Sn 2.10

Utthana Sutta: On Vigilance

translated from the Pali by

John D. Ireland

Alternate translation: Thanissaro

"Rouse yourself! Sit up! What good is there in sleeping? For those afflicted by disease (suffering), struck by the arrow (craving), what sleep is there?

"Rouse yourself! Sit up! Resolutely train yourself to attain peace. [1] Do not let the king of death, [2] seeing you are careless, lead you astray and dominate you.

"Go beyond this clinging, [3] to which devas and men are attached, and (the pleasures) they seek. Do not waste your opportunity. When the opportunity has passed they sorrow when consigned to Niraya -hell.

"Negligence is a taint, and so is the (greater) negligence growing from it. By earnestness and understanding withdraw the arrow (of sensual passions)."

Notes

1 .: "Peace" is a synonym for Nibbana, the final goal.
2 .: The king of death (maccuraja), or Mara (death), is the personification of everything that binds us to this world and prevents the gaining of deliverance.
3 .: This clinging to pleasures of the senses.

You may copy, reformat, reprint, republish, and redistribute this work in any medium whatsoever, provided that: (1) you only make such copies, etc. available free of charge and, in the case of reprinting, only in quantities of no more than 50 copies; (2) you clearly indicate that any derivatives of this work (including translations) are derived from this source document; and (3) you include the full text of this license in any copies or derivatives of this work. Otherwise, all rights reserved. Documents linked from this page may be subject to other restrictions. From The Discourse Collection: Selected Texts from the Sutta Nipata (WH 82) , translated by John D. Ireland (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1983). Copyright © 1983 Buddhist Publication Society. Used with permission. Last revised for Access to Insight on 30 November 2013.

How to cite this document (a suggested style): "Utthana Sutta: On Vigilance" (Sn 2.10), translated from the Pali by John D. Ireland. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition) , 30 November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.2.10.irel.html .