Flowers
44
Who shall overcome this earth,
this realm of Yama*
and this sphere of men and gods?
Who shall bring to perfection
the well-taught path of wisdom
as an expert garland-maker
would his floral design?
45
A striver-on-the path
shall overcome this earth,
this realm of Yama
and this sphere of men and gods.
The striver-on-the-path
shall bring to perfection
the well-taught path of wisdom,
as an expert garland-maker would
his floral design.**
46
Realizing that this body is like froth,
penetrating its mirage-like nature,
and plucking out Mara's
flower-tipped arrows of sensuality,
go beyond sight of the King of Death!
47
As a mightt flood
sweeps away the sleeping village,
so death carries away the person
of distracted mind
who only plucks the flowers (of pleasure).
48
The Destroyer
brings under his sway
the person of distracted mind who,
insatiate in sense desires,
only plucks the flowers (of pleasure).
49
As a bee gathers honey
from the flower without injuring
its colour or fragrance,
even so the sage goes on his alms-round
in the village.***
50
Let none find fault with others,
let none see the omissions
and commissions of others.
But let one see one's own acts,
done and undone.
51
Like a beautiful flower
full of colour but without fragrance,
even so,
fruitless are the fair words
of one who does not practise them.
52
Like a beautiful flower of colour
and also fragrant,
even so,
fruitful are the fair words
of one who practises them.
53
As from a great heap of flowers
many garlands can be made,
even so should many good deeds
be done by one born a mortal.
54
Not the sweet smell of flowers,
not even the fragrance of sandal,
tagara or jasmine
blows against the wind.
But the fragrance of the virtuous
blows against the wind.
Truly, the virtuous man
pervades all directions
with the fragrance of his virtue.****
55
Of all the fragrances --
sandal, tagara, blue lotus and jasmine --
the fragrance of virtue
is by far the sweetest.
56
Faint is the fragrance
of tagara and sandal,
but excellent is the fragrance
of the virtuous,
wafting even amongst the gods.
57
Mara never finds the path
of the truly virtuous,
who abide in heedfulness
and are freed by perfect knowledge.
58-59
Upon a heap of rubbish
in the road-side ditch blooms a lotus,
fragrance and pleasing.
Even so, on the rubbish heap
of blinded mortals the disciple
of the Supremely Enlightened One shines
resplendent in wisdom.
*Yama
Another name for Mara as king of death and ruler of the statesof woe.
**Striver-on-the -Path (Sekha)
One who has achieved any of the first three stages of supramundane attainment: a Stream-enterer, Once-returner and Non-returner. Sekho perfects the path of wisdom (37 Bodhipakkhiya dhamma).
***Sage collects alms in the village and provides others the opportunity to gain merit (punna).
****Fragrance of virtue pervades everywhere.
Tagara: is a fragrant flowering shrub.
