[Verse 1]
Let the insects bite and sting,
Let the forest test the soul.
Keep the mind aware and patient,
Do not let discomfort take control.
Like an elephant in battle,
Standing firm beneath the storm,
Let the heart remain unmoving,
Let the mind remain calm and warm.
[Chorus]
Keep on striving, do not surrender,
Even when the body grows old.
Burn the fires of defilement,
Let the heart become pure and bold.
Show loving-kindness to all beings,
Let compassion fill your way.
May a heart that harms no creature
Be a light from day to day.
[Verse 2]
Leave behind the things that bind you,
Let attachment fall away.
Walk the Noble Eightfold Path,
Keep the Dhamma in your way.
Listen deeply, ask what matters,
Live simply, free from fear.
Follow wise and wholesome guidance,
And let inner peace draw near.
[Bridge]
Guard your body, speech, and thinking,
Do not wander lost in craving.
Leave behind the thoughts of rivalry,
Let meditation make you still.
When the chains of craving weaken,
When the mind is no longer bound,
You have crossed beyond the fetters,
And the peaceful shore is found.
[Final Chorus]
Stay awake and keep your mindfulness,
When desire comes knocking at the door.
Treat the restless mind with wisdom,
Do not feed the fire anymore.
Stay awake in every moment,
Do not cling to birth and being.
Walk the path with steady wisdom,
Toward the freedom you are seeking.
The Fourth Chapter of the Theragatha Presents Ten Teachings on Patience, Effort, Loving-Kindness, and Mindfulness
Lead: The 26th volume of the Tipitaka presents ten verses by ten senior monks in the Fourth Chapter of the Ekakanipata of the Theragatha. The teachings emphasize patience, perseverance, loving-kindness, renunciation, the Noble Eightfold Path, learning through listening, meditation, freedom from defilements, and mindfulness.
The Fourth Chapter of the Ekakanipata of the Theragatha, found in Volume 26 of the Tipitaka, contains verses attributed to ten senior monks. Each verse focuses on a particular aspect of spiritual training, while collectively pointing toward freedom from attachment and defilements.
Gahuratiriya Thera begins the chapter with the teaching of patience. A practitioner who is bitten by mosquitoes and horseflies in the forest is compared to an elephant enduring weapons on a battlefield. The teaching emphasizes mindfulness and endurance in the face of physical and mental discomfort.
Suppiya Thera emphasizes perseverance. Even when the body grows old, a person who continues to make determined effort can burn away defilements and move toward Nibbana, described as peaceful and free from bondage.
Sopaka Thera presents the teaching of loving-kindness. Just as one naturally feels affection toward someone dear, a monk should extend loving-kindness toward all living beings without limitation.
Posiya Thera focuses on renunciation and turning away from conditions that can lead toward decline. His verse reflects the determination to leave behind worldly entanglements in pursuit of peace and liberation.
Samannakani Thera connects genuine happiness with conduct that is worthy of happiness. He highlights the Noble Eightfold Path as the direct way toward the deathless, emphasizing the value of living according to the path.
Kumaputta Thera emphasizes the value of listening and learning. Listening to the Dhamma, living simply, being free from unnecessary concerns, asking beneficial questions, and respectfully following good instruction are presented as practices leading toward inner peace.
Kumaputta Therasa-hayaka Thera emphasizes restraint and meditation. Rather than allowing body, speech, and mind to become scattered through restless wandering, practitioners are encouraged to abandon competitiveness, wrong thoughts, craving, and other defilements and develop meditation.
Khammapati Thera represents the ideal of freedom from defilements and craving. The verse describes one who is no longer shaken by worldly conditions, has passed beyond the bonds, and has reached the far shore of existence.
Tissa Thera strongly emphasizes mindfulness. Just as a person struck by a spear or suffering a burning wound on the head would immediately seek treatment, a practitioner should remain constantly mindful in order to abandon sensual desire.
Finally, Vaddhamana Thera closes the chapter with another teaching on mindfulness, comparing the urgency of treating a serious wound with the urgency of abandoning attachment to existence.
Taken as a whole, the Fourth Chapter can be understood as a ten-step training of the mind: patience, perseverance, loving-kindness, renunciation, the Noble Eightfold Path, learning, meditation, freedom from defilements, and mindfulness.
Its message remains relevant to contemporary life. Human suffering does not arise only from external circumstances; it also depends upon how the mind responds to those circumstances. Patience, effort, compassion, renunciation, and mindfulness can therefore become practical tools for cultivating inner stability.
The ten elders of the chapter are Gahuratiriya Thera, Suppiya Thera, Sopaka Thera, Posiya Thera, Samannakani Thera, Kumaputta Thera, Kumaputta Therasa-hayaka Thera, Khammapati Thera, Tissa Thera, and Vaddhamana Thera.
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