Orima sutta: The Near Shore

“Mendicants, I will teach you the near shore and the far shore. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak. … And what, mendicants, is the near shore? What is the far shore? Killing living creatures is the near shore, mendicants, and not killing living creatures is the far shore. Stealing is the near shore, and not stealing is the far shore. Sexual misconduct is the near shore, and refraining from sexual misconduct is the far shore. Lying is the near shore, and not lying is the far shore. Divisive speech is the near shore, and refraining from divisive speech is the far shore. Harsh speech is the near shore, and refraining from harsh speech is the far shore. Talking nonsense is the near shore, and refraining from talking nonsense is the far shore. Covetousness is the near shore, and contentment is the far shore. Ill will is the near shore, and good will is the far shore. Wrong view is the near shore, and right view is the far shore. This is the near shore, and this is the far shore.

Few are those among humans
who cross to the far shore.
The rest just run
around on the near shore.

When the teaching is well explained,
the people who practice accordingly
will cross over
Death’s dominion so hard to pass.

Rid of dark qualities,
an astute person would develop the bright.
Having left home for homelessness
in seclusion, where joy is hard,

they’d long for satisfaction there.
Having given up sensual pleasures, owning nothing,
an astute person would cleanse themselves
of mental corruptions.

And those whose minds are rightly developed
in the awakening factors;
who, letting go of attachments,
delight in not grasping—
with defilements ended, brilliant,
they are quenched in this world.”