Vol. 11 · pages 411–415

392 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES IV 7. “Slay not, nor doom to death, nor sanction slaughter. Do no violence to aught that lives—strong or weak. 8. “No layman, wittingly, should thieve, or order theft, or sanction any theft,—take but what others give. 9. “And shun incontinence as ’twere a pit of fire, or, failing continence, debauch no wedded wife. 10. “In conclaves, courts, or talk let him not lie; let him not prompt or sanction lies—let him renounce untruth. 11. “Layman, observe this law: Shun drink; make no man drink; sanction no drinking. Mark how drink to madness leads. 12. “Through drink fools sin, and egg lax brethren on to sin. So flee this maddening vice, this folly, bliss of fools. 13. “Slay not, nor steal, nor lie; from strong drink keep away; refrain from lechery; touch not wrong meals at night ! 14. “Eschew both scents and wreaths; spread on the ground thy bed; so make thy sabbath vows as week succeeds to week, and keep with pious hearts this eightfold festival. 15. “At morn, these vows performed, with pious, thankful heart be wise and of thy means give Almsmen food and drink. 16. “Cherish thy parents well; follow a righteous trade. Thus shall the layman staunch reach realms of light above. § 5. One Need Not Wait for a Companion to Tread on the Path of Righteousness 1. An elephant in battle bears the arrow at him hurled, I must bear men’s bitter tongues for every evil in the world. 2. Tamed, they lead him into battle; tamed, the king his back ascends; tamed, is he the best of beings when no bitter speech offends. 3. Good are well-tamed mules, and good are

393 HIS SERMONS IV Cindian steeds of lineage famed, good indeed the mighty tusker; best of all the men self-tamed. 4. Yet such mounts can naught avail us, cannot be Nibbana’s guide. We can only reach the Path on the self-tamed self-ride. 5. Take delight in Earnestness ; watch thy thoughts and never tire. Lift thee from the Path of Evil, take the Tusker out of mire. 6. Hast thou found a fellow-traveller, upright, firm, intelligent? Leaving all thy cares behind thee, gladly walk with him intent. 7. Hast thou found no fellow-traveller, upright, intelligent? As a King deserts his borders, by the enemy pursued, like the tusker in the forest, so go thy way in solitude. 8. Better is the lonely life, for fools companions cannot be. Live alone and do no evil, live alone with scanty needs, lonely, as the mighty tusker in the forest lonely feeds. 9. Expunge all bad thoughts. 10. Here is the way to expunge. 11. You are to expunge by resolving that, though others may be harmful, you will be harmless. 12. That, though others may kill, you will never kill. 13. That, though others may steal, you will not. 14. That, though others may not lead the higher life, you will. 15. That, though others may lie, traduce, denounce, or prattle, you will not. 16. That, though others may be covetous, you will covet not. 17. That, though others may be malignant, you will be benignant. 18. That, though others may be given over to wrong views, wrong aims, wrong speech, actions, wrong modes of livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness and wrong concentration you must follow the Noble Eight-fold Path in right outlook, right aims, right speech, right actions, right mode of livelihood, right efforts, right mindfulness and right concentration.

394 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES IV 19. That, though others are wrong about the truth and wrong about Deliverance, you will be right about truth and right about Deliverance. 20. That, though others may he possessed by sloth and torpor, you will free yourself therefrom. 21. That, though others may be puffed up, you will be humble-minded. 22. That, though others may be perplexed by doubts, you will be free from them. 23. That, though others may harbour wrath, malevolence, envy, jealousy, niggardliness, avarice, hypocrisy, deceit, imperviousness, arrogance, forwardness, unscrupulousness, lack of instruction, inertness, bewilderment, and unwisdom—you will be the reverse of all these things.

395 HIS SERMONS IV SECTION IV SERMONS ON NIBBANA § 1. What is Nibbana 1. Once the Blessed Lord was staying at Shravasti in Anathapindika’s Arama where Sariputta was also staying. 2. The Lord addressing the Brethren said: “Almsmen, be ye partakers not of the world’s goods but of my doctrine; in my compassion for you all I am anxious to ensure this.” 3. Thus spoke the Lord, who thereupon rose and passed to his own cell. 4. Sariputta remained behind and the Brethren asked him to explain what is Nibbana. 5. Then Sariputta in reply to the Brethren said: “Brethren, know you that greed is vile, and vile is resentment. 6. “ To shed this greed and this resentment, there is the Middle Way which gives us eyes to see and makes us know, leading us on to peace, insight, enlightenment and Nibbana. 7. “ What is this Middle Way ? It is naught but the Noble Eight-fold Path of right outlook, right aims, right speech, right action, right means of livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration; this, Almsmen is the Middle Way. 8. “Yes, sirs; anger is vile and malevolence is vile, envy and jealousy are vile, niggardliness and avarice are vile, hypocrisy and deceit and arrogance are vile, inflation is vile, and indolence is vile. 9. “ For the shedding of inflation and indolence there is the Middle Way—giving us eyes to see, making us know, and leading us on to peace, insight, enlightenment. 10. “ Nibbana which is naught but that Noble Eightfold Path.” 11. Thus spoke the reverend Sariputta—glad at heart, the Almsmen rejoiced at what he had said.

396 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES IV § 2. The Roots of Nibbana (i) 1. Once the venerable Radha came to the Exalted One. Having done so he saluted the Exalted One and sat down on one side. So seated the venerable Radha thus addressed the Exalted One: “Pray, Lord, what for is Nibbana.” 2. “Nibbana means release from passion,” replied the Lord. 3. “But Nibbana, Lord,—what is the aim of it ? ” 4. “Rooted in Nibbana, Radha, the righteous life is lived. Nibbana is its goal. Nibbana is its end.” (ii) 1. Once the Exalted One was dwelling at Shravasti, in Jeta’s Grove, at Anathapindika’s Park. Then the Exalted One called the brethren, saying, ‘Brethren.’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ replied those brethren to the Exalted One. The Exalted One thus spake. 2. “Do ye bear in mind, brethren, the Five Fetters that bind to the lower world, as taught by me ?” 3. Whereupon the venerable Malunkyaputta said this to the Exalted One : 4. “I, Lord, bear in mind those Five Fetters.” 5. “And how, Malunkyaputta, do you bear them in mind ?” 6. “I bear in mind, Lord, the view of bodyhood, as taught by the Exalted One, and wavering, and the moral taint of dependence on rite and ritual, the excitement of sensual delight, and malevolence, taught by the Exalted One as fetters that bind to the lower world. These are the Five Fetters that I bear in mind, Lord.” 7. “As taught for whom, Malunkyaputta, do you bear in mind these Five Fetters ? Will not the wanderers of other views reproach you, using the parable of a tender baby for their reproach and saying thus : 8. “ ‘ But, Malunkyaputta, there can be no bodyhood for a tender baby-boy, dull of wits and