Dhammapada  


CHAPTER XX
he hammapada
e Dhammapada preserves the "Words of the Buddha" for it
carries the spirit of the Lord's teachings. It is one of the best
loved Buddhist scriptures which is recited daily by mil ions
of devotees who chant its verses in their native dialects. ere
exist several renditions of the Dhammapada in Pali, Sanskrit,
Chinese and Tibetan languages which all contain the sayings
that Sakyamuni Buddha had given during the forty-five years of
his ministry.
NAMO BUDDHAYA!
All that we are is the result of what we have intended, it is
founded on our intentions, it is made up of our intentions. If a
man speaks or acts with a bad intention, pain fol ows him, as the
wheel fol ows the foot of the ox that draws the cart.
All that we are is the result of what we have intended, it is
founded on our intentions, it is made up of our intentions. If a
man speaks or acts with a pure intention, happiness fol ows him,
like a shadow that never leaves him.
`He insulted me, he beat me, he frustrated me, he deprived me',
-- in those who harbour such thoughts hatred wil never end.
`He insulted me, he beat me, he frustrated me, he deprived me',
-- in those who do not harbour such thoughts hatred wil end.
For never does hatred end by hatred anywhere, hatred ends
by love; this is the eternal law.


He who lives seeking pleasures only, his senses uncontrol ed,
immoderate in his food, idle and weak, him Mara (the tempter)
will surely overthrow, as the wind throws down a feeble tree.
He who lives without seeking pleasures, his senses well con-
trol ed, moderate in his food, faithful and strong, him Mara will
certainly not overthrow any more than the wind throws down a
rock mountain.
As rain breaks through an il -roofed house, desire breaks
through an il -trained mind.
As rain does not break through a wel -roofed house, desire
will not break through a wel -trained mind.
e evil-doer mourns in this world and he mourns in the
next; he mourns in both. He mourns and suffers when he sees
the evil of his own work.
e virtuous man delights in this world, and he delights
-- in the next; he delights and rejoices when he sees the purity of
his own work.
e evil-doer suffers in this world and he suffers in the next;
he suffers in both. He suffers when he thinks of -- the evil he
has done; he suffers even more when he has gone in the evil path
(of hel ).
e virtuous man is happy in this world and he is happy in
the next; he is happy in both. He is happy when he thinks of the
good he has done. He is even happier when he has gone on the
good path (to heaven).
As the bee gathers honey and goes without injuring the flow-
er or its colour or scent, so let a sage go about a vil age.
Not the perversities of others, not what they have done or
left undone should a sage take notice of.


Like a beautiful flower, ful of colour, but without scent, are
the fair but fruitless words of him who does not act accordingly.
Like a beautiful flower, full of colour and full of scent, are
the pure and fruitful words of him who acts accordingly.
Even as one may make many kinds of wreaths from a heap
of flowers, so should one born to the mortal lot, perform good
deeds manifold.
e scent of flowers does not travel against the wind, nor
that of sandal-wood, or of Tagara and Mal ika flowers; but the
fragrance of good people travels even against the wind; a good
man pervades every place.
Mean is the scent that comes from Tagara and Sandal-wood;
the perfume of those who possess virtue rises up to the god as
the highest.
Long is the night to him who is awake;
long is a league to him who is tired;
long is the round of rebirth to the
foolish who do not know the True Law.
How is there laughter, how is there joy, as this world is always
burning? Why do you not seek a light, ye who are shrouded in
darkness?
is body is wasted, frail, a nest of disease; this heap of cor-
ruption breaks to pieces, life indeed ends in death. e bril iant
chariots of kings wear away, the body likewise waxes old, but
the virtue of good people knows no age, thus do the good say to
the good.
A man who has learnt lit le, grows old like an ox, his flesh
grows but his knowledge does not grow.


Looking for the maker of this tabernacle I ran to no avail
through a round of many births; and wearisome is birth
again and again. But now, maker of the tabernacle, thou
hast been seen; thou shalt not rear this tabernacle again. Al
thy rafters are broken, thy ridgepole shattered, the mind
approaching the Eternal, has attained to the Extinction of
al desires.
If a man makes himself as he teaches others to be, then being
himself well subdued, he may subdue (others); one's own self is
indeed difficult to subdue.
Self is the lord of the self, who else could be the lord? With
self subdued, a man finds a lord difficult to find.
Even as a creeper over-spreads (and drags down) a Sal tree,
so a man's wickedness, when it is very great, brings him to that
state where his enemy wishes him to be.
e foolish man who scorns the teaching of the saintly, of
the noble, of the virtuous, and fol ows false doctrines, bears fruit
to his own destruction, like the Kat haka reed.
By oneself is evil done, by oneself one is defiled. Purity and
impurity belong to oneself, no one can purify another.
Let no one forget his own good for the sake of another's,
however great; let a man, after he has discerned what this good
is, be ever intent upon it.
Bet er than a sovereignty over the earth, bet er than going to
heaven, bet er than lordship over all the worlds, is the reward of
the first step in holiness.
He whose conquest is not conquered again, into whose con-
quest no one in this world enters, by what track can you lead
him, the Awakened, the al -perceiving, the trackless?


Even the gods envy those who are awakened and mindful,
who are given to meditation, who are steadfast and delight in
the peace of retirement.
Difficult it is to obtain birth as a human being, difficult is
the life of mortals, difficult is the hearing of the true Law, dif-
ficult is the rise of the Buddhas.
Patience, long-suffering, is the highest form of penance,
Nirvana the highest of all things, say the Awakened; for he is
not an anchorite who strikes another, he is not an ascetic who
insults another.
If a travel er does not meet with one who is his bet er or
equal, let him keep firmly to his solitary journey; there is no
companionship with the young in wisdom.
`ese sons belong to me and this wealth belongs to me', with
such thoughts a fool is tormented. He himself does not belong to
himself, how much less sons and wealth?
e unwise one who knows his foolishness is wise at least so
far; but the unwise one who thinks himself wise, he is cal ed a
fool indeed...
If a person young in wisdom be associated with a wise man
even all his life, he will perceive the truth as lit le as a spoon
perceives the taste of soup.
If an intel igent man be associated for one minute only with
a wise man, he will soon perceive the truth, as the tongue per-
ceives the taste of soup.
People with lit le understanding are their own greatest
enemies, for they do evil deeds which must bear bit er fruits.
at deed is not well done of which a man must repent, and
the reward of which he receives crying with a tearful face.




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