bahū veśaraṇaṁ yānti parvvate ca vanāni ca । vastūni rukkhacittāṇi manuṣyā bhayatajjitā ।।Many people shaken by fear go for refuge to mountains and woods, to places with beautiful trees.

na etaṁ śaraṇaṁ khemmaṁ na etaṁ śaraṇam uttamaṁ । etaṁ śaraṇam āgaṁma sabbadukkhā pramuccati ।।That is not a secure refuge, that is not the refuge supreme, nor is it the refuge to come to that liberates from all suffering.

yo tu buddhañ ca dhammañ ca saghaṁ ca śaraṇaṁ gato । cattāri ca ariyasaccāni yathābhūtāni paśśati ।।Whoever has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha, and who sees as it really is the four noble truths.

etaṁ ve śaraṇaṁ khemmaṁ etaṁ śaraṇam uttamaṁ । etaṁ śaraṇam āgamma sabbadukkhā pramuccati ।।That is a secure refuge, that is the refuge supreme, that is the refuge to come to that liberates from all suffering.

gavāṁ ce taramāṇānāṁ jihmaṁ gacchati puṅgavo । sabbā tā jihmaṁ gacchaṁti nette jihmagate sati ।।If, when cows are crossing a road, their leader goes crookedly, they all will go crookedly, as their guide crookedly does go.

evām eva manuṣyesu yo hoti śreṣṭhasaṁmato । sa ce adhaṁmaṁ carati prāg eva itarā prajā ।।So it is with humans, he who is agreed upon as chief, if he lives unrighteously, so will other people.

gavāṁ ce taramāṇānāṁ ujjuṁ gacchati puṅgavo । sabbā tā ujjuṁ gacchaṁti nette ujjugate sati ।।If, when cows are crossing a road, their leader goes straight, they all will go straight, as their guide straight does go;

evām eva manuṣyesu yo hoti śreṣṭhasaṁmato । sa ce va dhaṁmaṁ carati prāg eva itarā prajā ।।so it is with humans, he who is agreed upon as chief, if he lives righteously, so will other people.

dhaṁmaṁ care sucaritaṁ na naṁ duccaritaṁ care । dhammacārī sukhaṁ śeti assiṁ loke paramhi ca ।।One should live by Dhamma, with good conduct, not with bad conduct, living by Dhamma one lives at ease in this world and the next.

dhaṁmaṁ care sucaritaṁ na naṁ duccaritaṁ care । brahmacārī sukhaṁ śeti assiṁ loke paramhi ca ।।One should live by Dhamma, with good conduct, not with bad conduct, living the holy life one lives at ease in this world and the next.

dhaṁmārāmo dhaṁmarato dhaṁmaṁ anuvicintayaṁ । dhammaṁ anussaraṁ bhikkhū dhammā na parihāyati ।।The one who finds pleasure in the Dhamma, delights in Dhamma, reflects on Dhamma, the monastic who remembers Dhamma, does not abandon the Dhamma.

dhammo have rakkhati dhammacārī dhammo sucinno sukhāya dahāti । esānuśaṁso dhamme sucinne na doggatiṁ gacchati dhammacārī ।।The Dhamma protects the one who lives by the Dhamma, the Dhamma well-practised is set on happiness, this is the advantage of the Dhamma well-practised, he who lives by the Dhamma does not go to a bad destination.

dhammo have rakkhati brahmacārī dhammo sucinno sukhāya dahāti । esā ’nuśaṁso dhamme sucinne na doggatiṁ gacchati brahmacārī ।।The Dhamma protects the one who lives by the holy life, the Dhamma well-practised is set on happiness, this is the advantage of the Dhamma well-practised, he who lives the holy life does not go to a bad destination.

acarittā brahmaceraṁ aladdhā yovvane dhanaṁ । jinnakroṁcā va jhāyaṁti jhīnamacche va pallare ।।Not having lived the holy life, not having gained wealth in their youth, they waste away like herons in a small lake devoid of fish.

acarittā brahmaceraṁ aladdhā yovvane dhanaṁ । śenti cāpādhikinno vā porāṇāni a ’nutthunaṁ ।।Not having lived the holy life, not having gained wealth in their youth, they lie like shafts scattered from a bow, wailing about things in the past.

ujjujjanti satīmanto na nikete ramaṁti te । haṁsā va pallaraṁ hettā okam okaṁ jahaṁti te ।।The mindful ones who are striving do not delight in a dwelling, like geese who abandon a lake, they abandon fondness for homes.

haṁsā va ādiccapathe vehāyasaṁ yānti iddhiyā । niyyāṁti dhīrā lokamhi mārasenaṁ pramaddiya ।।As geese go through the path of the sky, they go through the sky by their power, the wise are led out in the world, after crushing Māra and his army.

kin nu hāśo kim ānando niccaṁ prajjalite sati । andhakāramhi prakkhittā pradīpaṁ na gaveṣatha ।।Why this laughter, why this joy, when the world is constantly burning, when thrown into darkness, do you not seek for a light?

praccaṁtimaṁ vā nagaraṁ guttaṁ sāntarabāhiraṁ । evaṁ rakkhatha āttānaṁ khaṇo vo mā upaccagū ।As a town in the border districts is guarded on the inside and the outside, so one should protect oneself, and you should not let the moment pass, khaṇātītā hi śocaṁti nirayamhi samappitā ।।for when the chance has passed they grieve when consigned to the underworld.

na muṇḍabhāvā śamaṇo avrato alikaṁ bhaṇaṁ । icchālobhasamāpanno śamaṇo kiṁ bhaviṣyati ।।Not through being shaven is one an ascetic, if one lacks vows, speaks lies, and is endowed with greed and desire, how will one be an ascetic?

yo tu śameti pāpāni aṇutthūlāni sabbaśo । śamaṇā eva pāpānāṁ śamaṇo ti pravuccati ।।The one who quenches wicked deeds, small and great, in every way— through the appeasing of wicked deeds he is said to be an ascetic.

yassa chattrīśatiṁ sotā mānāphassamayā bhriśā । vāhā vahanti dudriṣṭiṁ saṁkappā ggredhaniśśitā ।।For the one in whom thirty-six streams consisting of contact with conceit are strong, the one with wrong view is carried off by the flow of his greedy intentions.

krodhaṁ jahe viprajaheya mānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ sabbam atikrameyā । taṁ nāmarūpamhi asajjamānaṁ akiṁcanaṁ nānupatanti dukkhā ।।One should abandon anger, one should abandon conceit, one should overcome every fetter, without clinging to mind and bodily form, sufferings never do befall the one having no possessions.

ŚaraṇavarggaḥThe Chapter about Refuge