sutta » sn » sn1 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 1.18

Hirīsutta

Conscience A Sense of Shame

“Hirīnisedho puriso,
“Can a person constrained by conscience
“A person restrained by a sense of shame:

koci lokasmiṁ vijjati;
be found in the world?
Is there in the world to be found?

Yo nindaṁ apabodhati,
Who shies away from blame,
One who draws back from blame

asso bhadro kasāmivā”ti.
like a fine horse from the whip?”
As a good horse does from the whip?”

“Hirīnisedhā tanuyā,
“Few are those constrained by conscience,
“Few are those restrained by a sense of shame

ye caranti sadā satā;
who live always mindful.
Who fare always mindful;

Antaṁ dukkhassa pappuyya,
Having reached the end of suffering,
Few, having reached the end of suffering,

caranti visame saman”ti.
they walk smoothly in the rough.”
Fare evenly amidst the uneven. ”