The Ultimate

Settled in their views, "this is the ultimate" —

a person sets it above everything else in the world.

All others, they say, are lesser.

So they never get beyond disputes.

Whatever advantage one sees for oneself —

in belief, tradition, practice, or reasoning —

grasping just that, right there,

one sees all the rest as lesser.

That too, the skilled call a knot —

relying on it, one sees others as lesser.

So on belief, tradition, reasoning, or practice,

a monk should not rely.

One should not construct a view in the world —

not by knowledge, not by precept-and-vow.

One should not present oneself as "equal,"

or think oneself "lesser" or "better."

Letting go of what was taken up, grasping nothing,

they don't lean even on knowledge.

Among the divided, they take no side.

They fall back on no view at all.

One with no aspiration to either end here —

to more and more existence, in this world or the next —

for them there are no positions,

no teaching decided-on and grabbed hold of.

For them, here, in belief, tradition, or reasoning —

not even the smallest constructed perception.

That brahmin who takes up no view —

what could the world call them?

They construct nothing, prefer nothing.

Even teachings — they don't take them up.

The brahmin is not led by precepts and vows —

gone beyond, such a one does not turn back.