears in the Pali parallel to complete the sentence in english.

Bibliography

Verse 5. from Sutra One - Jié, Greedy King

Weakened, one collapses on being over powered,

Sitting as in mourning, one bitterly complains,

Afterward deep in pain one suffers,

Like a boat breaking-up amidst the sea.

倒羸為強，
Dào léi wéi qiáng,
坐服甚怨，
zuò fú shén yuàn,
次冥受痛，　
cì míng shòu tòng,
船破海中。
chuán pò hǎizhōng

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 1 Verse 770

Bibliography

Verse 4. from Sutra One - Jié, Greedy King

Cultivated fields, precious treasures,

Owner of oxen and horses,

Women and [men], holding fast to these,

One is bond-up by desires,

Foolish ways that injure oneself,

田種珍寶,
Tián zhǒng zhēn bǎo,　　
牛馬養者，
niú mǎ yǎng zhě, 　　
坐女繫欲，
zuò nǚ xì yù,
癡行犯身，
chī xíng fàn shēn,

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 1 Verse 769

Discussion: The inclusion of men follows the preceding verses use of pairs. The Pali parallel also lists both women and men.

Bibliography

Verse 3. from Sutra One - Jié, Greedy King

From desire one should flee,

As if close to the head of a snake,

Whoever [wants] to disregard pleasures of the world,

Should establish skill in contemplation.

是欲當遠，
Shì yù dāng yuàn,
如附蛇頭，　
rú fù shé tóu,
違世所樂，
wéi shì suǒ lè,　　
當定行禪。
dāng dìng xíng chán.


Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chap. 1 Verse 768

Discussion: The character 禪 (chán) in the last line can be translated as meditation but is most commonly used today to refer to the Chan Buddhist school that would come to prominence in the proceeding centuries of Chinese buddhist history. The word itself is the shorten version of 禪那 (chán nuó), being a transliteration of the Sanskrit word for dhyāna (Pali, jhāna). Though, at this early stage of Buddhist transmission from India to China the word was associated with a wider range of Buddhist contemplation including but not exclusively the type of meditation known as dhyāna. It's for this reason I've translated it as contemplation rather than meditation as this captures the more generalised understanding and use of the word in China at that time (see Yuanci).

Bibliography