Utthana Sutta

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jcsuperstar
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Utthana Sutta

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Snp 2.10 PTS: Sn 331-334
Utthana Sutta: Initiative
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Get up!
Sit up!
What's your need for sleep?
And what sleep is there for the afflicted,
pierced by the arrow,
oppressed?

Get up!
Sit up!
Train firmly for the sake of peace,
Don't let the king of death,
— seeing you heedless —
deceive you,
bring you under his sway.

Cross over the attachment
to which human & heavenly beings,
remain desiring
tied.
Don't let the moment pass by.
Those for whom the moment is past
grieve, consigned to hell.

Heedless is
dust, dust
comes from heedlessness
has heedlessness
on its heels.
Through heedfulness & clear knowing
you'd remove
your own sorrow.
Utthana Sutta: On Vigilance
translated from the Pali by
John D. Ireland
"Rouse yourself! Sit up! What good is there in sleeping? For those afflicted by disease (suffering), struck by the arrow (craving), what sleep is there?

"Rouse yourself! Sit up! Resolutely train yourself to attain peace. [1] Do not let the king of death, [2] seeing you are careless, lead you astray and dominate you.

"Go beyond this clinging, [3] to which devas and men are attached, and (the pleasures) they seek. Do not waste your opportunity. When the opportunity has passed they sorrow when consigned to Niraya-hell.

"Negligence is a taint, and so is the (greater) negligence growing from it. By earnestness and understanding withdraw the arrow (of sensual passions)."



Notes
1."Peace" is a synonym for Nibbana, the final goal.
2.The king of death (maccuraja), or Mara (death), is the personification of everything that binds us to this world and prevents the gaining of deliverance.
3.This clinging to pleasures of the senses.
สัพเพ สัตตา สุขีตา โหนตุ

the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat
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