Lohicca

Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids

[1][bodh] Thus have I heard:

Once the venerable Kaccana the Great was staying among the folk of Avanti,
at Makkarakaṭa in a forest hut.

Then a number of resident pupils of the brahmin Lohicca,
mere lads
who were gathering sticks,^[1]
came up to the forest hut
of the venerable Kaccana the Great.

On reaching it
they began to roam and wander up and down
on all sides of the hut,
uproarious and noisy,
playing all sorts of mad pranks.^[2]

And they said:

"These shavelings,
sham recluses,
menials,
black fellows,
the offspring of our kinsman's foot,^[3]
are honoured,
revered,
made much of,
worshipped,
and given offerings
by these sons of coolies."^[4]

Thereupon the venerable Kaccana the Great
came out of his dwelling
and thus addressed those lads:

"Hush! my lads.

I will teach you the Norm."

At these words
the young fellows were silent.

Then the venerable Kaccana the Great
addressed them with these verses: -

"Foremost in virtue were the men of old,
Those brahmins who remembered ancient rules.
In them well guarded were the doors of sense.
They had achieved the mastery of wrath.
In meditation and the Norm they took delight,
Those brahmins who remembered ancient rules.

But these backsliders^[5] with their 'Let us recite,'^[6]
Drunk with the pride of birth, walk wrongfully.^[7]
O'ercome by wrath, exceeding violent,^[8]
They come to loss 'mongst weak and strong alike.^[9]
Vain is the penance of the uncontrolled,^[10]
Empty as treasure gotten in a dream.

[75] Such, ways^[11] as fastings, couching on the ground,
Bathing^[12] at dawn, recitings of the Three,
Wearing rough hides, and matted hair and filth,
Chantings and empty rites and penances,
Hypocrisy and cheating and the rod,
Washings, ablutions, rinsings of the mouth,^[13] -
These are the caste-marks^[14] of the brahmin folk,
Things done and practised for some trifling gain.^[15]

A heart well tamed, made pure and undefiled,
Considerate^[16] for every living thing, -
That is the Way the highest to attain."

Thereupon the young fellows were angered and displeased,
and went away to the brahmin Lohicca.

On coming to him they said: -

"May it please your reverence to know^[17]
that the recluse, Kaccana the Great,
is attacking and abusing
the sacred things^[18] of the brahmins."

At these words the brahmin Lohicca was angered and displeased.

Then it occurred to the brahmin Lohicca:

"It is not proper for me
to attack and abuse the recluse, Kaccana the Great,
merely on hearsay of young fellows.

Suppose now I visit and question him?"

■

So the brahmin Lohicca went along with those young fellows
to visit the venerable Kaccana the Great,
and on coming to him
greeted him courteously
and, after the exchange [76] of greetings and compliments,
sat down at one side.

So seated
he said to the venerable Kaccana the Great: -

"Worthy Kaccana, is it true
that a number of our resident pupils,
mere lads,
gathering sticks,
have been here?"

"It is true, brahmin.

They did come here."

"And did the worthy Kaccana
have any converse with those lads?"

"I did, brahmin."

"Pray what was the topic of the converse?"

"I spoke to them to this effect, brahmin: -

'Foremost in virtue were the men of old,
Those brahmins who remembered ancient rules.
In them well guarded were the doors of sense.
They had achieved the mastery of wrath.
In meditation and the Norm they took delight,
Those brahmins who remembered ancient rules.

But these backsliders with their "Let us recite,"
Drunk with the pride of birth, walk wrongfully.
O'ercome by wrath, exceeding violent,
They come to loss 'mongst weak and strong alike.
Vain is the penance of the uncontrolled,
Empty as treasure gotten in a dream.

Such, ways as fastings, couching on the ground,
Bathing at dawn, recitings of the Three,
Wearing rough hides, and matted hair and filth,
Chantings and empty rites and penances,
Hypocrisy and cheating and the rod,
Washings, ablutions, rinsings of the mouth, -
These are the caste-marks of the brahmin folk,
Things done and practised for some trifling gain.

A heart well tamed, made pure and undefiled,
Considerate for every living thing, -
That is the Way the highest to attain.'

Such, brahmin, was the talk I had with the young fellows."

"You said 'unguarded in the doors of sense,' worthy Kaccana.

Now how far is one unguarded in the doors of sense?"

"Herein, brahmin, a certain one,
seeing an object with the eye,^[19]
is attached to objects that charm,
is repelled by objects that displease.

He dwells with mind distracted
and his heart is mean.

He realizes not
in its true nature
that emancipation of heart,
that emancipation of wisdom.