Vinicchayamahāmattavatthu

You don’t become just Na tena hoti dhammaṭṭho, by passing hasty judgment. yenatthaṁ sāhasā naye; An astute person evaluates both Yo ca atthaṁ anatthañca, what is pertinent and what is irrelevant. ubho niccheyya paṇḍito.

A wise one judges others without haste, Asāhasena dhammena, justly and impartially; samena nayatī pare; that guardian of the law Dhammassa gutto medhāvī, is said to be just. “dhammaṭṭho”ti pavuccati.

Chabbaggiyavatthu

You’re not an astute scholar Na tena paṇḍito hoti, just because you speak a lot. yāvatā bahu bhāsati; One who is secure, free of enmity and fear, Khemī averī abhayo, is said to be astute. “paṇḍito”ti pavuccati.

Ekudānakhīṇāsavavatthu

You’re not one who has memorized the teaching Na tāvatā dhammadharo, just because you recite a lot. yāvatā bahu bhāsati; Someone who directly sees the teaching Yo ca appampi sutvāna, after hearing only a little dhammaṁ kāyena passati; is truly one who has memorized the teaching, Sa ve dhammadharo hoti, for they can never forget it. yo dhammaṁ nappamajjati.

Lakuṇḍakabhaddiyattheravatthu

You don’t become a senior Na tena thero so hoti, by getting some grey hairs; yenassa palitaṁ siro; for one ripe only in age, Paripakko vayo tassa, is said to have aged in vain. “moghajiṇṇo”ti vuccati.

One who is truthful and principled, Yamhi saccañca dhammo ca, harmless, restrained, and self-controlled, ahiṁsā saṁyamo damo; attentive, purged of stains, Sa ve vantamalo dhīro, is said to be a senior. “thero” iti pavuccati.

Sambahulabhikkhuvatthu

Not by mere enunciation, Na vākkaraṇamattena, or a beautiful complexion vaṇṇapokkharatāya vā; does a person become holy, Sādhurūpo naro hoti, if they’re jealous, stingy, and devious. issukī maccharī saṭho.

But if they’ve cut that out, Yassa cetaṁ samucchinnaṁ, dug it up at the root, eradicated it, mūlaghaccaṁ samūhataṁ; that wise one, purged of vice, Sa vantadoso medhāvī, is said to be holy. “sādhurūpo”ti vuccati.

Hatthakavatthu

A liar and breaker of vows is no ascetic Na muṇḍakena samaṇo, just because they shave their head. abbato alikaṁ bhaṇaṁ; How on earth can one be an ascetic Icchālobhasamāpanno, who’s full of desire and greed? samaṇo kiṁ bhavissati.

One who stops all wicked deeds, Yo ca sameti pāpāni, great and small, aṇuṁthūlāni sabbaso; because of stopping wicked deeds Samitattā hi pāpānaṁ, is said to be an ascetic. “samaṇo”ti pavuccati.

Aññatarabrāhmaṇavatthu

You don’t become a mendicant Na tena bhikkhu so hoti, just by begging from others. yāvatā bhikkhate pare; One who has undertaken domestic duties Vissaṁ dhammaṁ samādāya, has not yet become a mendicant. bhikkhu hoti na tāvatā.

But one living a spiritual life, Yodha puññañca pāpañca, who has banished both merit and evil, bāhetvā brahmacariyavā; who wanders having appraised the world, Saṅkhāya loke carati, is said to be a mendicant. sa ve “bhikkhū”ti vuccati.

Titthiyavatthu

You don’t become a sage by being sagelike, Na monena munī hoti, while still confused and ignorant. mūḷharūpo aviddasu; The astute one who holds the scales, Yo ca tulaṁva paggayha, taking only the best, varamādāya paṇḍito.

and shunning the bad—Pāpāni parivajjeti, that is a sage, <j>and that is how one becomes a sage. sa munī tena so muni; One who sagely weighs both in the world, Yo munāti ubho loke, is thereby said to be a sage. “muni” tena pavuccati.

Bālisikavatthu

You don’t become a noble one Na tena ariyo hoti, by harming living beings. yena pāṇāni hiṁsati; One harmless towards all living beings Ahiṁsā sabbapāṇānaṁ, is said to be a noble one. “ariyo”ti pavuccati.

Sambahulasīlādisampannabhikkhuvatthu

Not by precepts and observances, Na sīlabbatamattena, nor by much learning, bāhusaccena vā pana; nor by meditative immersion, Atha vā samādhilābhena, nor by living in seclusion, vivittasayanena vā.

do I experience the bliss of renunciation Phusāmi nekkhammasukhaṁ, not frequented by ordinary people. aputhujjanasevitaṁ; A mendicant cannot rest confident Bhikkhu vissāsamāpādi, without attaining the end of defilements. appatto āsavakkhayaṁ.

Dhammaṭṭhavaggo ekūnavīsatimo.