Version 1:
If one, though reciting much of texts,
Is not a doer thereof, a heedless person;
That one, like a cowherd counting others’ cows,
Is not a partaker in the religious quest.
Version 2:
If they recite many teachings, but
— heedless people —
don’t do what they say,
like a cowherd counting the cattle of
others,
they have no share in the contemplative life.
Version 3:
Much though they recite the sacred texts, but act not accordingly, those heedless persons are like cowherds who only count the cows of others — they do not partake of the blessings of the holy life.
(Note: Version 1 is from the John Ross Carter and Mahinda Palihawadana translation. Version 2 is from the Thanissaro Bhikkhu translation. Version 3 is from the Acharya Buddharakkhita translation. I have made significant changes throughout in both pronouns and verbs for a neutral gender reading.)
This stanza, for me, captures the essence of the Buddha Way. It’s a way of practice, first and foremost. It’s not that study and cognition are unimportant – it’s just that they don’t replace the development of profound insight that comes with training. Thanks for posting these different versions.