Food For Thought

A Collection of Heretical Notions and Wretched Adages
compiled by Jack Tourette

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Sutta Nipata, or, Dialogues and Discourses of Gotama Buddha, 1874
Part I "Uraga Vagga"
Sutta III "Khaggavisana Sutta"
Translated by Sir M. Coomara Swamy

  1. Having abandoned the practising of violence towards all objects, not doing violence to any one of them, let one wish not for children. Why wish for a friend? Let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  2. There are friendships to one who lives in society; this (our present) grief arises from having friendships; observing the evils resulting from friendship, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  3. He who is kind towards much beloved friends, loses (his own) good (from) his mind becoming partial; observing such danger in friendship, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  4. As a spreading bush of bambu is entangled in various ways, so is the longing for children and wives: not clinging (to these) even like a bambu (just) sprouting forth, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  5. As a beast of the forest prowls, free, whithersoever he will for pasture, (even so) let a wise man, observing solitude, walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  6. Whilst resting, standing, going, travelling, leave must be obtained (by one living) in the midst of friends; let one, observing solitude which is not pleasing (to others), walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  7. (If one lives) in the midst of company, (love of) amusement and desire arises; strong attachment for children arises; let (therefore) one who dislikes separation (which must happen sooner or later) from those beloved walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  8. Whoever is (possessed) of the four Appamannas [friendliness, compassion, goodwill, and equanimity], and is not opposed to any person, is contented with whatever he gets, endures sufferings and is fearless, let him walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  9. Some there are, also, difficult to please, even though they be ascetics; on the other hand, there are also some laymen difficult to propitiate; (therefore) let one, not minding other men's children, walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  10. Let a hero abandoning the ways of the world, (and) also flinging off the bonds of the household, like a Kovilara-tree, which has cast off its leaves, walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  11. If a wise man secures a wise friend (who will act) in concert with him, being firmly established in good principles, he will live happily with him, overcoming all afflictions.
  12. If a wise man secures not a wise friend (who will act) in concert with him, being firmly established in good principles, let him, like a king who has abandoned the country conquered by him, walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  13. Certainly we praise the acquisition of friendship; (but) good friends should be admitted into (one's) company; not obtaining such friends, let one, subsisting on pure food, walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  14. Noticing (how even) two glittering armlets of gold (though) well made by a goldsmith strike against each other, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  15. Thus, being with a second beside myself, I must either speak too much or be angry with him; observing this danger, for the future, let a man walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  16. Desires are indeed various, sweet (and) pleasing to the mind; they churn the mind in different ways; observing the distress (resulting) from desires, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  17. This (body is) a calamity, a excrescence, a danger, a disease, a dart (of sorrow), a fear to me; observing this danger (resulting) from desires, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  18. (There are) cold, heat, hunger, thirst, wind, sun, gadflies, snakes; having overcome all these various things, let a man walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  19. As the huge-bodied, white-spotted, noble elephant wanders in the forest, whithersoever he will, deserting his herd, (so also) let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  20. The (attaining of even) temporary Samadhi (meditation) by any one who is attached to society, is impossible; such is the teaching of the kinsman of the Sun; let one, having heard this, walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  21. Thus overcoming those things which injure faith, having attained firmness (of mind, and) reached the right path, I have indeed arrived at (complete) knowledge and have nothing left to be known. Let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  22. Divested of greediness, deceit, longings, not disparaging others unjustly, in the whole world; released from evil affections and ignorance; desireless, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  23. Let one cast away a sinful friend who looks to do wicked things, (or) is established in wicked actions: let the same person associate not with one fond (of pleasure, and) procastinating in doing good things. Let him walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  24. Let him serve a friend who is very learned, versed in morals, great (and) possessed of a quick understanding; having known the (real) meaning (of things), let him remove his doubts and walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  25. Indifferent to amusements, lust, (and) the pleasures of the world, not beautifying oneself, despising ornaments, and speaking the truth, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  26. Having abandoned the different kinds of desire, (founded on) child, wife, father, mother, wealth, corn, relations, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  27. Let a wise man, having discovered that such is attachment, that there is in it but little happiness, that it is but insipid, that there is more affliction in it (than comfort), that it is a fish-hook, walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  28. Having cast off the bonds, like a fish which breaks the net in the water, like a fire that returns not to the spot already burnt up, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  29. With his eyes looking downwards, not moving quickly, with his senses guarded, his mind restrained, not burdened with lust, not burning with desire, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  30. Having abandoned the ways of the householder, clothed in yellow robes, like a Parichchhatta-tree, which is densely covered with leaves, having given up laymanship, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  31. Not being greedy of savoury things, not being unsteady, nor maintained by others, begging from house to house without any distinction, not having a mind attached to this or that family, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  32. Having cast off the five Nivaranas (evil tendencies) of the mind, having cleared away all the obscurities of the mind, having extinguished the folly of friendship, not allied to anything, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  33. Having thrown behind him pleasure and pain, and first (doing away with) good and bad intentions, having (then) secured the middle state, which is pacific and pure, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  34. Possessed of courage, perservering in the attainment of Paramattha (the supreme good) with a mind not inactive, without living in idleness, resolute in perserverance, endowed with a strong and powerful mind, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  35. Not abandoning the Patisallana meditations, practising the Law daily, remembering the evil consequences of repeated births, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  36. Looking forward to the extinction of desire, being diligent, not foolish, (becoming) a good ascetic, endowed with presence of mind, acquainted with justice, observing the rules of the hermits, energetic, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  37. Like the lion which fears not noises, unobstructed like the wind (whistling) through a net, not touching anything like the lotos (leaf) untouched by water, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  38. As the lion, the king of beasts, powerful from his teeth, lives committing violence and overcoming (all), even so let one dwell in mermitages in far-away deserts.
  39. In fit time, observe kindness, impartiality, mercy, freedom from sin, (and) delight at the prosperity of others: unopposed to the whole world, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  40. Having abandoned lust, malice, ignorance, having broken the bonds of transmigration, entertaining no fear for the loss of life, let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
  41. (Men) associate with and serve (others) for the sake of an object; friends who have no object in view are difficult to obtain. They are wise (enough) to gain some object (for themselves). Men are not pure. Let one walk alone like a rhinoceros.
© 1999 by MonkeyPants Press, an imprint of Bonobo Books, a division of Consolidated Trout, Ltd.
Last update: 03-July-2015
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