Hell


22.1
He who speaks what is not true goes to hell.
He who denies what he has done also goes to hell.
Both sin against Truth,
and pass through death into an equally woeful state.

22.2
Many even who wear the saffron robe
are evil-minded and unrestrained.
These evil ones, by their evil deeds,
pass through death into a woeful state.

22.3
Better to swallow a red-hot ball of iron
than to be an evil, undisciplined monk
feeding on the alms of the devout.

22.4
The heedless man who pursues another's wife
suffers four misfortunes:
acquisition of demerit, disturbed sleep,
disgrace is the third,
the fourth is birth into hell.

22.5
Acquisition of demerit and a wretched future
in exchange for the brief delight
of the frightened lying in the arms of the frightened.
The king also imposes harsh penalties.
Therefore, do not pursue the wife of another.

22.6
Just as kusa grass held wrongly
can cut the hand, so a practitioner's life lived badly
can drag him into hell.

22.7
Acts done absently, practices not observed,
dubious spiritual vows – these bear little fruit.

22.8
With any undertaking, give yourself to it wholly.
The half-hearted practitioner succeeds only
in stirring up more dust.

22.9
A bad deed is best left undone.
Bad deeds torment one later.
A good deed brings no regret
and so should be performed.

22.10
Like a frontier town, fortified inside and out,
fortify yourself.
Do not let the moment pass.
Those who let their moment pass grieve in hell.

22.11
Ashamed of what is not shameful,
unashamed of what is shameful,
those who are unaware of Truth
fall into a state of misery.

22.12
Fearing what is not fearful,
unafraid of what should be feared,
those who are unaware of Truth
fall into a state of misery.

22.13
Finding fault with what is right,
finding no fault with what is wrong,
those who are unaware of Truth
fall into a state of misery.

22.14
Seeing what is right is right,
seeing what is wrong is wrong,
those aware of Truth
find the fortunate state.