Chapter 21: Miscellaneous
Various teachings on virtue, the Buddha's disciples, and the difficulty of spiritual practice.
16 argumentative units
- 01Principle of sacrificing lesser for greater pleasure
A wise person should abandon small pleasures when they perceive greater pleasures to be gained by doing so.
- 02Claim that cruelty perpetuates hatred
One who inflicts pain on others to gain pleasure for themselves becomes entangled in the bonds of hatred and cannot escape it.
- 03Observation of thoughtless people's pattern
Unruly and thoughtless people neglect their duties and indulge in forbidden acts, causing their desires to perpetually increase.
- 04Contrast: watchful people achieve the end of desires
Those who remain constantly vigilant about their body, avoiding wrong actions and steadily pursuing right action, will see their desires come to an end.
- 05First definition: true Brahmana remains unharmed despite grave sins
A true Brahmana escapes harm even if they have committed extreme violations including patricide, regicide, and destruction of kingdoms.
- 06Second parallel definition of true Brahmana
A true Brahmana similarly goes unharmed despite killing parents and holy kings, reinforcing the previous point with slight variation.
- 07First characterization: disciples focused on Buddha
The Buddha's disciples remain constantly vigilant with their thoughts perpetually fixed on the Buddha day and night.
- 08Second characterization: disciples focused on the law
The Buddha's disciples remain constantly vigilant with their thoughts perpetually fixed on the dharma (law) day and night.
- 09Third characterization: disciples focused on the church
The Buddha's disciples remain constantly vigilant with their thoughts perpetually fixed on the sangha (community) day and night.
- 10Fourth characterization: disciples focused on the body
The Buddha's disciples remain constantly vigilant with their thoughts perpetually fixed on their own body day and night.
- 11Fifth characterization: disciples' minds delight in compassion
The Buddha's disciples remain constantly vigilant with their minds perpetually delighting in compassion day and night.
- 12Sixth characterization: disciples' minds delight in meditation
The Buddha's disciples remain constantly vigilant with their minds perpetually delighting in meditation day and night.
- 13Argument about the pains of monastic and worldly life
The author catalogs the difficulties of leaving the world, enjoying the world, and monastic communal life, then paradoxically concludes that avoiding the itinerant mendicant life prevents pain.
- 14Claim that virtue and wealth earn respect
A faithful, virtuous, celebrated, and wealthy person is respected wherever they choose to dwell.
- 15Metaphor contrasting visibility of good and bad people
Good people are conspicuous like snowy mountains while bad people remain hidden like arrows shot at night.
- 16Characterization of the solitary ascetic's achievement
Only one who continuously practices solitude in sitting and sleeping, thereby subduing themselves, will rejoice alone in the destruction of all desires as if in a forest.