The Venerable Master Ledi’s Lectures

The Venerable Master Ledi’s Lectures

"There are five senses (see, hear, touch, smell, taste)
We develop pleasure or dismay-- like or dislike-- from these senses
Our thoughts are forever changing from these derivations

If you waste the whole day with these five senses,
One should live in the four stages of underworld 

Lesser than that of human nature

Your views, your path, you will always dwell
Buried under these stages yourself

Don’t follow your old ways
Throw away this greed
Control your mind with good intention.
Cleanse practice is like saving a life

In this now, this opportunity period
Not following these given teachings is a foolish act
Can there be anyone more foolish than you?

In this now, this easy period
Not listening these given teachings is a troublesome act
Can there be anyone more troublesome than you?

In this now, this ready period
Not practicing these given teachings is an undisciplined act
Can there by anyone more undisciplined than you?"


The translator has added the following note: Some of the references here are to the Burmese thinkings of the underworld where there are 34 stages of underworld and there was a reference to 4 of them in the poetic lecture. Essentially it is a stage of being comparable to living in a garbage facility with rabid diseases when you can instead live in a sanitary palace with good practice. Living in an underground world lesser than human.