Flowers (idea)

Chapter Four -- Flowers

1. Who shall overcome this earth, the worlds
   of misery and this sphere of men and gods? Who
   shall bring to perfection the well-taught path of
   wisdom as an expert garland-maker would a floral design?
   
2. A striver-on-the-path shall overcome this
   earth, the worlds of misery and this sphere of
   men and gods. The striver-on-the-path shall bring
   to perfection the well-taught path of wisdom,
   as an expert garland-maker would a floral design.
   
3. Realizing that this body is like froth,
   penetrating its mirage-like nature, and plucking
   out Mara's flower-tipped arrows (of sensuality),
   go beyond sight of the King of Death!
   
4. As a mighty flood sweeps away the sleeping
   village, so does death carry away the person of
   distracted mind who only plucks the flowers (of pleasure).
   
5. The Destroyer brings under his sway the
   person of distracted mind who only plucks the
   flowers (of pleasure), insatiate in sense desires.
   
6. As a bee gathers honey from the flower
   without injuring its colour or fragrance, even so
   the sage goes on alms-rounds in the village.
   
7. Let none find fault with others; let none
   see the omissions and commissions of others.
   But let one see one's own acts, done and undone.
   
8. Like a beautiful flower full of colour but
   without fragrance, even so, fruitless are the fair
   words of one who does not practice them.
   
9. Like a beautiful flower full of colour and
   also fragrant, even so, fruitful are the fair words
   of one who practices them.
   
10. As from a great heap of flowers many
    garlands can be made, even so should many
    good deeds be done by one born a mortal.
    
11. Not the sweet smell of flowers, not even
    the fragrance of sandal, tagara or jasmine blows
    against the wind. But the fragrance of the virtuous
    person pervades all directions with the fragrance
    of that virtue.
    
12. Of all the fragrances--sandal, tagara,
    blue lotus and jasmine--the fragrance of virtue
    is by far the sweetest.
    
13. Faint is the fragrance of tagara and sandal,
    but the fragrance of the virtuous is excellent,
    wafting even among the gods.
    
14. Mara never finds the path of the truly
    virtuous, who abide in vigilance and are freed by
    perfect knowledge.
    
15. Upon a heap of rubbish in the road-side
    ditch blooms a lotus, fragrant and pleasing.
    
16. Even so, on the rubbish heap of blinded
    mortals the disciple of the Supremely Enlightened
    One shines resplendent in wisdom.