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II.

DESIRE (KÂMA).

I.

ALL indecision1 produces desires; it is called the root of desire; suppress indecision and (desire) will arise in

thee no more.

2 (215).2

From desires comes grief, from desires comes fear; he who is free from desires knows neither grief nor fear.

3 (214).

From pleasures comes grief, from pleasures comes fear; he who is free from pleasures knows neither grief nor fear.

4.

The fruit of desires and pleasures ripens into sorrow; their at first agreeable fruit is burning, as the torch that has not been cast away does finally burn the fool.3

5 (345).

Look at those who are fondly attached to jewels, earrings, to their children (those are fetters); but iron, wood, and rope make not strong fetters, says the Blessed One.

1 Kun rtog, which appears from fol. 230, vol. 71 of the Commentary to be equivalent to rnam-rtog (vikalpana).

2 Comp. Beal, loc. cit., p. 119. 3 Comp. Sutra in forty-two sections, sect. xxiv.

6 (346).

It is hard for one who is held by the fetters of desire to free himself of them, says the Blessed One. The steadfast, who care not for the happiness of desires, cast them off, and do soon depart (to nirvâna).

7.

There is no being in the world who is not through his indecision affected by desires, yet they who are steadfast seek to free themselves of desires, though they do pervade the world.1

8.

Mankind has no lasting desires; they are impermanent in them who experience them: free yourselves then from what cannot last, and abide not in the sojourn of death.2

9.

The sinless and reflective mind in which a desire arises experiences no misery 3 from it; the different desires disturb it not he who (has such a mind) is beyond death, I declare.

10 (239).

As the smith does with the silver, so does the intelligent man, gradually and little by little, cleanse himself of all his impurities.*

II.

As the shoemaker, when he has well prepared his

1 This verse is very obscure, and I offer my translation with great diffidence.

2 (6 "Spoken to convince of error a parivrâdjaka, who, among other arguments, said it is not necessary for three reasons to cast off desires. 1. If they are permanent, they are a treasure (gter). 2. If they are not permanent, they are like the horn of a hare (nonentities, nonsense). 3. If they are not

injurious, they are like the aryamarga.' See Commentary, fol.

109a.

3 "Misery (zag-pa), it is called thus because it drops (zag) from out the different regions of the six ayatanas as drops (hdzag) water through holes." Comp. the Sanskrit asrava, meaning also OOZing out, misery."

4 Comp. Sutra in 42 sections, sect. xxxiv.

leather, can use it to make shoes, so when one has cast off desires, he has the highest happiness.

12.

If one longs for happiness, let him cast off all desires; he who has cast off all desires will find the most perfect happiness.

13.

As long as one follows after desire, one finds no satisfaction; they who through wisdom have given it up find contentment.

14.

Desires are never satiated; wisdom affords contentment he who has the contentment of wisdom cannot fall into the power of lust.

15.

They who have fondness for pleasure, and who delight only in what is wrong, would not perceive the danger they run, even if their life were drawing to a close.

16.

The evil-minded is subdued by wealth and seeks not after the other world; his mind is subverted by his fondness for desires; he brings destruction on himself and on others.

17 (186).

Even a shower of Karçapanas 2 would not satisfy the covetous; the wise know full well that desires bring little. contentment and (much) pain.

1 The text is: de-dag kye-ma tchos min tchos. I have tried to follow the suggestions of the Commentary. The correct reading is probably de-dag-kyi ma-tchos, &c.

2 "A weight of gold or silver

equal to sixteen marshas.”—Wilson, Sans. Dict., p. 199. P. says, "There are a diversity of Karçapanas, some made of gold, &c. Others say that the copper pana piece (zangs-mai pa-nai tchad) is called Karçaka."

18 (187).

Not even in the pleasures of the gods does the disciple of the perfect Buddha find pleasure; he rejoices only in the destruction of desires.

19.

Even 1 a mountain of riches like unto Himavat would not suffice for the wealth of a single man; he who has understanding knows this full well.

20.

They 2 who know that this (ie., desire) is the origin of sorrow, how can they delight in pleasures? Having learnt that this is the cause of pain in the world, they acquire steadfastness to help to control themselves.

Chapter on Desire, the Second.

1 "Spoken by Bhagavat while residing in a large town (grongbrdal) of the Çakyas, called Çilavati."-P. fol. 109b. Comp. Beal, loc. cit., p.

108.

2 These last four verses are in Mr. Ralston's English translation of M. Schiefner's miscellaneous writings. The last verse he trans

lates thus: "He who observes sorrow starting from this base, how can he take pleasure in enjoyments? He who is steady, who has learnt to recognise the thorn in the treasures of the world, will learn the essence of things to his own correction." See Tibetan Tales, p. 19.

III.

LÚST (TRICHNÂ).

I.

MANKIND is subdued by its indecision; he who considers evil passions as pure, increases and multiplies his passions and adds to the strength of his bonds.

2.

He who continually keeps present in his mind that the quieting of indecision is peace, and that it is not agreeable, frees himself from all lust and destroys his bonds.

3.

Desires envelop one as it were in darkness; one is torn to pieces by delighting in lust; the heedless are held fast by their bonds, as are fish to their watery homes.2

4 (284).

Beings who give themselves up to their heedlessness, their lustfulness increases as does a creeper; 3 they run after old age and death as does the calf after its mother when longing for milk.

1 Comp. note to verse 1, ch. ii.

2 The last line of thisgâtha is tsed mar tchud-bai ña dang hdra. Tsed I have translated as equivalent to htso-ba, "to live." The com

ment is so much effaced here that I have not been able to make use of it.

3 "Or more correctly called maluta," the Commentary says.