Hiri Sutta – Conscience

Hiri Sutta
Conscience
Samyutta Nikáya I.18
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Who in the world
is a man constrained by conscience,
who awakens to censure
like a fine stallion to the whip?

Those restrained by conscience
are rare —
those who go through life
always mindful.
Having reached the end
of suffering & stress,
they go through what is uneven
evenly;
go through what is out-of-tune
in tune.