The Buddha's Path of Virtue Part 19

417.

Whoso hath left behind all ties that bind on earth, And e'en the heavenly world transcended hath; Whoso from every tie is free; Him I deem a Brahma?a.

415.

Who joy and pain hath left, who from the heat of life Is cooled, and hath no basis of rebirth, Heroic conqueror of the worlds; Him I deem a Brahma?a.

419.

Who knows the rise and fall of things in birth and death, Who is not of the world, who hath the path Well trod, who hath become awake; Him I deem a Brahma?a.

420.

Whose pa.s.sage[9] hence the G.o.ds themselves cannot discern, Nor demi-G.o.ds nor men; a worthy one In whom the pa.s.sions are subdued; Him I deem a Brahma?a.

421.

To whom pertaineth naught of past or future things Or of the present; one who owneth naught, Who hath no wish for anything; Him I deem a Brahma?a.

422.

Dauntless,[10] pre-eminent, heroic mighty seer, The conqueror, desireless one, made clean,[11]

Whose eyes have opened to the light,[12]

Him I deem a Brahma?a.

423.

Who knows his former births, who sees both heaven and h.e.l.l,[13]

Who now at last hath reached the end of births; Perfect in knowledge he who hath done all things well, That sage I call a Brahma?a.

[1] Cf. v. 178.

[2] _Akatannu_, "unconditioned," Nibba?a.

[3] 'lit. one for whom there exists neither this sh.o.r.e (the stream being not yet entered) nor that sh.o.r.e (Arahants.h.i.+p being yet unattained) nor both sh.o.r.es (as he has now attained)'.

[4] _Sahita_, "removed," the supposed etymology of _Brahmana_; as _samitatta_, "quieted" is here supposed to be that of _samana_, ascetic monk. _Pabbajja_ is one who "goes forth," takes the robes, becomes ordained a Buddhist mendicant monk.

[5] Cf. the words of the Christ to the Pharisees: "Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness." The word used, _gahanam_, 'grasping,' may also mean 'jungle'.

[6] These were the marks of the early and stricter ascetics; even to-day the _bhikkhus_ of Ceylon have their robes made of pieces of cloth sewn together, but these are not picked from the dust-heap.

[7] "Hail-fellow," _bhovadi_, one who uses the disrespectful term of _bho_, "I say! man". These Brahmins who did not accept the Buddha as Master would address Him in this way, and of course they were often wealthy men.

[8] _The strap_ is said to be hate; _the thong_, desire; _the ropes_, orthodoxy with its attendant narrowness; _the bar_, ignorance that shuts the door of knowledge.

[9] _Cuti_; _gati_; the "fall" from other worlds into this one, and the 'going' or pa.s.sage or state of the next birth.

[10] Like a bull.

[11] _Nahatakam_, an allusion to the ceremonial bathing of the Brahma?a after finis.h.i.+ng his course of studies.

[12] The meaning of buddha.

[13] One who knows earth, heaven and h.e.l.l, and can range them at will, is called _nanatiloka_, "knower of the three worlds". Such a one is born no more, as he has learned the lessons of these worlds.