Page 1 (Canto 1 to 7) - Page 2 (Canto 8 to 14) - Page 3 (Canto 15 to 21) - Page 4 (Canto 22 to 26)
Happiness -- CANTO XV
197. Blessed indeed are we who live among those who hate,
hating no one; amidst those who hate, let us dwell without hatred.
198. Blessed indeed are we who live among those who are ailing, without ailments; amidst those who are so afflicted, let us live in good health.
199. Blessed indeed are we who live among those who are yearning for sense delights, without yearning for such things; amidst those who are yearning for sense delights, let us dwell without yearning.
200. Happy indeed are we who live without possessions. Let us feed on happiness, like the radiant gods (who feed on spiritual bliss).
201. Victory breeds enmity; the vanquished one dwells in sorrow; the composed person lives happily, disregarding both victory and defeat.
202. There is no fire like passion; there is no blemish like hatred; there is no suffering like physical existence (the five aggregates or skandhas) and there is no bliss equal to the calm (of nirvana).
203. Greed is the worst of afflictions; mental and emotional tendencies are the greatest of sorrows. Having perceived this fact truly, one realizes nirvana, the highest bliss.
204. Health is the greatest of gifts, contentment the greatest of riches; trust is the finest of relationships and nirvana the highest bliss.
205. Having tasted the sweetness of solitude and of inner tranquillity, he becomes free of woe and sin, enjoying the sweetness of the bliss of the Dhamma.
206. Glorious is it to see the Noble Ones; their company at all times brings happiness; by not seeing the spiritually ignorant, one will always be happy.
207. He who leads a life in the company of fools suffers long; it is as painful to live with fools as it is with a foe; association with the wise brings happiness as does the company of one's kinsfolk.
208. Therefore, one should follow the steadfast, the wise, the educated, the self-reliant, the dutiful and the noble. Even as the moon follows the path of the stars, so ought one to follow such a virtuous and highly intelligent man.
Affection -- CANTO XVI
209. He who gives himself to what is not befitting and
thus forgets his own quest; he who indulges in sense pleasures envies
the person who exerts himself in meditation.
210. Do not become attached to what is pleasing nor to what is displeasing; not to see what is dear to one is painful, as also is the sight of the unpleasant.
211. Therefore, let no one cherish anything, inasmuch as the loss of what is beloved is hard. There are no fetters for him who knows neither pleasure nor pain.
212. From pleasure arises sorrow; from pleasure arises fear. To him who is free from pleasure there is no sorrow. Whence, then, comes fear?
213. From affection arises sorrow; from affection arises fear. To him who is free from affection there is no sorrow. Whence fear?
214. From attachment arises sorrow; from attachment arises fear. To him who is free from attachment there is no sorrow. Whence fear?
215. From desire arises sorrow, from desire arises fear. To him who is free from desire there is no sorrow. Whence fear?
216. From craving arises sorrow; from craving arises fear. To him who is free from craving there is no sorrow. Whence fear?
217. He who possesses virtue and spiritual insight, who is well established in the Dhamma, who is truthful, who performs his duties, him the people hold dear.
218. He in whom is born a sublime longing for the Ineffable, whose mind is permeated by this longing, whose thoughts are not bewildered by attachment -- such a person is called "one bound upstream."
219. When a man who has been away for a long time returns home safely, his kinsmen, friends and well-wishers welcome him gladly.
220. When a man has departed from this world to the next, the effects of his good deeds receive him gladly, even as kinsmen welcome a friend on his return home.
Anger -- CANTO XVII
221. Let a man abandon anger, let him renounce pride and
let him get beyond all worldly fetters. No suffering befalls him who is
passionless and clings neither to mind nor to form (nama-rupa).
222. He who controls his rising anger as a skilled driver curbs a rolling chariot, him I call a true charioteer. Others merely hold the reins.
223. Let a man conquer anger by love, let him subdue evil by good; let him overcome the greedy by liberality and the liar by truth.
224. One should always speak the truth, not yield to anger, and give, even though it be little, to the person who begs. By these three virtues, a man is able to come into the presence of the devas.
225. Those sages who observe nonviolence, who are ever controlled in body, attain the changeless state (nirvana) where, having gone, they suffer no more.
226. The influxes of passion disappear in those who are ever vigilant, who are absorbed day and night in spiritual studies, and who are bent on realization of nirvana.
227. This is an old saying, O Atula, not one merely of today: "They blame him who remains silent, they blame him who speaks much, they even blame him who speaks in moderation." There is none in this world who is not blamed.
228. There never existed, nor will there ever exist, nor does there exist today anyone who is always scorned or always praised.
229, 230. If wise men, after due observation day after day, praise one who is flawless in character, highly intelligent and endowed with religious insight and virtue, who is like unto a coin made of the purest gold from the jambu river -- who would dare censure such a man? Even the devas praise him; he is praised even by Brahma.
231. One should guard against the agitations of the body; he should be restrained in body. Having abandoned the bodily sins (1 ), he should cultivate good conduct in body.
232. One should guard against the agitations of speech; he should be restrained in speech. Having abandoned the verbal sins (2), he should cultivate good conduct in speech.
233. One should guard against the agitations of mind; he should be restrained of mind. Having abandoned the mental sins (3), he should cultivate good conduct in mind.
234. The wise who are controlled in body, who likewise are controlled in speech, those wise men who are controlled in mind, are indeed well controlled.
Impurity -- CANTO XVIII
235. You are now like a withered leaf; even the messengers
of Yama (death) have drawn near you. You stand at the threshold of departure,
with no provision for your journey.
236. Make of yourself a light; strive hard, without delay, and be wise; purged of moral impurities and being thus stainless, you will then enter the celestial realm of the Noble Ones.
237. Your life has now come to a close; you have come into the presence of death. There is no halting-place for you on the way, and no provision have you made for your journey.
238. Make of yourself a light; strive hard, without delay, and be wise; purged of moral impurities and being thus stainless, you will not then come again into birth and old age.
239. Little by little, ever and anon, the wise man should remove his moral impurities as a smith blows away the dross of silver.
240. As rust arising from iron straightway corrodes the very iron from which it arose, even so the evil deeds of the transgressor lead him to the state of woe.
241. Non-recitation is the rust of the scriptures; non-exertion is the rust of households; sloth is the rust of beauty; negligence is the rust of a watchman.
242. An unchaste life is the blemish of woman; niggardliness is the taint of a benefactor; impurities are indeed evils in this world and in the next.
243. But there is an impurity greater than all impurities -- this is ignorance. Rid yourselves of this greatest impurity, O monks, be you free from all impurities.
244. Life is easy for him who is shameless, impudent as a crow-hero (rascal) and a slanderer, a braggart, arrogant and impure in living.
245. But life is difficult for him who is unassuming, constantly seeking that which is pure, disinterested in worldly things, not boastful, who lives in purity and is endowed with insight.
246, 247. He who destroys life here, who utters untruth, who takes what is not given to him, who goes to the wife of another, who indulges in intoxicating liquors, such a man, while in this world, destroys the root of his being.
248. Know this, O man, evil-natured ones are unrestrained; let not greed and wrongdoing lead you to untold misery for a long time.
249. People give alms according to their faith and inclination. But he who frets about the drink and food given to others does not attain peace of mind by day or by night.
250. He in whom that feeling is totally uprooted and destroyed, that person attains peace of mind by day and by night.
251. There is no fire like passion; there is no stranglehold like hatred; there is no snare like delusion; there is no torrent like craving.
252. The faults of others are easily seen, but one's own faults are perceived with difficulty. One winnows the faults of others like chaff, but conceals his own faults as a fowler covers his body with twigs and leaves.
253. If a man sees only the faults of others, and is ever taking offense, his appetite for sense pleasures increases and he is far from the eradication of his desires.
254. There is no footprint in the sky (akasa); there is no ascetic outwardly. Mankind delights in the illusory world; the Tathagatas (Buddhas) find no delight therein.
255. There is no footprint in the sky; there is no ascetic outwardly; no composite things are eternal; there is no instability in the Buddhas.
The Righteous -- CANTO XIX
256. He who arbitrates a case by force does not thereby
become just (established in Dhamma). But the wise man is he who carefully
discriminates between right and wrong.
257. He who leads others by nonviolence, righteously and equitably, is indeed a guardian of justice, wise and righteous.
258. One is not wise merely because he talks much. But he who is calm, free from hatred and fear, is verily called a wise man.
259. One is not a supporter of Dhamma merely because he talks much. But he who hears only a little of the Law, yet perceives its essence by diligent exertion, and does not neglect it, is indeed a true supporter of Dhamma.
260. One does not become an elder by reason of his hair being grey. Of course, he may be ripe in age, but he is a person "grown old in vain."
261. He in whom there dwell truth, virtue, nonviolence, self-restraint and moderation, such a wise monk who has cast away all impurities is indeed called an elder (thera).
262. Not by mere ornate speech, nor by a beautiful complexion, does a man who is jealous, selfish and crafty become worthy of respect.
263. But he in whom these evils are completely uprooted and extinguished, who has given up hatred and is wise -- indeed he is called worthy of respect.
264. Not by tonsure does one who is undisciplined and utters lies become a monk. How can he who is overcome by desire and greed become a monk?
265. But he who constantly stills his evil tendencies, small or great, is called a true monk (samana), because he has quieted all these evils.
266. He is not a religious mendicant because he begs alms from others. He does not become a bhikkhu merely by outward observances of the Law.
267. But he who has transcended both merit and demerit, who leads a life of purity and lives in this world in full realization of the Truth, he indeed is called a bhikkhu.
268, 269. By quietude alone one does not become a sage (muni) if he is foolish and ignorant. But he who, as if holding a pair of scales, takes the good and shuns the evil, is a wise man; he is indeed a muni by that very reason. He who understands both good and evil as they really are, is called a true sage.
270. He who injures living beings is not an Ariya (noble). By nonviolence towards all living beings one becomes an Ariya.
271, 272. Not merely by the practice of morality and self-discipline nor by great learning, not even by samadhi (profound spiritual contemplation) or by a life of seclusion, do I reach the bliss of freedom which is not attainable by the ordinary mortal. O bhikkhu, rest not content until you have attained the extinction of all desires.
The Path -- CANTO XX
273. Of paths the Eightfold is the best; of truths the
Four Noble Truths are the best; of all states Detachment is the best;
of men (1) the Seeing One (Buddha) is the foremost.
274. This is the path; there is no other path that leads to purity of insight. Follow this path, for this path bewilders the Evil One (Mara).
275. Having entered upon the path you will come to an end of your suffering. Having myself recognized this, I proclaimed this path which removes all thorns.
276. You yourself must make the effort. The Tathagatas (Buddhas) can only point the way. Those who have entered the path and become meditative are freed from the fetters of Mara.
277. "Transient are all composite things"; he who perceives the truth of this gets disgusted with this world of suffering. This is the path to purity.
278. "Sorrowful are all composite things"; he who perceives the truth of this gets disgusted with this world of suffering. This is the path to purity.
279. "All forms of existence are unreal" (an-atta); he who perceives the truth of this gets disgusted with this world of suffering. This is the path to purity.
280. He who does not get up when it is time to do so; who, although youthful and strong, is yet given to indolence, is weak in resolution and thought -- such an idle and lazy person does not find the path to wisdom.
281. One should be watchful over his speech, well-restrained in mind, and commit no unwholesome deed with his body. Let him purify this threefold avenue of action (karma), and he will tread the path made known by the sages.
282. Verily, from devotion (yoga) arises wisdom, from nondevotion springs the loss of wisdom. Having become aware of this twofold path that leads to progress and decline, let him place himself in such a way that his wisdom increases.
283. Cut down the whole forest (of desires), not just a tree. From the forest arises fear. Cut down the forest and its brushwood, O monks, and be emancipated.
284. As long as the brushwood of a man's lust towards women is not completely destroyed, even to the last seedling, so long is his mind fettered as a suckling calf is bound to its mother.
285. Cut off the love of self as one would pluck an autumnal white lotus. Proceed then upon that (Eightfold) path of peace -- the nirvana as expounded by Sugata (Buddha).
286. "Here shall I dwell in the rainy season; here shall I dwell in winter and summer." Thus the fool muses, but never reflects on the dangers that might befall him.
287. As a great flood carries off a sleeping village, so death seizes and carries off a man who is distracted and overly attached to his children and cattle.
288. Sons are no protection, neither father nor kinsfolk; when one is assailed by death, there is no protection among one's kin.
289. Having perceived this significant fact, let the wise and self-restrained man quickly clear the path that leads to nirvana.
Miscellaneous Verses -- CANTO XXI
290. If by renouncing a small pleasure one derives great
bliss, the wise man relinquishes that smaller pleasure in view of the
greater one.
291. He who desires happiness for himself by inflicting injury on others, is not freed from hatred, being entangled himself in the bonds of hatred.
292. If what ought to be done is neglected, and what ought not to be done is done, then the sensuous influxes of the arrogant and the heedless increase.
293. Those who are constantly watchful as to the nature of the body, who abstain from doing what ought not to be done, who strive to perform the deeds that ought to be done, who are mindful and self-restrained -- in such men the sensuous influxes are extinguished.
294. Having slain mother (craving), father (egotism), and the two kings of the Kshatriya caste (the two false doctrines of eternalism and annihilation of the soul), and having destroyed the kingdom with its inhabitants (the twelve bases of sense perception and objects of attachment), the true Brahman goes his way unperturbed.
295. Having slain mother, father and two kings of the Brahman caste, and having destroyed as the fifth, the tiger (the perilous path of the five hindrances, namely, lust, ill will, torpor, restlessness and doubt), the true Brahman goes his way unperturbed.
296. The disciples of Gotama (Gautama) always awake well-enlightened. Their consciousness is constantly centered, day and night, on the Buddha.
297. The disciples of Gotama always awake well-enlightened. Their consciousness is constantly centered, day and night, on the Dhamma.
298. The disciples of Gotama always awake well-enlightened. Their consciousness is constantly centered, day and night, on the Order (sangha).
299. The disciples of Gotama always awake well-enlightened. Their consciousness is constantly centered, day and night, upon (the transitory nature of) the body.
300. The disciples of Gotama always awake well-enlightened. Their consciousness, by day and night, delights in the virtue of nonviolence (ahimsa).
301. The disciples of Gotama always awake well-enlightened. Their consciousness, by day and night, delights in contemplation.
302. Renunciation of the worldly life is difficult; difficult is it to be happy in the monastic life; equally difficult and painful is it to lead a householder's life. Association with the unsympathetic is also painful. Woe befalls the wayfarer (who enters the cycle of births and deaths). Therefore be not a traveler (in samsara); fall not a victim of sorrow!
303. He who is endowed with devotion and virtue and is blessed with fame and wealth, is revered wherever he goes.
304. Good men shine from afar like the snowy peaks of the Himalayas. But the wicked, like arrows shot in the night, are not seen.
305. Sitting alone, sleeping alone, living alone, and being diligent, subduing the self by means of the Self, let a man find delight in the ending of the forest (of desires).