1. Exert yourself, O holy man! Cut off the stream (of craving), and discard sense desires. Knowing the destruction of all the conditioned things, become, O holy man, the knower of the Uncreated (Nibbana)!

2. When a holy man has reached the summit of two paths (meditative concentration and insight), he knows the truth and all his fetters fall away.

3. He for whom there is neither this shore nor the other shore, nor yet both, he who is free of cares and is unfettered — him do I call a holy man. [27]

4. He who is meditative, stainless and settled, whose work is done and who is free from cankers, having reached the highest goal — him do I call a holy man.

5. The sun shines by day, the moon shines by night. The warrior shines in armor, the holy man shines in meditation. But the Buddha shines resplendent all day and all night.

6. Because he has discarded evil, he is called a holy man. Because he is serene in conduct, he is called a recluse. And because he has renounced his impurities, he is called a renunciate.

7. One should not strike a holy man, nor should a holy man, when struck, give way to anger. Shame on him who strikes a holy man, and more shame on him who gives way to anger.

8. Nothing is better for a holy man than when he holds his mind back from what is endearing. To the extent the intent to harm wears away, to that extent does suffering subside.

9. He who does no evil in deed, word and thought, who is restrained in these three ways — him do I call a holy man.

10. Just as a brahman priest reveres his sacrificial fire, even so should one devoutly revere the person from whom one has learned the Dhamma taught by the Buddha.

11. Not by matted hair, nor by lineage, nor by birth does one become a holy man. But he in whom truth and righteousness exist — he is pure, he is a holy man.

12. What is the use of your matted hair, O witless man? What of your garment of antelope’s hide? Within you is the tangle (of passion); only outwardly do you cleanse yourself. [28]

13. The person who wears a robe made of rags, who is lean, with veins showing all over the body, and who meditates alone in the forest — him do I call a holy man.

14. I do not call him a holy man because of his lineage or high-born mother. If he is full of impeding attachments, he is just a supercilious man. But who is free from impediments and clinging — him do I call a holy man.

15. He who, having cut off all fetters, trembles no more, who has overcome all attachments and is emancipated — him do I call a holy man.

16. He who has cut off the thong (of hatred), the band (of craving), and the rope (of false views), together with the appurtenances (latent evil tendencies), he who has removed the crossbar (of ignorance) and is enlightened — him do I call a holy man.

17. He who without resentment endures abuse, beating and punishment; whose power, real might, is patience — him do I call a holy man.

18. He who is free from anger, is devout, virtuous, without craving, self-subdued and bears his final body — him do I call a holy man.

19. Like water on a lotus leaf, or a mustard seed on the point of a needle, he who does not cling to sensual pleasures — him do I call a holy man.

20. He who in this very life realizes for himself the end of suffering, who has laid aside the burden and become emancipated — him do I call a holy man.

21. He who has profound knowledge, who is wise, skilled in discerning the right or wrong path, and has reached the highest goal — him do I call a holy man.

22. He who holds aloof from householders and ascetics alike, and wanders about with no fixed abode and but few wants — him do I call a holy man.

23. He who has renounced violence towards all living beings, weak or strong, who neither kills nor causes others to kill — him do I call a holy man.

24. He who is friendly amidst the hostile, peaceful amidst the violent, and unattached amidst the attached — him do I call a holy man.

25. He whose lust and hatred, pride and hypocrisy have fallen off like a mustard seed from the point of a needle — him do I call a holy man.

26. He who utters gentle, instructive and truthful words, who imprecates none — him do I call a holy man.

27. He who in this world takes nothing that is not given to him, be it long or short, small or big, good or bad — him do I call a holy man.

28. He who wants nothing of either this world or the next, who is desire-free and emancipated — him do I call a holy man.

29. He who has no attachment, who through perfect knowledge is free from doubts and has plunged into the Deathless — him do I call a holy man.

30. He who in this world has transcended the ties of both merit and demerit, who is sorrowless, stainless and pure — him do I call a holy man.

31. He, who, like the moon, is spotless and pure, serene and clear, who has destroyed the delight in existence — him do I call a holy man.

32. He who, having traversed this miry, perilous and delusive round of existence, has crossed over and reached the other shore; who is meditative, calm, free from doubt, and, clinging to nothing, has attained to Nibbana — him do I call a holy man.

33. He who, having abandoned sensual pleasures, has renounced the household life and become a homeless one; has destroyed both sensual desire and continued existence — him do I call a holy man.

34. He who, having abandoned craving, has renounced the household life and become a homeless one, has destroyed both craving and continued existence — him do I call a holy man.

35. He who, casting off human bonds and transcending heavenly ties, is wholly delivered of all bondages — him do I call a holy man.

36. He who, having cast off likes and dislikes, has become tranquil, is rid of the substrata of existence and like a hero has conquered all the worlds — him do I call a holy man.

37. He who in every way knows the death and rebirth of all beings, and is totally detached, blessed and enlightened — him do I call a holy man.

38. He whose track no gods, no angels, no humans trace, the arahant who has destroyed all cankers — him do I call a holy man.

39. He who clings to nothing of the past, present and future, who has no attachment and holds on to nothing — him do I call a holy man.

40. He, the Noble, the Excellent, the Heroic, the Great Sage, the Conqueror, the Passionless, the Pure, the Enlightened one — him do I call a holy man.

41. He who knows his former births, who sees heaven and hell, who has reached the end of births and attained to the perfection of insight, the sage who has reached the summit of spiritual excellence — him do I call a holy man.

“Brahmanavagga: The Holy Man” (Dhp XXVI), translated from the Pali by Acharya Buddharakkhita. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30 November 2013
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.26.budd.html

 

Brahmanavagga: Brahmans

383

Having striven, brahman,
cut the stream.
Expel sensual passions.
Knowing the ending of fabrications,
brahman,
you know the Unmade.

384

When the brahman has gone
to the beyond of two things,
then all his fetters
go to their end —
he who knows.

385

One whose beyond or
not-beyond or
beyond-&-not-beyond
can’t be found;
unshackled, carefree:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

386

Sitting silent, dustless,
absorbed in jhana,
his task done, effluents gone,
ultimate goal attained:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

387

By day shines the sun;
by night, the moon;
in armor, the warrior;
in jhana, the brahman.
But all day & all night,
every day & every night,
the Awakened One shines
in splendor.

388

He’s called a brahman
for having banished his evil,
a contemplative
for living in consonance,
one gone forth
for having forsaken
his own impurities.

389

One should not strike a brahman,
nor should the brahman
let loose with his anger.
Shame on a brahman’s killer.
More shame on the brahman
whose anger’s let loose.

390

Nothing’s better for the brahman
than when the mind is held back
from what is endearing & not.
However his harmful-heartedness
wears away,
that’s how stress
simply comes to rest.

391

Whoever does no wrong
in body,
speech,
heart,
is restrained in these three ways:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

392

The person from whom
you would learn the Dhamma
taught by the Rightly
Self-Awakened One:
you should honor him with respect —
as a brahman, the flame for a sacrifice.

393-394

Not by matted hair,
by clan, or by birth,
is one a brahman.
Whoever has truth
& rectitude:
he is a pure one,
he, a brahman.

What’s the use of your matted hair,
you dullard?
What’s the use of your deerskin cloak?
The tangle’s inside you.
You comb the outside.

395

Wearing cast-off rags
— his body lean & lined with veins —
absorbed in jhana,
alone in the forest:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

396

I don’t call one a brahman
for being born of a mother
or sprung from a womb.
He’s called a ‘bho-sayer’
if he has anything at all.
But someone with nothing,
who clings to no thing:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

397

Having cut every fetter,
he doesn’t get ruffled.
Beyond attachment,
unshackled:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

398

Having cut the strap & thong,
cord & bridle,
having thrown off the bar,
awakened:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

399

He endures — unangered —
insult, assault, & imprisonment.
His army is strength;
his strength, forbearance:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

400

Free from anger,
duties observed,
principled, with no overbearing pride,
trained, a ‘last-body’:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

401

Like water on a lotus leaf,
a mustard seed on the tip of an awl,
he doesn’t adhere to sensual pleasures:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

402

He discerns right here,
for himself,
on his own,
his own
ending of stress.
Unshackled, his burden laid down:
he’s what I call
a brahman.
403

Wise, profound
in discernment, astute
as to what is the path
& what’s not;
his ultimate goal attained:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

404

Uncontaminated
by householders
& houseless ones alike;
living with no home,
with next to no wants:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

405

Having put aside violence
against beings fearful or firm,
he neither kills nor
gets others to kill:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

406

Unopposing among opposition,
unbound among the armed,
unclinging among those who cling:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

407

His passion, aversion,
conceit, & contempt,
have fallen away —
like a mustard seed
from the tip of an awl:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

408

He would say
what’s non-grating,
instructive,
true —
abusing no one:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

409

Here in the world
he takes nothing not-given
— long, short,
large, small,
attractive, not:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

410

His longing for this
& for the next world
can’t be found;
free from longing, unshackled:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

411

His attachments,
his homes,
can’t be found.
Through knowing
he is unperplexed,
has come ashore
in the Deathless:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

412

He has gone
beyond attachment here
for both merit & evil —
sorrowless, dustless, & pure:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

413

Spotless, pure, like the moon
— limpid & calm —
his delights, his becomings,
totally gone:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

414

He has made his way past
this hard-going path
— samsara, delusion —
has crossed over,
has gone beyond,
is free from want,
from perplexity,
absorbed in jhana,
through no-clinging
Unbound:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

415-416

Whoever, abandoning sensual passions here,
would go forth from home —
his sensual passions, becomings,
totally gone:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

Whoever, abandoning craving here,
would go forth from home —
his cravings, becomings,
totally gone:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

417

Having left behind
the human bond,
having made his way past
the divine,
from all bonds unshackled:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

418

Having left behind
delight & displeasure,
cooled, with no acquisitions —
a hero who has conquered
all the world,
every world:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

419

He knows in every way
beings’ passing away,
and their re-
arising;
unattached, awakened,
well-gone:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

420

He whose course they don’t know
— devas, gandhabbas, & human beings —
his effluents ended, an arahant:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

421

He who has nothing
— in front, behind, in between —
the one with nothing
who clings to no thing:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

422

A splendid bull, conqueror,
hero, great seer —
free from want,
awakened, washed:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

423

He knows his former lives.
He sees heavens & states of woe,
has attained the ending of birth,
is a sage who has mastered full-knowing,
his mastery
totally mastered:
he’s what I call
a brahman.

“Brahmanavagga: Brahmans” (Dhp XXVI), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30 November 2013
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.26.than.html