In order to go on retreat,
A monk should stay in lodgings
That are secluded and quiet,
Frequented by beasts of prey.

Having gathered scraps from rubbish heaps,
Cemeteries and streets,
And making an outer robe from them,
He should wear that coarse robe.

Humbling his mind,
A monk should walk for alms
From family to family without exception,
With sense doors guarded, well-restrained .

He should be content even with coarse food,
Not hoping for lots of flavours.
The mind that is greedy for flavours
Doesn’t delight in jhāna.

With few wishes, content,
A sage should live secluded.
Socializing with neither
Householders nor the homeless.

He should appear
To be stupid or dumb;
A wise person would not speak overly long
In the midst of the Saṅgha.

He would not insult anyone,
And would avoid causing harm.
Restrained in accordance with the Pātimokkha,
He would eat in moderation.

Skilled in the arising of thought,
He would grasp well the character of the mind.
He would be devoted to practicing
Serenity and insight at the right time.

Though endowed with energy and perseverance,
And always devoted to meditation,
A wise person would not be too sure of themselves,
Until they have attained the end of suffering.

For a monk who dwells in this way,
Longing for purification,
All his defilements wither away,
And he attains nibbāna.