The World
The verses here contrast living carelessly with living by principle; good conduct, they say, lets a person sleep at ease. They tell the reader to look at the world as a bubble or a mirage, and describe it as decked out like a royal chariot where fools founder but the discerning are not caught. Two verses picture someone who turns from heedlessness to heedfulness, or whose bad deed is supplanted by good, shining like the moon freed from clouds. Others say the world is blind and few see clearly, that lying opens the door to every other wrong, and that the attentive celebrate giving.
A note on these verses. Verses 174, 177 and 178 speak of heaven and the hereafter; verse 175 mentions sages with psychic powers and Māra; verse 178 names “stream-entry”, a stage on the path.
Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · public domain (CC0) · about 1 min · on SuttaCentral
167Don’t resort to lowly things,don’t abide in negligence,don’t resort to wrong views,don’t perpetuate the world.
168Get up, don’t be heedless,live by principle, with good conduct.For one of good conduct sleeps at ease,in this world and the next.
169Live by principle, with good conduct,don’t conduct yourself badly.For one of good conduct sleeps at ease,in this world and the next.
170Look upon the worldas a bubbleor a mirage,then the King of Death won’t see you.
171Come, see this world decked outlike a fancy royal chariot.Here fools founder,but the discerning are not chained.
172He who once was heedless,but turned to heedfulness,shines upon this worldlike the moon freed from clouds.
173Someone whose bad deedis supplanted by the good,shines upon this world,like the moon freed from clouds.
174Blind is the world,few are those who clearly see.Only a handful go to heaven,like a bird freed from a net.
175Swans fly by the sun’s path,psychic sages fly through space.The attentive leave the world,having vanquished Māra with his legions.
176When a personage, spurning the hereafter,transgresses in just one thing—lying—there is no evil they would not do.
177The miserly don’t ascend to heaven,it takes a fool to not praise giving.The attentive celebrate giving,and so find happiness in the hereafter.
178The fruit of stream-entry is betterthan being the one king of the earth,than going to heaven,than lordship over all the world.