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Thig 13:2 Rohiṇī
Rohiṇī’s father:
You go to sleep saying,
“Contemplatives.”
You wake up,
“Contemplatives.”
You praise only
contemplatives.
No doubt you will be
a contemplative.
Abundant food & drink
you give to contemplatives.
Now, Rohiṇī, I ask you:
Why do you hold
contemplatives dear?
They don’t like to work,
they’re lazy,
living off what’s given by others,
full of hankerings,
wanting delicious things:
Why do you hold
contemplatives dear?
Rohiṇī:
For a long time, father,
you’ve quizzed me
about contemplatives.
I’ll praise to you
their
discernment,
virtue,
endeavor.
They do like to work,
they’re not lazy.
They do the best work:
They abandon
passion & anger.
That’s why I hold
contemplatives dear.
They rid themselves
of the three evil roots,1
doing pure actions.
All their evil’s
abandoned.
That’s why I hold
contemplatives dear.
Clean their bodily action,
so is their verbal action.
Clean their mental action:
That’s why I hold
contemplatives dear.
Spotless, like mother of pearl,
pure within & without,
perfect in clear qualities:
That’s why I hold
contemplatives dear.
Learned, maintaining the Dhamma,
noble, living the Dhamma,
they teach the goal
& the Dhamma:
That’s why I hold
contemplatives dear.
Learned, maintaining the Dhamma,
noble, living the Dhamma,
with unified minds
& mindful:
That’s why I hold
contemplatives dear.
Traveling far, mindful,
giving counsel unruffled,
they discern the end
of suffering:
That’s why I hold
contemplatives dear.
When they leave any village
they don’t turn to look back
at anything.
How free from concern
they go!
That’s why I hold
contemplatives dear.
They don’t store in a granary,
pot,
or basket.
They hunt [only]
for what’s already cooked:
That’s why I hold
contemplatives dear.
They take neither silver,
nor gold,
nor money.
They live off whatever is present:
That’s why I hold
contemplatives dear.
Having gone forth
from different families
& from different countries,
still they hold
one another dear:
That’s why I hold
contemplatives dear.
Rohiṇī’s father:
Rohiṇī, truly for our benefit
were you born in our family.
You have conviction
in the Buddha & Dhamma,
and strong respect
for the Saṅgha.
You truly discern
this field of merit
unexcelled.
These contemplatives will receive
our offering, too,
for here we’ll set up
our abundant sacrifice.
Rohiṇī:
If you’re afraid of pain,
if you dislike pain,
go to the Buddha for refuge,
go to the Dhamma & Saṅgha.
Take on the precepts:
That will lead
to your benefit.
Rohiṇī’s father:
I go to the Buddha for refuge;
I go to the Dhamma & Saṅgha.
I take on the precepts:
That will lead
to my benefit.
* * *
Before, I was a kinsman to Brahmā;
now, truly a brahman.
I’m a three-knowledge man & safe,
consummate in knowledge,
washed clean.
Note
1. The three unskillful roots are greed, aversion, and delusion. See DN 2, MN 9, and AN 3:66.