Verse 306. Liars Suffer Tortures Of Hell
With one denying truth there goes to hell
that one who having done says โI did notโ.
Both of them are making kammas base
are equal after death.
Explanation:
One who tells lies about others goes to hell; one who has done evil and
says “I did not do it”, also goes to hell. Both of them are evil doers,
suffer alike in their next existence.
Verse 307. Evil Men Get Born In Bad States
Many who wear the yellow robe
are unrestrained in evil things,
these evil ones by evil deeds,
in hell do they arise.
Explanation:
Many men wearing the yellow robe up to their necks who have an evil
disposition and are unrestrained in thought, word and deed are reborn in
hell on account of their evil deeds.
Verse 308. Food Fit For Sinners
Better to eat a ball of iron
glowing as flame of fire
than one should eat countryโs alms
immoral and unrestrained.
Explanation:
It is better for one to eat a red-hot lump of iron burning like a flame
than to eat alms-food offered by the people, if one is without morality
(sila) and unrestrained in thought, word and deed.
Verse 309. The Man Who Covets Anotherโs Wife
Four things befall that heedless one
sleeping with one whoโs wed:
demerit gained but not good sleep,
third is blame while fourth is hell.
Explanation:
A thoughtless person, who goes to another manโs wife, will suffer four
evil results. Firstly, he will acquire demerit - what is not
meritorious. Secondly, he will not get enough comfortable sleep.
Thirdly, he will be disgraced. Fourthly, he will be born in hell.
Demeritโs gained and evil birth,
scared man and women - brief their joy,
the king decrees a heavy doom:
so none should sleep with one whoโs wed.
Explanation:
Demerits will be acquired. The lowly state of hell, will be his lot.
Since both man and the woman are frightened, their embrace will generate
little pleasure. The kingโs law will impose severe punishment. Because
of all these, a man will not covet anotherโs wife.
Verse 311. Wrong Monastic Life Leads To Bad States
As blady grass when wrongly grasped
the hand does lacerate
so a mishandled monastic life
drags one off to hell.
Explanation:
The blade of the kusa grass, if held wrongly, will cut oneโs hand. In
the same way, if one were to handle monastic life in the wrong way -
against the grain - it will pull the person down into hell.
Verse 312. Three Things That Will Not Yield Good Results
Whatever of kammas slacks,
whatever of vows corrupt,
a faltering in the holy life
never brings ample fruit.
Explanation:
Some act of merit may get committed casually. The practice of religious
rite may be tainted. Higher life may get led dubiously. All these will
not yield high results.
Verse 313. Do Merit With Commitment
If thereโs aught that should be done
let it be done then steadily,
in truth a slack monastic life
all the more stirs up the dust.
Explanation:
If you do an act of merit do it with a sense of commitment and concern.
But, if the practice of monastic life is casual, instead of reducing
the dust, much dust will be smeared.
Verse 314. Good Deeds Never Make You Repent
Better an evil deed not done
for misdeed later on torments.
Better done is deed thatโs good,
which done, does not torment.
Explanation:
It is better not to do an evil deed; an evil deed torments one later
on. It is better to do a good deed as one has not to repent for having
done it.
Verse 315. Guard The Mind
Even as a border town
guarded within and without,
so should you protect yourselves.
Do not let this moment pass
for when this momentโs gone they grieve
sending themselves to hell.
Explanation:
As a border town is guarded both inside and outside, so guard yourself.
Let not the moment go by. Those who miss this moment has come to grief
when they fall into hell.
Verse 316. False Beliefs Lead To Hell
They are ashamed where shame is not
but where is shame are not ashamed
so by embracing evil views
beings go to an evil birth.
Explanation:
Those who are ashamed of what they should not be ashamed of, and those
who are unashamed of what they should be ashamed of, all those who
embrace false views go to woeful states.
Verse 317. Fear And Fearlessness In Wrong Places
They are afraid where fear is not
but where is fear are unafraid,
so by embracing evil views
beings go to an evil birth.
Explanation:
There are some who are afraid of what they should not fear. There are
also some who are not afraid of what they should really fear. They, all,
who embrace false beliefs go to woeful states.
Verse 318. Right And Wrong
Faults they see where fault is not
but where is fault they see it not,
so by embracing evil views
beings go to an evil birth.
Explanation:
Those who take what is correct as incorrect, and those who take what is
not correct as correct, both go to woeful states when they depart
because of their false beliefs.
Verse 319. Right Understanding
A fault they understand as such,
they know as well where fault is not,
so by embracing righteous views
beings go to a happy rebirth.
Explanation: They regard error as error, and what is right as right. Those people who embrace right views go to heaven.