Put by the rod for all that lives,
tormenting not a single one;
long not for child, how then for friend?
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Attraction comes from meetings with,
and from attraction dukkha’s born;
see danger of attraction then,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.One full of ruth for friends well-loved
with mind attached, neglects the good,
seeing this danger in association,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Tangled as the crowding bamboo boughs
is fond regard for partner, child:
as the tall tops are tangle-free,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.The deer untethered roams the woods
going where’er it wants to graze:
seeing its liberty, wise one,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.’Mong friends one’s asked for this or that,
when resting, standing, going on tour,
seeing the liberty few desire,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.’Mong friends there’s sexy playfulness,
and love for children’s very great,
while loath to part from those beloved,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Resentment none to quarters four,
and well-content with this and that,
enduring dangers undismayed,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Some home-forsakers ill consort,
as householders who live at home;
be unconcerned with others’ kids!
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Let fall the marks of householder,
as Koviḷāra’s parted leaves;
a hero, having house-ties cut,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.For practice if one finds a friend—
prudent, well-behaved, and wise,
mindful, joyful, live as one
all troubles overcoming.But if you do not find a friend—
prudent, well-behaved, and wise,
then like a king who leaves his conquered lands,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Surely we praise accomplished friends—
choose friends who’re equal, or the best;
not finding these, live blamelessly,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.See golden bangles on an arm,
well-burnished by the goldsmith’s art,
clash together, the two of them,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.When there’s for me “a second one”
with intimate talk and curses both,
seeing this fear in future time,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Sense-things so sweet, so varied,
in diverse forms disturb the mind;
seeing the bane of sense desires
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.They are a plague, a blain, distress,
disease, a dart and danger too:
seeing this fear in sense-desires
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.The heat and cold, and hunger, thirst,
wind, sun, mosquitoes’ bites and snakes’;
enduring one and all of these,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn..As elephant bull of noble mien,
full-grown, the flock forsakes and lives
in forests as it pleases him,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.“Who loves to live in company
e’en timely freedom cannot find”;
so Kinsman of the Sun declared—
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.View-contortions gone beyond,
right method won, the path attained,
“I Know! No other is my guide!”
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.No greed, no guile, no thirst, no slur,
and blown away by delusion’s fault;
wantless in all the world’s become,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Shun the evil friend who sees
no goal, convinced in crooked ways,
serve not at will the wanton one,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Follow that friend who’s deeply-learned,
Dharma-endowed and lucid, great,
knows meaning leading out of doubts,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.In playful love and sensual joys
find no reward—no longer long;
embellish not but speak the truth,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Partner, children, parents too,
kin and wealth—things bought with it,
leaving all sense-desires behind,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.“They are but bonds and brief their joys,
and few their sweets and more their ills.
Hooks in the throat!” This knowing well,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Do snap the fetters, as a net
by river denizen is broke.
As fire to waste comes back no more,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.With downcast eyes, not loitering,
with guarded sense, warded thoughts,
with mind that festers not nor burns,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Discard householder’s finery,
as shed their leaves the Coral Trees;
go forth in kāsāya robes,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Crave not for tastes but free of greed
for alms food walk, omitting none,
and unattached ’mong families,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Abandoned mind’s five hindrances,
set aside defilements all,
affection-blemish having cut,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Let go of pain and happiness,
with previous joys and sorrows too,
gained poise and calm and purity,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Resolved to win the Ultimate,
not slack in mind, nor slothful ways,
but steady, strong in body and mind,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Seclusion, jhāna—do not cease
but what’s in line with Dharma do,
with mastered existential fears,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Alert, aspiring craving’s end,
clear-voiced and learned, mindful too,
striven, true Dharma having known,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.As lion is unafraid of sounds,
like wind not caught within a net,
as lotus not by water soiled,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.As lion strong-toothed, the king of beasts,
subdues them all, so overcome
by use of practice-place remote,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Frequent the mettā-mind, and ruth
at times, poised mind and joyful too—
unhindered mind by all the world.
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.Lust, hatred and delusion gone,
all the fetters having snapped,
then at life’s end, one trembles not,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.They serve and following having aims—
folk cunning, selfish-aimed and foul,
friends seeking nought are scarce today,
fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
snp.1.3 Suttanipata
The Rhino Horn: A Teaching for the Hermit-minded
- Translator: Laurence Khantipalo Mills
The Rhinoceros Horn
When you’ve laid down arms toward all creatures,not harming even a single one,
don’t wish for a child, let alone a companion:
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Those with close relationships have affection,
following which this pain arises.
Seeing this danger born of affection,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
When feelings for friends and loved ones
are tied up in selfish love, you miss out on the goal.
Seeing this peril in intimacy,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
As a spreading bamboo gets entangled,
so does concern for partners and children.
Like a bamboo shoot unimpeded,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
As a wild deer loose in the forest
grazes wherever it wants,
a smart person looking for freedom would
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
When among friends, whether staying in place
or going on a journey, you’re always on call.
Looking for the uncoveted freedom,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Among friends you have fun and games,
and for children you are full of love.
Though loathe to depart from those you hold dear,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
At ease in any quarter, unresisting,
content with whatever comes your way;
prevailing over adversities, dauntless,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Even some renunciates are hard to please,
as are some layfolk dwelling at home.
Don’t worry about others’ children,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Having shed the marks of the home life,
like the fallen leaves of the Shady Orchid Tree;
having cut the bonds of the home life, a hero would
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
If you find an alert companion,
a wise and virtuous friend,
then, overcoming all adversities,
wander with them, joyful and mindful.
If you find no alert companion,
no wise and virtuous friend,
then, like a king who flees his conquered realm,
wander alone like a tusker in the wilds.
Clearly we praise the blessing of a friend,
it’s good to be with friends your equal or better.
but failing to find them, eating blamelessly,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Though made of shining gold, well-finished by a smith,
when two bracelets share the same arm
they clash up against each other. Seeing this,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Thinking, “So too, if I had a partner,
there’d be flattery or curses.”
Seeing this peril in the future,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Sensual pleasures are diverse, sweet, delightful,
appearing in disguise they disturb the mind.
Seeing danger in the many kinds of sensual stimulation,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
This is a calamity, a boil, a disaster,
an illness, a dart, and a danger for me.
Seeing this peril in sensuality,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Heat and cold, hunger and thirst,
wind and sun, flies and snakes:
having put up with all these things,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
As a full-grown elephant, lotus-eating, magnificent,
forsaking the herd,
stays where it wants in the forest,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
It’s impossible for one who delights in company
to experience even temporary freedom.
Heeding the speech of the kinsman of the Sun,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Thinking, “I am one who has left warped views behind,
has reached the sure way, has gained the path,
has given rise to knowledge, and needs no-one to guide me”,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
No greed, no guile, no thirst, no slur,
dross and delusion is smelted off;
free of hoping for anything in the world,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Avoid a wicked companion,
blind to the good, habitually immoral.
One ought not befriend the heedless and hankering, but
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Spend time with a learned expert who has memorized the teachings,
an eloquent and uplifting friend.
When you understand the meanings and have dispelled doubt,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
When you realize that worldly fun and games
and pleasure are unsatisfying, disregarding them,
as one unadorned, a speaker of truth,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Children, partner, father, mother,
wealth and grain and relatives:
having given up sensual pleasures to this extent,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
“This is a snare. Here there’s hardly any happiness,
little gratification, and it’s full of drawbacks.
It’s a hook.” Knowing this, a thoughtful person would
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Having burst apart the fetters,
like a fish that tears the net and swims free,
or a fire not returning to ground it has burned,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Eyes downcast, not footloose,
senses guarded, mind protected,
uncorrupted, not burning with desire,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Having shed the marks of the home life,
like the fallen leaves of the Shady Orchid Tree,
and gone forth in the ocher robe,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Not wanton, nor rousing greed for tastes,
providing for no other, wandering indiscriminately for alms,
not attached to this family or that,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
When you’ve given up five mental obstacles,
and expelled all corruptions,
and cut off affection and hate, being independent,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
When you’ve put pleasure and pain behind you,
and former happiness and sadness,
and gained equanimity serene and pure,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
With energy roused to reach the ultimate goal,
not sluggish in mind or lazy,
vigorous, strong and powerful,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Not neglecting retreat and absorption,
always living in line with the teachings,
comprehending the danger in rebirths,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
One whose aim is the ending of craving—
diligent, clever, learned, mindful, resolute—
who has assessed the teaching and is bound for awakening, should
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Like a lion not startled by sounds,
like wind not caught in a net,
like water not sticking to a lotus,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Like the fierce-fanged lion, king of beasts,
who wanders as victor and master,
you should frequent remote lodgings, and
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
In time, cultivate freedom through
love, compassion, rejoicing, and equanimity.
Not upset by anything in the world,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
Having given up greed, hate, and delusion,
having burst apart the fetters,
unafraid at the end of life,
live alone like a rhino’s horn.
They befriend you and serve you for their own sake;
these days it’s hard to find friends lacking ulterior motive.
Impure folk cleverly profit themselves—
live alone like a rhino’s horn.