By Means of the Way

Translated from the Pāḷi by Michael M. Olds

[1][pts][bodh] I hear tell:

Once upon a time The Lucky Man,
Savatthi-town revisiting.

There then, The Lucky Man, said this to the beggars gathered round:

"Beggars!".

"Elder!"
said the beggars in response to The Lucky Man.

The Lucky Man said this to them:

"I will explain
the not own-made^[1] to you, beggars, and the Way to go to the not own-made.

Listen carefully!'

And what, beggars,
is the not own-made?

Whatever, beggars, is
lust's destruction,^[2]
anger's destruction,^[3]
confusion's destruction.^[4]

This, beggars,
is what is called
"the not own-made".

And what, beggars,
is the way to go
to the not own-made?

The Aristocratic Multi-Dimensiona Way^[5]

This is what is called
'the way to go
to the not own-made'.

This, then, beggars,
is my explanation to you of
the not own-made, and
the way to go to the not own-made.

Whatever, beggars,
ought to be done
for his students
by a kindly master,
out of compassion,
with compassion,
that I have done.

These, beggars,
are the roots of trees,
these are empty huts.

Meditate, beggars,
do not be careless,
do not provide grounds for later regret.

This then is my advice."

^[1] Asaṅkhata. PED: "past participle of saṅkharoti;... (but see saṅkhāra] 1. put together, compound; conditioned, produced ..." But the PED definition neglects to point out that the making is the making of that which is later termed "Me" or "Mine". What saṅkhara is is the identification with that which is created by the individual through acts of thought, word and deed with the intent of creating sense experience for himself. Mistranslation of this term (and it is so mistranslated at this time (Thursday, April 16, 2026 8:09 AM) by virtually all the other translators) becomes of vital concern when it is given as "conditioned" because the Buddha tells us that Nibbāna is asaṅkhāra (not own-made, not unconditioned (paccaya)). Nibbāna is conditioned by following the Magga, but it is not own-made. Following the Magga is not-doing or letting go of that which prevents one from attaining it. Not-doing a wrong thing does not create anything. For more on this see "Is Nibbāna Conditioned?" in the Forum.

^[2] Rāga. Excitement, passion.

^[3] Dosa. Anger, ill-will, evil intention, wickedness, corruption, malice, hatred.

^[4] Moha. Stupidity, dullness of mind and soul, delusion, bewilderment, infatuation.

^[5] Magga.

Consummate working hypothesis (sammā-diṭṭhi)
consummate pronciples (saṅkappa)
consummate speech (vācā)
consummate works (kammanta)
consummate lifestyle (ājīva)
consummate self-control (vāyāma)
consummate mind (sati)
consummate serenity (samādhi)

Consummate working hypothesis

Knowledge about pain;
knowledge about the origin of pain;
knowledge about the ending of pain;
knowledge about the walk to walk
to reach the end of pain.

The Aristocrat of Truths
as to pain

Birth is pain,
aging is pain,
death is pain.

Grief and lamentation,
pain and misery,
and Despair
are pain.

Not to gain the wished for is pain.

Essentially the Five Boundup Stockpiles are pain.

Birth

Whatsoever
for this or that being
of this or that group of beings
is birth,
the occurrence of individuality,
the regrouping of the Stockpiles,
the appearance of the Six-Fold Sense Spheres

Aging

Whatsoever
for this or that being
of this or that group of beings
is aging,
agedness,
the breaking,
the graying,
the wrinkling,
the diminishment of the lifespan,
the weakening of the powers.

Death

Whatsoever
for this or that being
of this or that group of beings
is passing,
passing away,
the breaking up,
disappearance,
the death in the dying,
the finishing of the lifespan,
the breaking up of the Stockpiles,
the laying down of the body.

Grief

Whatsoeve is the condition of inner sadness,
heartbreak,
heartache,
state of missing and regret,
woe,
and affliction,
the grief,
feeling bad,
wretchedness,
state of woe,
and unhappiness
at experiencing some loss or tragedy.

Lamentation

Whatsoeve is the outward expression of grief,
lamentation
wailing,
weaping,
hysteria,
display of desolation
at experiencing some loss or tragedy.

Pain

That which is bodily pain,
the bodily disagreeable
the experience of being connected bodily
with the disagreeable.'

Misery

That which is mental pain,
the mentally disagreeable
the experience of being connected in mind
with the disagreeable.

Despair

Whatsoever for anyone
experiencing misfortune
being touched with any sort of painful thing
is loss of hope,
being despondent,
dejection, depression.

Not Getting the Wished-for

In beings that are the object of birth,
there comes the wish:

'O if only there were no
being a thing that is born,
if only there were no
getting born.