The Bhikkhu

To control the eye is good; to control the ear is good;

to control the nose and the tongue is good.

It is good to control one's actions, words, mind. Con-

trol in all things is good. The Bhikkhu who controls

himself entirely is delivered from all suffering.

The man who is master over his hands, his feet and

his tongue, who controls himself wholly, who delights

in meditation, who is calm and leads a solitary life,

can be called a Bhikkhu.

The Bhikkhu who is master over his tongue and is

moderate in speech, who is modest, who luminously

interprets the Doctrine, in truth his words are as sweet

as honey.

The Bhikkhu who lives by the Doctrine, who delights

in the Doctrine, who meditates on the Doctrine, who

knows the Doctrine thoroughly, surely cannot fall

away from the Doctrine.

The Bhikkhu should not treat his own progress (in

wisdom and goodness) lightly, nor envy the progress

of others; for the Bhikkhu who is envious cannot

achieve concentration.

Even if the progress he has made is slight, the Bhik-

khu should not despise it; if his life is pure and his

effort persevering, the gods themselves shall praise

him for it.

Page -289

One who is not attached to name and form, who does

not think, “This belongs to me”, and who does not

grieve over what does not exist, he, in truth, is called

a Bhikkhu. 

The Bhikkhu who lives a life of loving kindness and

who is filled with faith in the teaching of the Enlight-

ened One, that Bhikkhu will attain the peace of Nir-

vana, the supreme bliss from which every conditioned

element has vanished.

Empty this boat, O Bhikkhu; once lightened, the boat

of your body will sail more lightly and having rejected

desire and hatred you shall enter Nirvana.

Break the five bonds (belief in the ego, doubt, belief

in vain rites and ceremonies, craving and bad will).

Renounce these five other bonds (the desire to live in

the world of forms, the desire to live in the subtle

world, pride, restlessness and ignorance). Cultivate

these five (faith, energy, mindfulness, meditation, and

wisdom). The Bhikkhu who is thus five times free is

said to be “he who has crossed over the flood”.

Meditate, O Bhikkhus, do not be negligent. Your

minds should not turn towards the pleasures of the

senses; for if by negligence you swallowed a red-hot

iron ball, when you felt the burning you would lament,

crying, “Oh, how painful it is!”

For one without knowledge there is no meditation;

without meditation there is no knowledge. One in

whom there is both meditation and knowledge is near

to Nirvana. 

Page – 290

The Bhikkhu who has entered the abode of empti-

ness, the Bhikkhu of serene mind, enjoys delight

beyond the human, in the clear vision of the Doctrine.

Each time that he concentrates on the appearance and

disappearance of all conditioned things, he enjoys the

happiness and the delight of those who have attained

immortality.

These things are for the wise Bhikkhu the very basis

of the religious life: mastery of the senses, content-

ment, conduct according to the code of discipline,

association with noble friends who lead a life of con-

stant purity.

The Bhikkhu should be cordial, kind and polite; thus

in the fullness of his joy, he will put an end to suffering.

Just as the jasmine sheds its faded petals, so also the

Bhikkhu sheds desire and hatred.

Calm in action, calm in speech, calm in mind, serene,

emptied of all earthly appetites, this Bhikkhu is called

“The Serene One”.

Let him arouse himself, let him examine himself; thus

self-guarded and vigilant, the Bhikkhu will live in

happiness.

In truth, one is one's own protector, one's own refuge.

Know therefore how to control yourself as the horse-

dealer controls a noble steed.

Filled with gladness and faith by the teaching of the

Page – 291

Buddha, the Bhikkhu attains the state of perfect peace,

cessation of all compounded existence.

The young Bhikkhu who consecrates himself to the

Teaching of the Enlightened One, illumines this world

like the moon coming forth from behind the clouds. 

One piece of advice given here is that one should always be kind. It should not be mistaken for the sort of advice people normally give. It says something interesting, even very interesting. My comment is: Always be kind and you will be free from suffering, always be contented and happy, and you will radiate your quiet happiness.

It is particularly noticeable that all the digestive functions are extremely sensitive to an attitude that is critical, bitter, full of ill-will, to a sour judgment. Nothing disturbs the functioning of the digestion more than that. And it is a vicious circle: the more the digestive function is disturbed, the more unkind you become, critical, dissatisfied with life and things and people. So you can't find any way out. And there is only one cure: to deliberately drop this attitude, to absolutely forbid yourself to have it and to impose upon yourself, by constant self-control, a deliberate attitude of all-comprehending kindness. Just try and you will see that you feel much better.

22 August 1958 

*

Page – 292