1"Bhikkhus, I will teach you the near shore and the far shore. Listen and attend closely. I will speak."

"Yes, Bhante," those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

1"Orimañca, bhikkhave, tīraṁ desessāmi pārimañca tīraṁ. Taṁ suṇātha … pe …

"What, bhikkhus, is the near shore, and what is the far shore? (1) The destruction of life, bhikkhus, is the near shore, abstention from the destruction of life the far shore ….(10) Wrong view is the near shore, right view the far shore. The one, bhikkhus, is the near shore, the other the far shore."

… Katamañca, bhikkhave, orimaṁ tīraṁ, katamañca pārimaṁ tīraṁ? Pāṇātipāto, bhikkhave, orimaṁ tīraṁ, pāṇātipātā veramaṇī pārimaṁ tīraṁ. Adinnādānaṁ orimaṁ tīraṁ, adinnādānā veramaṇī pārimaṁ tīraṁ. Kāmesumicchācāro orimaṁ tīraṁ, kāmesumicchācārā veramaṇī pārimaṁ tīraṁ. Musāvādo orimaṁ tīraṁ, musāvādā veramaṇī pārimaṁ tīraṁ. Pisuṇā vācā orimaṁ tīraṁ, pisuṇāya vācāya veramaṇī pārimaṁ tīraṁ. Pharusā vācā orimaṁ tīraṁ, pharusāya vācāya veramaṇī pārimaṁ tīraṁ. Samphappalāpo orimaṁ tīraṁ, samphappalāpā veramaṇī pārimaṁ tīraṁ. Abhijjhā orimaṁ tīraṁ, anabhijjhā pārimaṁ tīraṁ. Byāpādo orimaṁ tīraṁ, abyāpādo pārimaṁ tīraṁ. Micchādiṭṭhi orimaṁ tīraṁ, sammādiṭṭhi pārimaṁ tīraṁ. Idaṁ kho, bhikkhave, orimaṁ tīraṁ, idaṁ pārimaṁ tīranti.

2Few are those people
who go beyond.
The rest merely run
along the near shore.

2Appakā te manussesu,
ye janā pāragāmino;
Athāyaṁ itarā pajā,
tīramevānudhāvati.

3When the Dhamma is rightly expounded
those people who practice accordingly
are the ones who will go beyond
the realm of Death so hard to cross.

3Ye ca kho sammadakkhāte,
dhamme dhammānuvattino;
Te janā pāramessanti,
maccudheyyaṁ suduttaraṁ.

4Having left the dark qualities behind,
a wise person should develop the bright ones.
Having come from home into homelessness,
where it is hard to take delight—

4Kaṇhaṁ dhammaṁ vippahāya,
sukkaṁ bhāvetha paṇḍito;
Okā anokamāgamma,
viveke yattha dūramaṁ.

5There in seclusion one should seek delight,
having left behind sensual pleasures.
Owning nothing, the wise person
should cleanse himself of mental defilements.

5Tatrābhiratimiccheyya,
hitvā kāme akiñcano;
Pariyodapeyya attānaṁ,
cittaklesehi paṇḍito.

6Those whose minds are rightly well developed
in the enlightenment factors,
who through non-clinging find delight
in the relinquishment of grasping:
luminous, with taints destroyed,
they are the quenched ones in the world.

6Yesaṁ sambodhiyaṅgesu,
sammā cittaṁ subhāvitaṁ;
Ādānapaṭinissagge,
anupādāya ye ratā;
Khīṇāsavā jutimanto,
te loke parinibbutā"ti.

Catutthaṁ.