汝等比丘，欲求寂静无为安乐，当离愦闹，独处闲居。静处之人，帝释诸天，所共敬重，是故当舍己众他众，空闲独处，思灭苦本。
You and other Bhikṣus, desiring to seek the tranquillity of unconditioned peace and bliss, should depart from confusions and disturbances, to alone live in vacant residences. Of people quietly living, as they are by Śakra and all heavenly beings, those together revered and honoured, therefore should there be renunciation of personal assemblies and others’ assemblies, for free time alone living, to contemplate elimination of suffering’s root.
若乐众者，则受众恼。譬如大树众鸟集之，则有枯折之患。世间缚者，没于众苦，譬如老象溺泥，不能自出，是名远离。
If there are those joyful with crowds, they will then receive many afflictions. For example, they are like big trees with many birds gathering there, then having the calamity of withering and breaking. Those by the world bound, sunken in all sufferings, for example, are like old elephants drowning in mud, not able to personally exit. These are named as teachings on far departure.
[Note: New and junior monastics should live in proper monastic communities with senior monastics for guidance, to train in their precepts sufficiently, before going for long solo retreats, to further train their concentration for wisdom. They can first attend periodical group retreats, which also offer respites from distractions by the masses.
For indefinitely long solo living, there must be great self-motivation and self-discipline for furthering spiritual learning and practice. Otherwise, there might be seeping in of laxity and even breaking of precepts, secretly and continually, thus creating much evil karma that further binds them to the cycle of rebirth, instead of progressing towards liberation. Eventually, after sufficient practice, there should still be compassionate return to serve the larger monastic and/or lay community.]
释迦牟尼佛
Śākyamuni Buddha
《佛遗教经》
The Sūtra Of The Buddha’s Bequeathed Teachings
