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|Diligence::quality of wishing to do one’s work or duty well, with alertness, carefulness and care [appamāda]| is the path to the |deathless::Nibbāna [amata]|,
|Negligence::carelessness, heedlessness [pamāda]| is the path to death;
The diligent do not die,
The negligent are as if dead.
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Thus, understanding this distinction,
The wise excel in diligence;
They rejoice in heedfulness,
Engaged in the domain of the noble ones.
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Those meditators who are practicing continuously,
consistently firm in effort;
The |steadfast::firm, stable, wise [dhīra]| ones attain liberation,
The |unsurpassed::highest, incomparable [anuttara]| safety from the |bonds::yoke, attachment, which binds one to the cyclical existence [yoga]|.
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One who is |energetic::ready for action [uṭṭhānavant]| and mindful,
pure in actions, who acts calmly;
Self-restrained and living ethically,
The |fame::glory, prestige [yasa]| of such a diligent one surpasses.
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By initiative and diligence,
with self-restraint and discipline;
The |wise one::who has good judgement [medhāvī]| should make an island,
Which no flood can submerge.
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|Immature::lacking in discernment or good sense, child-like in understanding [bāla]|, |unwise::one lacking discernment, who has not cultivated wisdom [dummedhī]| persons,
indulge in negligence;
But the wise one guards diligence,
like the |most important::foremost, supreme [seṭṭha]| wealth.
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Do not indulge in negligence,
Do not delight or associate with sensual pleasures;
The diligent one, meditating,
experiences expansive |contentment::ease, contented abiding [sukha]|.
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When with diligence,
the wise one dispels negligence;
Climbing the tower of wisdom,
free from sorrow, seeing the sorrowful persons;
Like one on a mountain top sees those on the ground,
the stable one sees the immature, undiscerning persons.
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The diligent amongst the negligent,
wide awake amongst the asleep;
Like a swift horse amongst the feeble,
the wise one proceeds leaving them behind.
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Through diligence, |Maghavant::Indra, the chief of the gods|,
attained eminence amongst the gods;
They praise diligence,
negligence is always blamed.
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A bhikkhu who is devoted to diligence,
who sees danger in negligence;
Burns away all |fetters::chains, bonds, things which binds [saṁyojanā]|, both |subtle::fine [aṇu]| and |gross::coarse [thūla]|,
like a blazing fire that consumes everything.
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A bhikkhu who is devoted to diligence,
who sees danger in negligence;
Is incapable of decline,
and is near to |Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating [nibbāna]|.