Devatāsaṁyutta 17

Linked Discourses 1.17

2. The Garden of Delight

Hard to Do

1 “Hard to do, hard to endure,

is the ascetic life for the inept,

for it has many narrow passes

where the fool founders.”

2 “How many days could an ascetic live

without controlling the mind?

They’d founder with each step,

under the sway of thoughts.

3 A mendicant should collect their thoughts

as a tortoise draws its limbs into its shell.

Independent, not disturbing others,

quenched: they wouldn’t blame anyone.”