snp.2.6 Suttanipata

Wrong Conduct in the Bhikkhu’s Life

The Good Life living, with Dharma accordingly,
they say that this is wealth supreme.
But if one leaves the household life
gone forth from home to homelessness

and then be one of those foul-mouthed,
beast-like, delighted doing harm,
such a one’s of evil life
increasing “dust” within himself,

a bhikkhu delighting in quarrelling
while in delusion wrapped,
knows not the Dharma even when
it’s by the Buddha pointed out;

led along by ignorance so
that one harms those of well-grown mind,
and does not know defilements’ path
that leads to hellish life.

To Downfall going on and on,
from life to life, from dark to dark,
a bhikkhu such as this indeed
hereafter to dukkha descends.

One such with blemishes is like
a public shit-pit filled to the brim,
used for many years,
so very hard to clean.

O bhikkhus, when you come to know
one such attached to household life—
of evil desires and evil thoughts
and of evil ways of behaviour,

all of you united then
should shun, avoid a person such,
blow away these sweepings and
throw away that trash,

and suchlike chaff winnow away—
those sham monks, those conceited monks—
having blown them off, those who are
of evil wants and wrong resorts,

then living in purity with the pure
with mindfulness you will abide,
in concord live, intelligent—
you will arrive at dukkha’s end.

- Translator: Laurence Khantipalo Mills

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A Righteous Life

A righteous life, a spiritual life,
they call this the supreme treasure.
But if someone goes forth
from the lay life to homelessness
who is of scurrilous character,
a beast and a bully,
their life gets worse,
as poison grows inside them.
A mendicant who loves to argue,
wrapped in delusion,
doesn’t even know what’s been explained
in the Dhamma taught by the Buddha.
Harassing those who are evolved,
governed by ignorance,
they don’t know that corruption
is the path that leads to hell.
Entering the underworld,
passing from womb to womb, from darkness to darkness,
such a mendicant
falls into suffering after death.
One such as that is
like a sewer
brimful with years of filth
for it’s hard to clean one full of grime.
Mendicants, knowing that someone is like this,
attached to the lay life,
of wicked desires and wicked intent,
of bad behavior and alms-resort,
then having gathered in harmony,
you should expel them.
Throw out the trash!
Get rid of the rubbish!
And sweep away the scraps—
they’re not ascetics, they just think they are.
When you’ve thrown out those of wicked desires,
of bad behavior and alms-resort,
dwell in communion, ever mindful,
the pure with the pure.
Then in harmony, alert,
you’ll make an end to suffering.”