Pārā­pariya

While he was sitting alone
In seclusion, practicing jhāna,
An ascetic, the monk Pārāpariya
Had this thought:
“Following what system
What vow, what conduct,
May I do what I need to do for myself,
Without harming anyone else?
The faculties of human beings
Can lead to both welfare and harm.
Unguarded they lead to harm;
Guarded they lead to welfare.
By protecting the faculties,
Taking care of the faculties,
I can do what I need to do for myself
Without harming anyone else.
If your eye wanders
Among sights without check,
Not seeing the danger,
You’re not freed from suffering.
If your ear wanders
Among sounds without check,
Not seeing the danger,
You’re not freed from suffering.
If, not seeing the escape,
You indulge in smell,
You’re not freed from suffering,
Being infatuated by smells.
Recollecting the sour,
And the sweet and the bitter,
Captivated by craving for taste,
You don’t understand the heart.
Recollecting lovely
And pleasurable touches,
Full of desire, you experience
Many kinds of suffering because of lust.
Unable to protect
The mind from such mental phenomena,
Suffering follows them,
Because of all five.
This body is full of pus and blood,
As well as many carcasses;
But cunning people decorate it
Like a lovely painted casket.
You don’t understand that
The gratification of sweetness turns out bitter,
And attachments to those we love are suffering,
Like a razor smeared all over with honey.
Full of lust for the sight of a woman,
For the voice and the smells of a woman,
For a woman’s touch,
You experience many kinds of suffering.
All of a woman’s streams
Flow from five to five.
Whoever, being energetic,
Is able to curb these,
Purposeful and firm in Dhamma,
Would be clever and discerning;
Even while enjoying himself,
What he does is connected with Dhamma and its purpose.
You should avoid a meaningless task
That is leading to decline.
Thinking, “This is not to be done”,
Is being diligent and discerning.
Whatever is meaningful,
A principled happiness,
Let one undertake and practice that:
This is the best happiness.
Coveting the possessions of others
By whatever means, whether high or low,
One kills, injures, and torments,
Violently plundering the possessions of others.
Just as a strong person when building
Knocks out a peg with a peg,
So the skilful person
Knocks out the faculties with the faculties.
Developing faith, energy, samādhi
Mindfulness, and wisdom;
Destroying the five with the five,
The perfected one lives without worry.
Purposeful and firm in Dhamma,
Having fulfilled in every respect
The instructions spoken by the Buddha,
That person prospers in happiness.