Buddhism : Critical Concepts in Religious Studies, Vol. VI

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ON THE HISTORY AND PSYCHOLOGY OF THE 'DAS-LOG


All you courageous clergy
That enter the Buddhist doctrine,
Who wander the circle of permanent suffering,
Are like beggars slurping gruel.
In your younger years you study widely.
But just as you begin to see the heart of the Buddha
In your later life you wander the world;
It is like a ripe fruit falling.
There are those that commit the boundless sins,
Such as ghost-inspired suicide;
Clergy should do the opposite-
One creates one's own evil.
Again, a household is like a poisonous ocean,
An ocean of joyless suffering,
Through illusion, an ocean of vice.
Again, hear me, o fortunate ones!
Finding a house for such as a pig and snake (ignorance and anger)
Worldly men suffer half their life away becoming easily angered.
Finding a house for such as wives and mistresses,
They suffer half their life away finding no friend.
Finding a house, such as one of mortared stone,
They suffer half their life away finding no one to stay there.
Finding a house, such as one swept empty by a broom,
They suffer half their life away, having lost their food and wealth.
Finding a house, such as one for brown and yellow bears,
They suffer half their life away challenging others before they challenge
them.
Finding a house, such as one where gandharvas and btsan gather,
They suffer half their life away doing nothing or making nothing.
Finding a house, such as one with a baby,
Is like living in the grasp of an enemy,
Like being surrounded by death-demons and ghosts
That bring suffering and despair.
If you desire firm plans, enter the gate of the doctrine!
To achieve the great goal, carry it through to the end!
You can do it by yourselves!
Listen to me, o fortunate ones!
My, this yogin's house, looks like this:
Because I am a lama's daughter,
I will not do impure deeds.
Because I am natural wisdom,
I have the beautiful ornaments thereof.
Because my body is not flesh and bone,
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